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Metering is used in Canada. Many have criticized the policy as backwards, unfair, and hampering creativity compared to other countries. http://www.theglobeand

• existencebox 12y ago
  They present a counterargument of the "heavy user", dismiss it, and don't seem to explain why it's not a fair example of why metering is useful. It seems that the main complaint of the article is simply that the overage charges are insane, as they are for cell. I agree. I also think that it's "throwing the baby out with the bathwater" to suggest an entire reversal of policy (when observing what unmetered use results in via the US) when a more iterative response would seem to be, "why don't we regulate costs to ensure that this pseudo-utility is actually accessable at a basic level (that grows with the times) to all people?" I'll have to tag another question on here, but is there any system in place for utilities to prevent, say, my water company for charging me 300$ per gallon? I'd assume there's simply some degree of regulation, why not apply that fix elsewhere; have a "hybrid utility" rather than treating it as all black and white.
  • dublinben 12y ago
    Utility rates are highly regulated. They can only charge what a government utility commission allows them to charge. Every few years, they generally plead the case to raise rates slightly, so they can keep up with rising costs or inflation.