A Bruce Grey United report says a hydro crisis is brewing in the Bruce Grey region.
A study of organizations trying to help people stay warm in the winter and keep the lights on, has found that $700,000 was spent to cover utilities bills for people who cannot afford to pay. The United Way was able to access additional data from both counties, Y Housing as well as the Salvation Army in Wiarton.
With staff time and resources added in, the price in Bruce Grey is over $1-million spent in the last year on utility arrears.
Electricity continues to be a challenge with costs having increased 100% in the past ten years. Rural residents are hit with massive delivery costs and conservation efforts are negated by annual increases due to reduction in demand.
“Our clients, our families are not wasteful, they do everything they can to reduce consumption, they unplug everything and we often advise them to turn breakers off in an effort to reduce their bill," says Francesca Dobbyn, executive director of the United Way of Bruce Grey.
She explains that while the Ontario Energy Savings Program introduced last November could give qualifying consumers $30 to $50 per month relief, for many families it’s simply not enough to prevent disconnections.
Dobbyn adds they are still seeing large bills from 2013 when billing and meter issues created large “catch-up” bills. A new partnership with Credit Canada can assist families with longer repayment schedules.