Sudbury Hydro delays time of use billing

It will be a few months before smart meters kick in for customers of Greater Sudbury Hydro. The meters allow power companies to charge different rates at different times of the day.

Most of the province has switched over, including the thousands of Sudburians who get electricity from Hydro One.

Greater Sudbury Hydro CEO Frank Kallonen said the change was delayed to make sure technical infrastructure is in place and staff are properly trained.

"We believe that we've anticipated everything, but we'll watch very closely as it rolls out and make any adjustments that need to be made as quickly as possible," he said.

A few dollars 'more' per bill

Kallonen said the final electricity bills under the old system have now been printed. All Greater Sudbury Hydro customers should be on time-of-use billing by the middle of the year.

North Bay has been on the new rates for a few months.

Darren Renaud, a spokesperson with North Bay Hydro, said most bills haven’t gone up as a result of the new time-of-use billing.

"Because it's only on the electric consumption part of your bill, it amounts to only a few dollars more per bill," he said.

It could be a while before every single power outlet in the Northeast is on time-of-use billing.

There are thousands of camps and lodges in remote areas, where — like cell phones — smart meters are not working properly.