TORONTO, ON: Documents obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) reveal a dramatic increase to the cost of electricity to the Waterloo Region District School Board since 2012.

The documents, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, show that in the last four years, bills for schools within the board rose from $7.1 million to $8.8 million. That’s a 25 per cent increase, even though the number of schools remained the same.

“How are the schools in Waterloo Region expected to provide top notch service to students when their electricity bills have grown by 25 per cent? The more money schools have to spend keeping their lights on, the fewer resources they have for students,” said CTF Ontario Director, Christine Van Geyn.

Ontario has seen dramatic increases to the cost of electricity, with bills for residential consumers more than doubling in the last decade.

“Families across the province all feel the pain of rapid increases to the cost of electricity when they pay their bills at home. But what many people don’t think about is the cost of the Ontario government’s failed electricity policy to the institutions we all rely on, like the public schools in Waterloo region,” continued Van Geyn. “Instead of paying more than $1.7 million for higher electricity bills this year, that money could have paid for school 2179 tablets or 39 new teachers. That’s something parents and kids could actually use. But instead schools and taxpayers are forced to waste money on this government’s hydro rip-off.”

The documents detailing Waterloo Region District School Board’s total electricity bills can be found HERE, and a school-by-school break down is available HERE.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is currently running a campaign opposing the Green Energy Act and cap-and-trade at www.StopHighEnergyBills.ca.