Letter to the Editor
Editor,
Absolutely delighted to see that Mayor Paul Eagleson of Arran-Elderslie has asked for clarification on the claimed payback of a 2015-16 switch of streetlight bulbs to LED. The project cost $562,000 and was sold on the basis of a five-year payback, so in my simplistic mind the savings should be in the order of $115,000 per year. I’m guessing that the mayor found that the reported savings for last year of $8,355.94 didn’t quite seem right.
Energy use definitely dropped but Ontario’s obscenely outrageous billing leaves one baffled. Their August 2016 charge for electrical power for these LEDs was for $476.97 consumption, however, the final bill was $11,401.42. The extra $11,000 was for delivery, debt retirement, global adjustment, and then HST. If you do not know what global adjustment is, think, carbon tax, cap and trade, Paris Accord, UN, our dollars going overseas.
Meaford’s LED project was for $408,762 and projected savings were to be approximately $55,000 per annum. I wonder if any on Council would dare ask if this project is performing as promised.
Ray McHugh, Meaford
