Ontario extends PST break for ‘green’ appliances
As first announced in the spring budget, the Ontario government is extending the provincial sales tax exemption on energy-efficient appliances and most bicycles.
Energy Star-rated refrigerators, freezers, washers, dehumidifiers and room air conditioners qualify, along with high-efficiency light bulbs and bicycles costing less than $1,000, Premier Dalton McGuinty said. The 8 per cent PST exemption on appliances and light bulbs will continue until Aug. 31, 2009, and is expected to cost the treasury about $52 million.
The tax break on bikes, helmets and other cycling safety gear will continue until Dec. 31, 2010, at a cost to provincial coffers of about $16 million.
McGuinty acknowledged his government was examining other ways to encourage consumers to choose more environmentally friendly products.
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Blackouts are not that unusual in the country but this year a number of factors have contributed to a perfect storm for electricity suppliers.
The problem is particularly serious in China's north eastern industrial hubs as winter approaches - and is something that could have implications for the rest of the world.
Why has China been hit by power shortages?
The country has in the past struggled to balance electricity supplies with demand, which has often left many of China's…
