Hamilton Hydro 'Crushing the Peasants'

I just received my latest hydro and water bill and I am completely appalled at what Hamilton Hydro is being allowed to- specifically, the additional charges.

My actual consumption for this billing period totalled only $98.95 for electricity. An additional $87 worth of charges was tacked on.

Furthermore, no explanation was provided with the bill, apart from the vague list of charges on the front.

I want a detailed explanation for the following charges: non-competitive energy charges, debt retirement charge, transmission charge connection, transmission distribution charge and fixed distribution charge.

Those at Hamilton Hydro should realize that Hamiltonians are working class citizens- which does not mean low class- and cannot take these hits to their already tight budgets.

It's about time for the wheels of the mighty conglomerate to slow down before they crush the peasants who provide the grease.

This was an email that was written by me and subsequently published in the forums section of the Hamilton Spectator back on August 31, 2002. Three years later, my bills haven't gotten any better and the line from Hamilton Hydro basically boils down to, they are in debt because of mismanagement and government ignorance so badly, both levels agreed that the consumers were now responsible for paying off the debt, paying for Hamilton Hydro to do their job and keep the juice flowing at a reasonable rate.

How could a company the size of Hamilton Hydro continually get away with telling people to shut their air conditioners and essential appliances off at the height of summer because they say there is too heavy a strain on the electrical grid.

Bull! the day Ontario runs short on hydro is the day Niagara falls goes dry. Come on! in fact Ontario Hydro, the main supplier to Hamilton Hydro, admits they have in fact a years surplus for the entire province stored up and are even siphoning off some of that surplus and selling it to Quebec and cities along the eastern US seaboard like Boston.

Bottom line Ontario Hydro runs a trillion dollar crown corporation like a guy having a sale on cheap DVD's. He's got hundreds of them but only puts out a few at a time so he can control the price and keep their potential for profit high.

Food for Thought,
Kenaz