Chapleau residents can voice their opinion tonight on a proposed rate increase for Chapleau Hydro.
The Ontario Energy Board's holding a community meeting, noting it wants to hear from Chapleau Hydro customers about the proposed rate changes.
In a recent email to JJAM FM News, the local utility confirmed it's asking for a rate increase for all classes - as part of a normal five-year review - noting their current rates are based on 2012 capital and operation costs with yearly inflation, even though they've added $238,000 in assets since then, while the change from a "virtual" utility to a traditional "utility" meant $450,000 more in assets previously owned by a now-defunct affiliate.
The O-E-B says Chapleau Hydro's application - if approved as filed - would mean a "typical residential customer using 750 kilowatt hours of electricity per month" would see a monthly increase of about $1.96, while commercial customers using 2000 kilowatt hours a month would see a monthly increase of $17.40.
That's lower than the numbers provided to JJAM FM by Chapleau Hydro, who stated that a residential customer using 750 kilowatt hours a month is expected to see an increase of $2.88 per month and a commercial customer using 2000 kilowatt hours a month would see an increase of $21.09 a month.
The OEB says utilities "rarely get all they ask for", with 38 percent of the more than 140 major rate applications reviewed since 2009 getting a smaller increase than requested.
The community meeting will be held at the Legion Hall tonight, from 6:30 to 8:30.