Osgoode Councillor George Darouze pens open letter to Premier over Hydro rates

_ (Via councillor

 George Darouze

) _

Dear Premier Wynne,








Every day in the Province of Ontario, Hydro One customers are faced with the choice between feeding their families and turning on the lights. How can the province allow things to get so bad for its own citizens to choose between basic needs?








Since I was elected to represent Osgoode Ward in 2014, I have made making Fair Hydro for Ottawa residents one of my top priorities. Nearly 45,000 Ottawa residents, most of them rural, are currently on Hydro One and paying up to 30% more for the same hydro service. I fully understand their frustration, as I myself am also a customer of Hydro One and subject to the atrocious and unjustifiable fees and rates each month. After personal experiences of hydro bills unnecessarily costing hundreds of dollars and listening to the heart breaking stories of my residents, I began a city wide petition asking for harmonized billing rates for Hydro One customers as Hydro Ottawa.








Customers under Hydro One deserve a permanent, long term solution. This solution needs to be as substantive as the harm that has been imposed on these residents for years. Removing the 8% HST from Hydro bills is no more than a small band-aid on a much larger wound. Doing so will decrease Provincial revenue, while Hydro One continues to take the hard earn profit of struggling families in to their corporate pockets. Not only does this not address the gap between Hydro One rate payers and Hydro Ottawa rate payers, it does not correct the issue at its core.








The statements made in today’s throne speech are not solutions, and I sincerely hope that this was not the extent of resolution that you felt was acceptable. More needs to be done.








In anticipation of my Fair Hydro For Ottawa Petition being presented to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario this fall, I urge you to take serious and immediate action towards correcting the erroneous cost of hydro rates under Hydro One. We deserve a real and substantive solution.








I would be more than happy to further discuss this with you.








Sincerely,












George Darouze




City Councillor, Osgoode Ward 20