By Patrick Langston, Ottawa Citizen, January 16, 2014
OTTAWA — Ontario residents got some nasty news in November 2013: hydro bills will rise a startling 42 per cent over the next five years, according to the provincial government’s long-term energy plan. Over the next two decades, they’ll jump 68 per cent. That means a typical bill of $125 a month will increase to $167 by 2016 and $210 by 2032, according to the government’s forecast.
Those increases come even as we’ve been reducing our electricity consumption. Hydro Ottawa says that over the past 10 years, residents have reduced electricity usage 14 per cent, thanks to conservation programs and awareness, as well as more efficient appliances. As of 2012, the average usage per month was 675 kilowatts per hour.