NDP leader Andrea Horwath says her party could reduce your hydro bills by 20 to 30 per cent, while the energy minister says it looks more "like ideology than it does ideas."
Horwath is proposing ending mandatory time of use pricing, saying that it has failed to reduce peak usage while costing ratepayers more. Her party also wants to reduce rural bills by 15 per cent by making sure everyone pays the same delivery costs.
The NDP proposal also depends on convincing the federal government of removing its 5 per cent HST portion.
Horwath is also calling on the Liberal government to stop the privatization of Hydro One. So far, 30 per cent of the utility has been sold, with plans to get rid of another third.
With 16 months to go before the next election, Horwath says her party would buy back the shares already sold at a cost of $3.3-billion to $4.1-billion. The NDP claims that annual dividends would be $1.6-billion more within 10 years.
Energy minister Glenn Thibeault says he will look at the proposal, but that it would be "very difficult" to reduce hydro bills by 30 per cent.
"I welcome their 11th hour submission... but from very quick blush, it looks more to me like ideology than it does ideas," Thibeault says.
The Liberal government is expected to announce its own plan to reduce hydro costs before the spring budget.
PC MPP Todd Smith, meanwhile, says his party is taking its time putting together its ideas on hydro.
"We want to make sure that when we release our plan it's going to be based on actual things we can accomplish as a government," Smith says.