CNP wants to add $6.65 a month to Fort Erie hydro bills
June 22, 2026 at 8:54 PM
Canadian Niagara Power (CNP) has asked Ontario’s energy regulator to raise the rates it charges to deliver electricity by $6.65 a month to a typical Fort Erie household’s bill starting in January 2027.
The utility, which serves roughly 65,000 customers in Fort Erie, Port Colborne, Cornwall and Gananoque, filed the request with the Ontario Energy Board on June 17. The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) has not yet decided whether to approve it.
For a typical home using 750 kilowatt-hours a month, the increase would work out to $79.80 a year. A small business using 2,000 kilowatt-hours a month would pay roughly $163.32 more a year.
The increase would apply to the distribution charges on property-owners’ bills–the cost of the poles, wires and equipment that carry power to homes and businesses. It would not change the price of the electricity itself, which the OEB sets separately.
It’s not yet clear from the application how much additional revenue CNP is seeking overall, or what local projects are driving the request.
The filing comes as Ontario households are already paying more for power. The OEB approved its largest residential rate increase since 2019 last November, raising regulated electricity prices by roughly 29 to 30 per cent, partly offset by a larger provincial rebate.
Rate requests don’t always go through as filed. Last month, the OEB rejected a 16 per cent delivery-rate increase from Hydro Ottawa, ruling it sat well above inflation and would not be fair to customers. The OEB approved a smaller increase instead.
Residents who want to weigh in can file a comment with the OEB, which will be considered by the panel responsible for the increase. Comments can be submitted through the board’s website under case number EB-2026-0029.
If approved, the new rates would take effect January 1, 2027.
The utility is owned by St. John’s-based Fortis Inc.
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Andrew Hawlitzky
Andrew is a Niagara community journalist who has covered everything from local politics to annual festivals and breaking news. He works to make local news a platform where community voices lead the conversation. "If you don't like the news, go out and make some!"
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