Hydro bills to rise $2 in Ontario next month

The average electricity bill for households and small businesses in Ontario will shoot up about $2 a month starting in November, the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) announced Tuesday.

That amounts to a hikeof about 1.8 per cent, which is in line with the rate of inflation, the OEB says.

The board says the price jump is coming as a result of both price increases,and an expanded rebate from the province that is largely offsetting price changes.

The Ford government is also forcing electricity providers to change the layout of residential hydro bills, making the province's subsidy appear more prominently.

Starting in November, new hydro bills will show the full, un-subsidized per-kilowatt-hour price of electricity. The approximately 25 per cent in subsidies introduced by the previous Liberal government will be highlighted on one line, under the heading "Total Ontario Support."

Previously, the only subsidy explicitly appearing on bills was the eight per cent rebate of HST, as a further 17 per cent subsidy wasburied in the per-kilowatt-hour price.