Balsam Lake Coalition has been granted Intervenor Status in the current Hydro One rate application in front of the Ontario Energy Board (EB-2012-0136). Hydro has submitted its evidence as part of the application.
2013 Distribution Rate Application- Hydro One Networks Inc.
Balsam Lake Coalition has focused its attention on the Density Study and its findings and Hydro's subsequent recommendations.
BLC has submitted the following questions to Hydro One in preparation for our role in these hearings.
Balsam Lake Coalition Interrogatories - Hydro One Networks Rate Application
12 October, 2012 UPDATEThe Federeation of Ontario Cottage Association has applied for Intervenor status. We are pleased to see this intervention and are looking forward to working in concert with FOCA to put forward a strong case for a reduction in Hydro rates for Seasonal customers.
As President of an area Property Owners Association in Haliburton County, I was invited to attend a "Stakeholder Session" on Hydro One Seasonal Rates yesterday, July 18th, 2013.
ReplyDeleteThere seems to be little strong recognition, even by organizations such as yours, that the very existence of a "Seasonal Rate Class" is an absurdity, plain and simple.
Further, volumetric charges or adjustments of any kind other than "line loss" should have no impact on Hydro One delivery charges.
When a standard "good" is shipped by a scheduled carrier there is a cost per unit to move those goods for cost recovery; total cost of shipment divided by units per shipment. One unit does not cost more to ship than another unit if the departure and arrival points are the same.
The case for the creation of Hydro One was exactly the division of costs between production and delivery and the failure at all levels to actually implement this is the basis for our problems.
Seasonal Rates are nothing more, nor less, than a surcharge on those who have secondary properties in "rural" areas.
This may, in fact, be a reasonable sort of idea based on the principle of graduated taxation, however, to have a stream of outright tripe handed to one over and over again as Hydro One tries to justify these charges based on cost of delivery is infuriating!
Rate Harmonization, the goal of which was to reduce "cross-subsidization", has merely served to shift the onus of subsidization from the broader base of "customers", including those whose rates are the very lowest, to a segment of the base whose rates are the highest subsidizing another segment of the same higher rate base.
Andy Muirhead
We couldn't agree more with your comments. They are right on the mark and we certainly welcome others to add their observations as well. The current Hydro One focus groups should provide a strong message to Hydro One that the current rate structure is terribly wrong and unfair
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