Ontarians paying $50 billion too much for electricity: Auditor

(Updated)

Opposition reaction to the Auditor General’s scathing report was swift.

Opposition critics were very vocal Tuesday following the report’s release, saying that the overlying issue is a lack of transparency by the Liberal government.

They say it failed to take previous reports seriously, especially when it came to a warning about green energy and how this would impact the smart meter program. back in 2011, the Auditor General said global adjustment would increase electricity costs. Tuesday, the report confirmed that consumers are paying billions of dollars more for electricity because of the flawed program.

PC finance critic Vic Fedeli: “This government spent $50 billion more on buying electricity than they sold it for. That’s the bottom line. That’s why your hydro rates have tripled. That’s exactly what the auditor general told us in 2011. Why? Because they did no business plan for smart meters, they did no business plan for green energy and there’s no transparency.”

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath: “The Liberals also spent $2 billion on smart meters, double what they initially claimed. It hasn’t reduced consumption. And it hasn’t kept peoples bills down. And yet the minister is still saying that this morning, that it has achieved its goals, when we know it hasn’t. And in fact, he just said it again in his press conference. In my books, that’s not very smart.”

The Auditor General was critical of how the government switched to time-of-use electricity pricing. She says it hasn’t led to the government’s electricity conservation goals being met, though the Liberals say her assessment is premature.