Karl and Nikki Fisher thought they had the perfect plan to keep more of their paycheques for themselves.
A few years ago, they pulled up stakes and moved from Kitchener to Innerkip.
They saw plenty of advantages to the move – things like being able to get a nicer house for less money, and smaller property tax bills.
What they didn’t count on was higher hydro bills.
“It’s going up and up and up,” Karl Fisher said in an interview. “It’s crippling us.”
The family of nine’s latest monthly bill clocked in at $483 – including $163 in delivery and regulatory charges.
They say they don’t think they’re using any more electricity than their neighbour, whose bill is significantly lower.
The Fishers say they’ve done everything they can think of to limit their power use, including installing a gas water heater and ceiling fan, but haven’t seen their bills lower as a result.
“We basically live in the dark in the day. I don’t have any lights on,” said Nikki Fisher.
They even asked Hydro One to look into the issue. A spokesperson for the utility says they did investigate, and found no issues with the hydro metre or other equipment.
Whether it’s the equipment or something else, the Fishers are sure there’s some sort of issue – and it could have them leaving the community they thought they’d raise their kids in.
“We shouldn’t have to live like this,” said Karl Fisher.
“We’re absolutely stretched to the limits. We’re stretched beyond the limits.”
With reporting by Tyler Calver
