Conservative Support for Time-of-Use

PCs were in favour of smart meters & time-of-use, until this week…

QUEEN'S PARK, Sept. 29 /CNW/ - Ontario Conservatives used to support time-of-use pricing and smart meters for Ontario ratepayers.  In fact, when they were in government, they urged Ontarians to shift consumption and even campaigned on conservation in the last provincial election:

• "We as Ontarians pay less for our power than we do at peak hours. So, turning on your dishwasher at 10:30 instead of 6:30, turning on other heavy energy-use appliances at the end of the day, saves, in aggregate, an incredible amount of money." Steve Gilchrist (Scarborough East), Hansard, June 16, 2003
• "If we could get everyone in the province to turn their dishwater on in off-peak hours and do their washing in off-peak hours that would have a huge consequence." John Baird, former Ontario Minister of Energy (Nepean-Carleton), Hansard, June 25, 2003
• "If people, perhaps a retired couple in Richmond or in Munster Hamlet, could see that the cost of electricity is 8 cents and perhaps not turn on the dishwasher and get a benefit for that… that would have a lot of benefits for conservation." John Baird, former Ontario Minister of Energy (Nepean-Carleton), Hansard, November 27, 2002
• "I believe you should be focusing… on providing tools to consumers like interval meters and time-of-rate meters in their homes so that they can actually determine when to shut off the air conditioner, the television, the freezer and other appliances that are high consumers, like hot water heaters." John O'Toole (Durham), Hansard, December 11, 2003
• In their 2007 campaign document "Energy for the Future," co-authored by MPP's John Yakabuski, Norm Sterling and John O'Toole, the Conservatives argued that Ontario should "invest in conservation - to offset demand" and "demand management - to shift peaks in consumption to off hours". 

The same Conservatives who used to argue in favour of time-of-use are now intent on taking Ontario backwards and would risk Ontario's energy security.

When it comes to making investments to keep the lights on, Tim Hudak just doesn't get it.  

For further information:

Andrew Teliszewsky
[email protected]
416-325-3670