TORONTO - Electricity consumers in Ontario will see a 10 per cent cut in their bills starting next year.
The Canadian Press has confirmed the Ontario government will introduce a $1-billion program Thursday to trim about $125 a year from the average household hydro bill.
Premier Dalton McGuinty wouldn't speak to the specifics of the program today, but said the government feels it has to give consumers a break during lean economic times.
McGuinty says he's not backing away from the idea of having consumers pay the actual cost of producing electricity.
He says there's a larger, greater principle at stake, and that is making sure families can cope.
McGuinty says everyone has seen bills rise as the province pays to modernize its electricity system, and wants to "help them out in a new way."
Government sources say the "Ontario Clean Air Benefit" will kick in Jan. 1, but won't be visible on hydro bills for some customers for weeks or months depending on local utilities' billing cycles.
