"A review of the 2010 Ontario Public Accounts reveals that McGuinty’s Minister of Energy has quietly approved charging Ontario families a new “smart meter service fee”. This new tax is being charged to cover the costs of the “Smart Metering Entity” that runs the smart meters which themselves are nothing more than government-sponsored tax machines. The new Smart Meter Tax will be applied on top of the current costs of the smart meter scheme – which already charges families $200 per household to install, and drives up family hydro rates by 150%. One of Dalton McGuinty’s energy bureaucracies is already budgeting to collect this tax which will cost Ontario families at least $132 million dollars over four years. "
Posted as a comment http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1047656--health-care-and-economy-are-ontarians-biggest-concerns-poll-finds?bn=1#comments
Also: http://larryscott.ca/feature/coming-soon-%E2%80%93-yet-another-dalton-mcguinty-tax-grab/
Coming Soon – Yet Another Dalton McGuinty Tax Grab
September 1st, 2011
TORONTO — Today Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak was joined by Ontario PC candidates Mike Yen and Karlene Nation to expose Dalton “The Tax Man” McGuinty’s latest attempt to sneak in a new tax on Ontario families. A review of the 2010 Ontario Public Accounts reveals that McGuinty’s Minister of Energy has quietly approved charging Ontario families a new “smart meter service fee”. This new tax is being charged to cover the costs of the “Smart Metering Entity” that runs the smart meters which themselves are nothing more than government-sponsored tax machines.
The new Smart Meter Tax will be applied on top of the current costs of the smart meter scheme – which already charges families $200 per household to install, and drives up family hydro rates by 150%. One of Dalton McGuinty’s energy bureaucracies is already budgeting to collect this tax which will cost Ontario families at least $132 million dollars over four years.
While Dalton McGuinty seeks new and creative ways to force Ontario families to pay higher taxes, a Tim Hudak government will cancel the secret Smart Meter Tax and close the new hydro bureaucracy associated with it. In addition, an Ontario PC government will unplug mandatory smart meter time-of-use pricing.
An Ontario PC government will provide Ontario families with further relief by removing the HST from hydro and home heating bills and removing the debt retirement charge from home hydro bills – which will save the typical Ontario family $275 per year.
Richard,
ReplyDeleteFirstly, great blog. It's the first time i've come across it and i'm glad someone is discussing the issues. I feel it's my duty, however, to dispell some of the myths about smart metering. Full disclosure, I work for the Federal government as a policy analyst, but I am not party affiliated.
Smart meters are not a tax grab, infact they are the most cost effective way for our government to deal with our energy shortage. During most of the year, we have more production capacity than we use, which results in sunk costs. During peak periods (very hot or cold days for example) we sometimes have a shortage of capacity. In these instances we buy electricity from other provinces and the states, at ETREMELY inflated costs. Each year, the price difference between what the province pays for generation and what it recovers is in the hundreds of millions, and will only get worse. With the shut down of Nanticoke, infrastructure that needs replacing, and nuclear retrofits, the government is looking at spending tens of billions of dollars in the next 20 years, much of this just to meet PEAK energy demand.
All of the above costs are recovered by the taxpayer. We pay for it one way or another, partly on our electricy bills and partly through our general taxes. Smart meters encourage people to use electricity at off peak periods, and it's working. Even a 2 percent reduction will save the province billions, not to mention less generation is good for the environment. Smart metering is the most cost effective way for the government to deal with energy shortages.
Without smart meters your electricity bill will still go up. If rates do not go up by as much, it simply means the governing party has decided to chalk the costs up to the deficit...government deficits eventually mean higher taxes and are recovered one way or another.
Well said anonymous.
ReplyDeleteGood first comment. I agree smart meters are a very capable way of dealing with demand problems that we have but I do find they are being used to skim some money from people which I don't like. The set rates are too high as well as pushing the on peak periods to 7-11am and 5-9pm in the winter is crazy. You cannot ask people to cook dinner, heat their home, shower their kids and get ready for work the next day all after 9pm Monday - Friday. The summer is fine for peak times but I'd like to see the winter on peak times be rolled back to help a family afford their daily needs. We can all do laundry and run the dishwasher after 9pm but we cannot be expected to do certain things at that time.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the 10% rebate is set-up all wrong. If I don't conserve at all and ring up $1000 hydro bill I get $100 off. But if I am smart, conserve and have a $100 bill, I get $10 off. I think the government should benefit the energy savers and people shifting to off peak as well as to small and medium size business owners. The fact is your local walmart which sucks hydro like crazy is gaining thousands of dollars from the 10% rebate while not trying anything to conserve.
This will help off set the demand as well knowing the only way you can get the 10% is to shift to off peak.
Smart Meters are a good idea but we need to lower the kwh/hour price, reward the energy savers and change the peak times to reflect the average working family.
BS! BS! BS to the above comments. Yet another apologist I see. You friggen' sheep have become so gullible it's not even funny anymore. No wonder this province has become a laughing stock--you're a perfect example as to why.
ReplyDelete"Smart meters are not a tax grab, infact they are the most cost effective way for our government to deal with our energy shortage."
ReplyDeleteWe don't have a peak shortage, has not been the case since 2005. You don't solve shortage of capacity by cutting people off power with high rates, you build more capacity. This means more nukes and more coal.
You people missed the point of the post. This is a NEW TAX to pay for the meters, nothing to do with the the meter's billings.
ReplyDeleteDo they sell candles and coal any more?
ReplyDeletej_m
As a rule I like to read up on everything before I go off. I do have to say that I am really scared about this winter because of our baseboard heaters. We have an older house that has been recently insulated and have installed a gas fireplace, but the baseboard heat is still supplemental. Our smart meter was activated Sept 1st and we have been trying to do dishes and laundry at night. I work to 10 pm so this gets me to bed about 1am. My husband gets up at 5 am so he throws the wet load in the dryer. I either get sleep or save money
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