As hydro bills continue to rise, so too do the worries of many farmers in Windsor-Essex, who say the soaring prices are hurting their operations and their livelihoods.
It was the topic of a round table discussion in Essex on Tuesday with NDP Leader Andrea Horwath.
She heard from Kingsville dairy farmer Bernard Nelson, who says he invested $25,000 to help reduce energy consumption by about 25 per cent. But Nelson claims his hydro bill remains the same.
Mark Stannard is a second generation dairy farmer. He tells CTV Windsor his electricity bills have gone from an average of $1,200 to $1,500 a month.
His Kingsville farm is considered a small operation so Stannard doesn't qualify for large business discounts, and he's struggling to keep his business profitable.
Both farmers say it’s hard to manage their energy consumption, given the nature of the business. They also say using energy at off peak times isn't always an option.
Horwath tells CTV News “we are hitting a tipping point, a wall and people are concerned about their own situations and generations to come.”
Premier Kathleen Wynne has pledged to rebate the eight per cent provincial portion of the HST from hydro bills starting in January.
But Horwath is calling for the immediate and permanent removal of the HST.
The Ontario NDP Leader says she will continue to push the Liberal government to stop its sell off of Hydro One.
