The idea of implementing pre-paid hydro meters in Ontario gets a "thumbs down" from one opposition party.
The NDP is drawing a line in the sand saying the energy minister should not allow their implementation.
Ontario Hydro has included the request in a filing for a rate hike to the Ontario Energy Board.
Speaking on AM800's The Lynn Martin Show, Windsor West MPP Lisa Gretzky worries it will be a huge problem for those with low incomes.
"This is just going to put them further in the hole, frankly," she says. "So if you are looking at buying groceries or paying for your medications or buying your kids school supplies and such, you're going to weight that against how much you're going to put in this meter."
She says there's a concern the pre-paid meters will act like a parking meter:
"They're saying they're not going to cut people off, but if you have to pre-pay the meter and it runs out of time it's like a parking meter, when it runs out of time it runs out of time. So if they're trying to mitigate their risk of people not paying, when that time runs out, your hydro is going to get shut off."
Gretzky believes the move will ensure Hydro One and its highly paid CEO get the dividends they want from the electricity system.