• The electricity bill for Haliburton Highlands Health Services has increased by $244,928 over five-year period • Electricity bills have grown by 71.9 per cent for the hospital, even as actual electricity use remains the same
Haliburton Highlands Health Services sees electricity costs spike even as use stays the same
TORONTO, ON:Documents obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) reveal that the electricity bills for Haliburton Highlands Health Services have faced a steep increase over the last five years, even as consumption has remained the same.
The documents show bills that are increasing, growing from $340,835 in 2012-13 to $585,763 in 2016-17, an increase of 72 per cent. During the same period, actual electricity use remained roughly the same, at 2.9 million kilowatts. Indeed, some years saw consumption decline and bills increase. For example, between 2012 and 2014 consumption fell by 256,000 kW, but the hospital’s bill increased by $24,876.
“How is Haliburton Highlands Health Services expected to manage their budget when electricity bills have rising dramatically every year, even as their consumption is falling?” asked CTF Ontario Director, Christine Van Geyn. “The more the hospital has to spend keeping their lights on, the fewer resources they have for patients.”