The Canadian Propane Association says Ontario's Natural Gas Grant Program flies in the face of The Ontario Energy Board ruling rejecting taxpayer subsidies to expand natural gas to rural communities.
Executive Director Andrea Labelle says the $100-million in subsidies from Ontario taxpayers also make it impossible for propane companies to compete on a level playing field.
The Canadian Propane Association says Epcor was planning on providing natural gas expansion to southern Bruce County without using tax money.
Labelle says the money should go to customers who can then choose which product they want to switch to.
Labelle explains grants should be available to anyone to switch from expensive electric, to propane, or natural gas. And she adds that very competition between propane and natural gas helps keep the price down for both products.
She says anyone who is not going to be served by the new natural gas grants will be left out and ineligible for funding to switch away from electric heat.
She adds the money is being taken from the Moving Ontario Forward Funding for infrastructure, and is not new funding
