Increasing hydro bills pushing middle-class family to 'threshold'

Live within your means, as the saying goes, and the rest will take care of itself.

But Maryse Gareau, a mother of two, is worried that the gradual and consistent increases in her hydro bill will soon affect her ability to put money aside for the extras, like saving for her children's education.

"We bought a modest home and we don't want to be house poor," Gareau said, "and the utilities going up is affecting our way of life, and it's affecting how we can pay for activities for our children or putting money aside for RESPs and for house upgrades. And that's all very challenging for us."

The Gareau family is not alone.

• Kathleen Wynne says high cost of hydro is concern across province

Premiere Kathleen Wynne called the issue of rising hydro rates "urgent" for Ontario Energy Minister Glenn Thibeault. She said the province may even need to make changes to its Ontario Energy Support Program, which is intended to provide monthly bill payment support to low-income residents.

But Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath, who recently visited Gareau's home on a trip to Sudbury,saidthere hasn't been any assurance from the province that the support programwill benefit families like Gareau's.

"We have found that many people on the north don't qualify for these rebates," Horwath said, "and when the vast majority aren't by definition rural or northern, that's problematic."

Complicating the Liberal's strategy for hydro bill support are recent allegations from the Conservatives that the bulk of the money allotted to deliver rebates wasinstead used for marketing and consulting.

• Ontario pledged $12M to help low-income hydro customers then spent $11.7M of it on publicity

What bothers Gareaumost is that theincreases to their bill have been constantsince sheand her partner bought the home, yet the family of four has reduced hydro consumption,and takes steps to conserve wherever possible, she said.

Last year at this time the family paid $270 for their water and hydro bill. Last week she paid a $354 bill.

"I'm worried one day we'll be at our threshold," Gareau said.

'People have to choose between heating and eating': Rising hydro costs hit Ontarians