magnumpi

Crazy world we live in people, we have been trying harder to use power after 7pm this year for washer and dishwasher, then I read......

I quote:
"Ontarians consumed less electricity than expected over the recent milder winter," said a statement from the OEB.

"As a result of lower usage, Regulated Price Plan (RPP) prices did not recover the full cost of serving RPP customers. One of the main reasons prices are increasing in May is to recover this shortfall."

On the one hand we have the global warming squad saying use less power, when we do the Hydro people put the cost up, a lose lose situation IMO

Using the same analogy shouldn't gas (petrol) prices be going down? No low use, penalty, high use bonus there I guess !!!

SchnookoLoly

Yeah I heard this on the radio this weekend, completely ridiculous. We also make an effort not to run energy-hungry appliances during peak hours, and the result now is that we will have to pay more because of it. It makes completely no sense. As if we aren't already getting rinsed enough in what we pay in Hydro... blah!

scrubbedexpat091

You all really get screwed in ON it seems on electric.

People in BC complain about our prices but clearly they have not lived elsewhere in Canada.

I think we had a rate increase of 4% on Apr 1.

But BC hydro says its for infrastructure improvements and replacements.

Pizzawheel

In the same week the auditor slammed billions of $ waste by Hydro 1...

Paul_Shepherd

Hydro companies in Ontario remind me of insurance companies....they never lose out, they make the rules up as they go, they are just a bunch of parasites.

BristolUK

Yes, but you Ontarians do live in the centre of everything don't you.

Paul_Shepherd

ha ha guffaw guffaw....

Striclty speaking thats reserved for Torontonians and GTA-ians.... as i step back from the fizzling blue touch paper....

paw339

Wynne and the liberals will only be happy when every manufacturing/industrial company have closed down in Ontario due to high electricity prices. This is a win win situation for them as by eliminating all those jobs everyone will be much poorer forcing everyone to use less electricity as they have no money.

Pizzawheel

Sorry, GTA 905-ians are only in the vicinity of the centre of everything, and you don't get a cigar for that.

It does peeve me that people from the old Toronto also think they're at the centre of the universe when it's only their proximity to Scarboro (which is, of course, True Centre, to use the correct astronomic term) that gives them any claim to fame. The people of Pickering are much more realistic and content with their lot.

Shakyuk

That is insane!
Off topic but are solar panels and other generating means popular in Canada like they are in the UK?

BristolUK

Are solar panels popular in the UK or is it the idea of them that's popular but not many actually have them?

I left in 2004 and up to that point I don't recall actually seeing any, though I dare say there were some.

Of course they're not always visible but I have seen several examples out and about here.

dbd33

Individually owned solar panels and windmills are very popular in the country. There was a period of heavy tax subsidies and remunerative contracts to sell power to the grid that made installing them attractive. The contracts on offer now aren't so rewarding but panels can still make sense (or windmills if you don't mind the neighbours hating you and environmentalists shooting at the blades). A couple of things to consider:

- it's the cost of having electricity supplied that's expensive, not the cost per unit consumed. For us, for example, the potential saving by not using any power at all is only 15% of the bill, so long as the line is still connected to the grid we're in for the other 85%. Thus, an approach that eliminates the supply is better than one that reduces power consumption.

- the supply of power isn't reliable, it typically goes out for multiple days several times a year as well as for short intervals more frequently. Accordingly, lots of people have serious money invested in back up generators; an automatic propane one starts at about $5,000. Once that infrastructure is in place there's compulsion to spend heavily on new equipment.

Shakyuk

In recent years there have been a dramatic increase in the number of solar panels but they're not yet the norm. We have a similar scheme to what DBD described; with tariffs allowing house holds to offset the cost by feeding excess energy back into the grid. However recently these tariffs have been slashed but the price of solar panels themselves have also decreased dramatically. I think growth will slow dramatically now the tariffs have been slashed though. The primary growth seemed to be from companies which would supply and fit the panels for free but then take the income. With the tariffs cut I'd expect this is much less lucrative.

The likes of IKEA and other mainstream brands now offer fitted solar panels up to the maximum output you can claim money for (I can't remember the output) for around £5000.

That is interesting regarding the cost being primarily due to line connection. So if you did go for solar+a back up generator and had the line removed would this cost actually be removed? I ask because in the UK even if you had no water supply they'd charge you for the water landing on your property.

I've read a bit on the forums about unreliable electricity supply in Canada, is that due to insufficient generation or faults preventing transmission? Seems mental that a developed country that is so highly regarding for living standards, industry and use of renewables would have power problems.

scrubbedexpat091

How do they justify the apparent excessive fees if what dbd said above is true and consumption is only a small % of the bill.

scrubbedexpat091

In BC most of the issues at least with the areas I have lived in, most outages are caused by fallen lines. Trees, wind mostly around here.

Overall the power is reliable around these parts. Maybe 1 or 2 short outages in a year.

Longest in the last year was about 4 hours but it was the mide of a wind storm so BC hydro crews were busy.

As a side we dont have the excessive fees on hydro out this way either.