Dalton McGuinty and Hydro One (OPG) ... A study in incompetence! (A repost from May 1, 2012)

Specifically: It is a study of incompetence, waste, greed and downright stupidity on the part of Hydro One and various politicians--including Ernie Eves and Dalton McGuinty.

Consider this: In 2002 the then Chairman of Hydro One, Eleanor Clitheroe, was fired because she: "used credit cards contrary to company policy. They [Ontario Power Group Board] said she also obtained club memberships at the company's expense. Many of those memberships had no business-related purpose, the board said. Clitheroe is also said to have used Hydro One service providers to do renovations to her home."

At the time she made over $2.2 million, including $174,000 for a car and $172,000 in vacation pay. Clitheroe also stood to get $6 million in cash if she left Hydro One for any reason, and she stood to receive an annual pension of up to $1 million."

During Clitheroe’s tenure, no bookkeeper, accountant, civil servant or administrative chief at Hydro One ever noticed that the same employee costing us $330,000 in limousine rides was taking some $214,000 in car allowances. If any of them did notice, they kept mum. During the entire Clitheroe reign, there were no enterprising reporters ringing alarm bells.

Oh, and by the way, she got a $6.5M severance package and a $300,000+ annual pension when she went out the door.

And if that isn't bad enough, her replacement chair, Tom Parkinson 'resigned' after it was disclosed that he improperly charged his secretary's credit card with $45,000 of expenses.

The then Minister of Energy, Dwight Duncan, (now Minister of Finance) wouldn't reveal the exact amount Parkinson was paid to walk away, but Parkinson was Ontario's highest paid public employee, earning $1.6 million in salary and bonuses last year. His severance package could have been worth as much as $3 million.

So, if you want to know why hydro bills went up an average of $4.00 per month, take a long hard look at the above.

Gerry Burnie

PS. Has anyone any idea how much money has been collected through the "debt retirement charge?"

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And while we're on the topic of Debt Retirement Charge...

Anyone know what "defeased" means? In the Ontario Electricity Financial Corporation's statement it reads: “The Electricity Act, 1998, provides for the Debt Retirement Charge (DRC) to be paid by consumers until the stranded debt is defeased.” see: http://www.oefc.on.ca/debtmanage.html. However, I've checked two dictionaries, i.e. Webster's and Oxford, and I can't find it.

Yet another Hydro On rate hike

The legacy of McGuinty lives on

In April, the OEB announced that electricity rates would jump about $3.63 on the electricity line, or about 2.9% on the total monthly bill as of May 1.

The latest hydro hike comes just over a week after Ontario auditor general Bonnie Lysyk released her report that pegged cancellation costs related to the Oakville power plant at up to $815 million -- most of it to be repaid over the next two decades on hydro bills.

For consumers on time-of-use pricing -- and that includes most households in the province -- the price of electricity during winter peak hours of 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays will rise 0.5 cents to 12.9 cents/kWh. [Up from 9.2 cents in 2011]

During the daytime weekday hours of 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the mid-peak rate will hit 10.9 

cents/kWh. [Up from 9.2 cents in 2011]

The cheapest time to use electricity-gobbling appliances will remain weekends and overnight, 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., at 7.2 cents/kWh. [Up from 6.1 cents in 2011]

This is up from previous years as follows:

Ontarians on Time-of-Use Pricing (TOU) will see their lowest rate for electricity — overnight and on weekends and holidays — rise to 6.5 cents per kWh from 6.1 cents per kWh.

On a weekday from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., prices increase to 10 cents kWh from 9.2 cents kWh.

Firing up the electrical appliances during peak times, which will be between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays for the rest of the spring and summer, will set consumers back 11.7 cents kWh, up from 10.8 cents kWh.

Those increasingly rare hydro customers not on Smart Meter billing will pay 7.5 cents kWh, an increase of 0.4 cents kWh, on the first 600 kWh per month.

Any use over that threshold, which drops from 1,000 kWh in winter months, will be billed at the new higher price of 8.8 cents kWh, up 0.5 cents kWh.