Timmins man questions why natural gas prices have soared in the northeast

Robin Taylor of Timmins says he uses a programmable thermostat and does his best to be a responsible consumer of natural gas.

But he said he's noticing a big difference in what he's paying for natural gas this winter compared to last year.

Taylor said he's paying more than 33 cents a cubic metre for gas while friends in other cities pay 23 cents.

“Why are we paying substantially more? My bill this year was $507, the same time last year it was $220," said Taylor.

“That is just unjust and unfair and until I get a clear answer, that’s a lot of money for no clear explanation why.”

Taylor said he's called natural gas supplier Endbridge and the Ontario Energy Board, the rate setter, to ask why are people in northeastern Ontario cities paying more.

“They don’t have a clear, concise answer," he said.

"They start off with delivery, they nullify that. Then they brought up the gas price adjustment and they don’t understand why there’s such a discrepancy between different areas and ... Thunder Bay ... is the same price as southern Ontario.”

In a statement to CTV News, the Ontario Energy Board wrote:

"Prices differ depending on the rate zone because the market cost of the natural gas that supplies the rate zones differs."

Temiskaming-Cochrane MPP John Vanthof said the increase this winter is 100 per cent and people's pipes are freezing because they're keeping houses cold to save money.

“The government needs to step up and help people convert their homes to use less energy and to use more sustainable energy sources because over the long term, the cost of fossil fuels is not going to go down," said Vanthof during an interview with CTV News.

CTV also reached out to both Timmins MPP George Pirie and the ministry of energy for a comment on the matter, but both declined and referred us back to the Ontario Energy Board.