NOTL folk to have say on hydro rate hike

Niagara-on-the-Lake Hydro Inc. wants to hear from residents about a potential increase to distribution rates.

If the application made to the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) is approved, distribution charges on the average customer’s account will rise about $1.29 a month.

The amount requested by NOTL Hydro in its application relates to its distribution business and does not reflect any credits or other changes resulting from current bill-reduction legislation.

The utility has also applied for approval of a new charge to prepare for potential new large business customers who have their own generation facilities.

That decision may affect customers’ bills for the next five years.

OEB will be hosting a community meeting on Oct. 9, when customers may comment on the proposed rates, provide feedback on service, and question both OEB staff and NOTL Hydro representatives.

The two-hour meeting starts 6:30 p.m. in the Simpson Room at Niagara-on-the-Lake Community Centre. Customers who want to make a brief presentation should contact OEB at registrar@oeb.ca or call 1-877632-2727 (toll-free) and quote file number EB 2018-0056.

Customers can visit www.oeb.ca/participate and use EB-2018-0056 to find NOTL Hydro’s rate application. Customers can also view the utility’s scorecard to see how NOTL Hydro scores on customer satisfaction, system reliability and cost control at www.oeb.ca/scorecards.