A London retiree is taking on city hall to try to get a break on water and sewer rates for homeowners. Pat Hogan, promoting the formation of a new citizen's watchdog group called Utility Watch, says Londoners pay up to three times more in water and sewer charges than residents of other major cities.

He will ask city council's environment and transportation committee tonight to replace London's two-tier pricing system, which gives industrial, commercial and high-rise residential users large volume discounts, with a one-price-for-all system.

The existing system "is unfair to homeowners and tenants with water meters who pay far more than their fair share of water and sewer costs than large users," says Hogan.

His idea has sparked the interest of Coun. Roger Caranci, committee chairperson . "I think it's a great time to be bringing this type of thinking to us," he said, referring to upcoming civic budget talks. "I think it's time to review this and if there's anything we can do we should be looking at it."

Hogan, a retired real estate broker who lives in Ward 6, said large-volume users in London pay up to three times less than homeowners.

In a report to city hall, Hogan said Londoners pay an average $46.18 a month based on usage of 750 cubic feet, compared to $31.81 in Kitchener, $31.33 in Hamilton and $16.18 in Mississauga.

"In London, a metered resident pays far more than all other users. For example, a high-rise apartment, using the same amount of water-sewage, would cost the building owner $21.37 or lower, way less than $46.18 with a meter."

But Caranci isn't convinced the issue is so cut and dried.

"We're a landlocked city and we have to bring water (by pipe from Lakes Huron and Erie) in from 30 kilometres away and that costs a lot of money," he said.

"Those other cities have water (Lake Ontario) right at their doorstep."

Hogan said a one-price-for-all system would be "earlier to administer and fair for all users."

"Metered residents would no longer be subsidizing the rest," he said. "It would encourage all Londoners to conserve."

Hogan also wants council to create a Utility Watch committee of volunteers whose job would be to promote fair pricing and conservation.

Aside from cost, Hogan said a one-price system would encourage conservation.

"As a metered resident, the more you use, the higher the rate cost," he said. "The opposite is the case for un-metered residents and other users. The more they use, the lower their rate costs."

Without incentives for unmetered users to conserve, Hogan said there's a growing need for treatment plants.

"The time has come for a sensible solution -- one price for all users."