Live Small PT 3: Stressed about hydro? It’s nothing

That was quite the little rant the other day wasn’t it?

If you missed it, in Live Small Pt 2, I mentioned that hydro bills will rise for 20 years before we get a little break, i.e., when the Smart Meter 1 program will be paid off.

It won’t be a long break, however, because we’ll have to start paying for the Smart Meter 2 program.

Many Ontarians find rising hydro rates shocking. Some expect more increases to occur.

After all, our demand is growing and infrastructure related to all forms of energy production (solar, wind, water-generated, nuclear, black juice) costs megabucks, even during a down time in the economy.

You want cheap hydro? You may have to move to another country to find it.

Or you may have to get off the grid.

In my opinion, I think we should save our shock and frustration for the future. It may not be long before a rising hydro bill will seem like a small thing.

Though over 90 per cent of Canadians know that a time of much bigger monetary shocks is coming, I bet we don’t want to think about it too much.

For example:

The price of oil today is $85.52 per barrel. As easy-to-find oil gradually disappears we’ll pay more. And more.

We’ll also eventually pay for more of the hidden costs of oil production.

At this time we are not able to pay for our present infrastructure costs related to our transportation systems. We are paving roads today we will never repair in the future.

The average Canadian is not only spending more for energy but is accumulating debt in an attempt to maintain current housing, clothing, transportation, communication, and retirement needs and expectations.


["Live in a small house or apartment. Keep debt down": photo GH]

Because no government is effectively encouraging the move toward smaller cars, homes and lifestyles, our roads will continue to support more cars per capita (and the related expense), our homes will continue to grow and demand more energy and production of household goods, and the associated costs of our lifestyle will increase.

It’s a Catch-44, which is twice as shocking and frustrating as a Catch-22 and any hydro bill.

I say, live small. Tough times are coming.

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Does my economic plan spell r-e-l-i-e-f?

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