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Hydro One’s bills were redesigned in 2017 and now there's a plan to further redesign the bills – with a total cost of $15 million. That expense is being used to prop up Hydro One’s request to hike hydro bills yet again. https://t.co/U7Vq7Fehvf #onpoli — Ontario NDP (@OntarioNDP) January 11, 2018

Now, the NDP is raising concerns with the $15-million bill redesign expense contained in a rate application from the formerly public utility.

“I don’t think the problem we face is a bill that people can’t understand, I think the problem is rates that are too high,” said energy critic Peter Tabuns. “Fifteen million dollars seems awfully expensive to me.”

But Hydro One says a 2016 survey of its customers indicated about 40% had trouble understanding their bills.

Photo by Jack Boland / Jack Boland/Toronto Sun

Ferio Pugliese, the company’s executive vice-president of customer care and corporate affairs, said the redesign was aimed at giving customers a simpler bill.

“The new format is a format that when tested and put in front of our customers has been designed to give customers the four or five salient items they want to see on their bill,” he said.

About $9 million has already gone into redesigning bills, mostly for residential customers, Pugliese said. Cosmetic changes to bills account for about 25% of the cost, with the rest of the money going toward updating information systems and improving digital billing platforms, he said.

With Ontarians wanting clearer bills that are easier to understand, Hydro One's bill redesign project is a necessary improvement that will help customers. Ontario Energy Minister Glenn Thibeault

The additional $6 million Hydro One is looking to spend would go toward bill changes mostly for its commercial, industrial and large distribution account customers.

Energy Minister Glenn Thibeault noted in a statement that the Ontario Energy Board has yet to decide on the expense, but he suggested he sees the bill redesign as necessary.