Ontario residents are now paying $11 more per month on their hydro bills as of January 1.
With the increase, The Inn of the Good Shepherd expects more people to turn to their utility assistance program for help.
Executive Director Myles Vanni says currently they provide 55 households in Sarnia-Lambton with monthly assistance totalling $15,000.
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Vanni says about 1,800 people access the food bank each month and expects that number to jump as well.
Effective January 1, 2016, the Debt Retirement Charge was eliminated, resulting in a savings of $5.60 monthly.
At the same time, the Ontario Clean Energy Benefit was axed, and customers will see an increase of $15.70 per month.
