The Ontario government's energy-saving plan to install so-called smart meters in every home by 2010 is in full swing, but landlords and tenants are already arguing over the cost of electricity.
The meters record energy consumption hour by hour, sending consumers' electricity provider through special technology. That compares to the older meters — read manually — that measure total electricity used over an entire billing period.
Right now, most apartment dwellers have their electricity bills included in monthly rents.
But as the plan moves ahead, individuals will have specific bills for specific apartments.
Many tenants don't feel landlords are reducing the rent in proportion to the expected cost of electricity.
Toronto's community development committee, which discussed the issue at its meeting on Monday, wants the province to move more quickly and give landlords the legal right to install individual meters in highrises, along with permission to transfer electricity bills.
Brad Butt, president of the Greater Toronto Apartment Association, thinks individual meters are good, energy-saving devices.
"If residents see a bill, if they know exactly what they are using on a regular basis, they're going to reduce the amount [of electricity] that they're using," he said.
Old appliances waste energy too, tenants argue
Duk Suk Kim isn't totally against smart meters, but says she wants landlords to get rid of energy hogs, like old fridges and stoves, before starting the new system.
"Some of them [come from] 30 years ago, when starting this building up they had them. Old appliances waste energy, everybody knows," she said.
Jung Il-Kim and his wife were offered a rent reduction of about $65 per month on their three-bedroom apartment in Etobicoke if they would pay for their own electricity bill.
But the Kims and about 170 other tenants rejected individual smart meters.
Kim says he has nothing against paying for what he uses.
"However, the rental reduction is not enough," he said.
