The Metro
October 2, 2000

The Ontario Energy Board has ruled that electricity rate increases must be phased-in over a three-year period.

The regulatory agency said Friday electrical utilities would only be allowed higher increases in special circumstances.

Tom Adams, the executive director of Energy Probe, an environmental and consumer watchdog group, said the three-year plan will allow for “massive rate increases that are snuck into the rates so the consumer won’t see it,” reported The Canadian Press.

In June, Toronto Hydro was forbidden to implement a six percent interim rate increase. Hydro Mississauga had also planned an increase but decided to wait for the board’s ruling.

Utility companies have until the end of November to apply for rate increases.

New Democrat researcher Fred Gloger said the ruling means the consumer would still pay higher power bills only more slowly.

The deregulation of the electricity market, originally targeted for November, was postponed in June this year. The Ontario government is now said to be aiming for “sometime in 2001.”