While he concedes Ontario's new hydro bill rebate will provide some relief for homeowners, Chatham-Kent-Essex MPP Rick Nicholls says an 8% tax refund isn't a good long-term fix.
"That's not enough. Keep in mind just one year ago we had the Clean Energy Benefit, which was a 10% reduction on all electricity bills. [The Liberals] voted to take it away," says Nicholls.
The hydro rebate was announced as part of Monday's Provincial Throne Speech. The 8% rebate accounts for the provincial portion of the HST on hydro bills.
But Nicholls calls the rebate a "band-aid." As a solution to getting hydro rates down, he suggests scrapping the Green Energy Act, and for Ontario to stop contracting solar and wind companies for excess energy.
He says this extra energy often ends up in the hands of other provinces, or US states like Michigan and New York.
"We say 'hey look, we'll either sell you our energy cheap, or we'll pay you to take our energy,'" says Nicholls. "Now that's not looking after Ontarian's wallets at all."
