Hydro customers worried they’ll be subject to arbitrary increases in fund
Re: “Hydro has temerity to tack 25 cents on each bill”, (Citizen, Sept. 28)
Some people voted for change in the last B.C. provincial election. As a result, a NDP minority government became the government of B.C.
George fails to mention, that as B.C. Hydro is a taxpayer owned corporation, government ministers oversee and make changes in the corporation over B.C Hydro management. In this case, it is the NDP’s energy minister, Michelle Mungall. The NDP loves giving benefits to taxpayers in need, funded by raising taxes to accomplish this. Michelle has introduced the B.C. Hydro crisis fund. People are discovering a new charge to their monthly hydro bill designed to help those who can’t afford to pay. This would also apply to George if he fell into dire straits.
Customers who fall behind on their payments are eligible for a grant of up to $600 a year to avoid having their electricity cut off. It’s not the amount of the fee — approximately $3 per year — that bothers people. It’s the fact the fee simply appeared on their bill without any consent or official notice. Very typical with NDP governments.
Certainly, George does not want to see a person’s hydro cut off, especially in the middle of winter. But make no mistake, the crisis fund will also benefit B.C. Hydro by insulating the utility against financial loss. B.C. Hydro expects to raise $5 million through the crisis fund in the first year, 1.5 million of which will be required to cover startup costs and administration. People are naturally worried that once in place, Hydro customers will be subject to further arbitrary increases to the crisis fund.
It should also be noted that this is not a one time grant. Those who qualify for the crisis fund are eligible to apply for subsequent grants on an annual basis. When NDP energy minister Michelle Mungall was asked about the crisis fund at the Legislature earlier this year, she indicated a further need for a “lifeline rate” for low income customers, in other words, the NDP wants a two-tier hydro rate where some people receive a discount while most other residential customers will be required to pay a higher rate.
This is how the NDP intends to make life more affordable for British Columbians. It comes on the heels of a public relations disaster last March when the government announced a premature hydro rate freeze before it had been approved by the B.C. Utilities Commission. Mungall was forced to make an embarrassing public retreat when a three per cent rate increase went ahead despite the NDP’s hollow election promise.
Remember George, any benefits that are given out to B.C. taxpayers also represents tax increases by this minority NDP government. They cannot give these benefits by using the large surplus that they inherited from the previous B.C. Liberal provincial government.
All future infrastructure projects have to pay union wages, whether the contractor is a union contractor or a non union contractor. Remember, that the previous NDP government of Glen Clark used this same policy in the building of the inland island highway. The inland highway cost $50 million more than the Coquilhalla highway, all because of the NDP wage policy. John Horgan is a two-faced premier anyways. Using taxpayers’ dollars to pay out high union wages, and yet when it comes to his own personal finances, such as getting an estimate for a new roof on his house, he shops the market and takes the lowest bid. You people that voted for change, deserve what you get. Stop complaining. Unbelievable!
Joe Sawchuk
Duncan