going green? Good luck!

[signgirl]

Here in Ontario, we have a very 'green' nanny state provincial gov't....Liberal.

We are experiencing what you are about to if current trends are allowed to continue.
Our Gov't is hugely promoting wind power and solar power...we are paying up to 80 cents per kwh for this source of electricity, not counting the tax breaks given to the companies building and erecting and funding these mega projects.

Our coal generators are closing and nuclear generator construction has been put on hold.

Our electricity rates have doubled since 2006 and are predicted to double again by 2015.

While everyone purports to be 'green' in some form or other, few would have agreed to these price increases, had the Gov't been up front with the true costs. These price hikes are hardest on industry, middle class and the poor.

Industry is fleeing to Alberta or points south. Our Auto manufacturing is teetering and this could be a death knell....unless of course the Gov't subsidizes them...more money out of the average Joe's pocket.

here is an example of more nonsense...

if you buy an alarm clock for $9.99.... add a $2.45 future disposal tax...then add 13% HST (harmonized sales tax) which also taxes the disposal tax!! Try to return it and you do not get the $2.45 back.

There is disposal tax on all electronics, any oil products, light bulbs, batteries and a zillion other things

good luck

[dnf777]

Here in Ontario, we have a very 'green' nanny state provincial gov't....Liberal.

We are experiencing what you are about to if current trends are allowed to continue.
Our Gov't is hugely promoting wind power and solar power...we are paying up to 80 cents per kwh for this source of electricity, not counting the tax breaks given to the companies building and erecting and funding these mega projects.

Our coal generators are closing and nuclear generator construction has been put on hold.

Our electricity rates have doubled since 2006 and are predicted to double again by 2015.

While everyone purports to be 'green' in some form or other, few would have agreed to these price increases, had the Gov't been up front with the true costs. These price hikes are hardest on industry, middle class and the poor.

Industry is fleeing to Alberta or points south. Our Auto manufacturing is teetering and this could be a death knell....unless of course the Gov't subsidizes them...more money out of the average Joe's pocket.

here is an example of more nonsense...

if you buy an alarm clock for $9.99.... add a $2.45 future disposal tax...then add 13% HST (harmonized sales tax) which also taxes the disposal tax!! Try to return it and you do not get the $2.45 back.

There is disposal tax on all electronics, any oil products, light bulbs, batteries and a zillion other things

good luck

While I certainly don't envy your utility rates and taxes, I would like to see something curtail the wasteful use of energy in our country. We keep our house a little on the cool side in the winter, and take the drastic, sacrificial step of wearing sweaters and putting an extra blanket on at nite. In the summer, we open the windows.

I can't tell you (sorry folks, but especially in the south) when it is blistering hot outside, then you go into a building and almost have to wear a coat b/c the air conditioning is set to meat-locker temps, THAT is a waste of energy. And when there's snow outside, it doesn't have to be tropical indoors.

I don't encourage or support any legislation to change this....but would HOPE that people would change their behavior out of a sense of conservation of energy. If we don't, utility rates will do it for us eventually.

[road kill]

While I certainly don't envy your utility rates and taxes, I would like to see something curtail the wasteful use of energy in our country. We keep our house a little on the cool side in the winter, and take the drastic, sacrificial step of wearing sweaters and putting an extra blanket on at nite. In the summer, we open the windows.

I can't tell you (sorry folks, but especially in the south) when it is blistering hot outside, then you go into a building and almost have to wear a coat b/c the air conditioning is set to meat-locker temps, THAT is a waste of energy. And when there's snow outside, it doesn't have to be tropical indoors.

I don't encourage or support any legislation to change this....but would HOPE that people would change their behavior out of a sense of conservation of energy. If we don't, utility rates will do it for us eventually.

Well, cavepeople (PC?) didn't use heaters or AC, they just wore animal skins.
Maybe we should all just wear animal skins.....wait....that's a whole nother set of issues!!!


RK

[dnf777]

Well, cavepeople (PC?) didn't use heaters or AC, they just wore animal skins.
Maybe we should all just wear animal skins.....wait....that's a whole nother set of issues!!!


RK

I can think of certain benefits to that......

[signgirl]

oh, I forgot another good one....if you are off the grid but have electricity coming to your house...usage zero...you still get a bill for $45.00/month as a delivery charge.

[Gerry Clinchy]

I'm still stunned by the 80 cents/kwh ... our elec co says the "average user" in their service area uses 1000 kwh/month ... at 80 cents/kwh, that's $800! ... per month!

What do Ontarians (? is that right?) do to use the least amount of electricity? Even in the spring & summer, with no AC or heating in use, I can't get below 550 kwh; and more usually about 700, and that's for just one person.

Each of your electric bills shows the total kwhs used for the billing period. Check yours to see what this would mean in $$$.

I can't imagine that any but the extremely wealthy could afford to pay at least 4X their present electric costs (for me it would be close to 8X what I pay now; although they're going up again, I hear).

[WRL]

I average about 1700 KWH per month through the year.

My charge is $0.035 per KWH.

Of course, where I live they have just about the lowest electric rates in the nation.

WRL

[Gerry Clinchy]

1700 kwh at 80 cents/kwh = $1,360.

Where I live, the cost/kwh is about 11 cents ... for now. To that is added a flat rate "customer charge" of $15.83 which would add about .015 to the per kwh cost for the average user of 1000 kwh.

Out of the goodness of their heart, the local elec co allows you to add "x" cents to your cost for "green energy". I'd really like to know how they funnel such users just the green stuff. Since our elec supplier had the largest profit year in its history BEFORE they raised the rates 30% in 2010, I figure that they're making enough off us to make the sacrifice of implementing more green energy sources on their own.

They have requested another rate increase from the Public Utilities Commission. Ostensibly the reason is to upgrade the "grid" ... they sell a lot of electricity to NY and NJ, as well as other places.

[signgirl]

We don't pay the full amount on our bills...it is partially subsidized through taxes (maybe that means the same thing) ....I think Nuclear is 4-6 and hydro around the same......To date, the wind and solar is still a small portion of the total. The greenies are working to change that. At one time Niagara Falls was sufficient for the whole province. Now we have "smart meters" on our houses that decide when your usage is and charge accordingly...they are new this year. The scary thing is that they have the potential to regulate your usage how much and when. You are clobbered with delivery charges, debt repayment, line usage, 13% tax on the total etc etc.

I have a tiny house and smallish bills...my friends who have normal size houses and normal usage are currently paying three to four hundred a month....natural gas heat but regular hydro charges for Air Cond and lighting etc.

This is the tip if the iceberg....beware...