Horizon Utilities’ decision to raise smart meter costs was a hot topic at Queen’s Park Wednesday.

Horizon Utilities, which serves Hamilton and St Catharines, has received permission to charge customers in Hamilton and St Catharines $2.14 a month to recover the costs of the meters – an increase of 58 cents.
But charge will disappear in April 2012.
It’s estimated the smart meter project cost over a billion dollars.
NDP energy critic Peter Tabuns questions whether that’s money well spent.
“New Democrats think that it’s time, and it’s long overdue, to call in the auditor general, open the books, ask the right questions, get the answers.”
Energy minister Brad Duguid accused the NDP of trying to have it both ways.
“On one hand they talk about being in favour of conservation, on one hand they talk about wanting to modernize the energy grid, when it comes down to making the investments, they run, they hide, they don’t want anything to do with that.”
Smart meters bill customers according to time-of-day usage, instead of total usage – paying more during peak hours, less during off-peak hours.

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