High electricity rates shock Windsor business owners

By Barry Hazlehurst

Windsor business owners are finding it difficult to make a profit with the high electricity rates in Ontario.

In November 2016 the Ontario Energy Board announced business owners will have to pay time-of-use rates which at peak hours is 18 cents per kilowatt hour. The peak hours that fall into the time-of-use rates are from 7 a.m. until 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. For most Ontario business owners these are their peak hours of operation.

Katherine Wu is the owner of the Downtown Smoke Shop in Windsor said the electricity rates are causing a negative effect on local businesses.

“If business owners cannot make a profit, how will they stay in business?’’ said Wu “The rates are just too high for business owners in Ontario.”

In response to high electricity costs in Ontario the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses has made a petition for Ontario business owners to sign. The petition will be sent to the Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne to protest the high rates.

Ljubice Cajan, an employee from Tunnel Discount Convenience, said it’s not only hurting businesses but also hurting everyone.

“They should make electricity normally priced like food,” said Cajan.”Its not fair and I don’t respect Canada for doing this.”

At a press conference in Toronto, Wynne said she will cut electricity costs for Ontario residents this summer by 17 per cent.