Homeowners with SaskPower including those in Lloydminster will face a four per cent power bill bump as of September 1st with another four per cent rise on April 1st next year.
Monday saw the Saskatchewan Rate Review Panel approve the crown corporation’s application for the total eight per cent increase by spring next year.
Meantime, SaskEnergy is also asking for a rate increase. Officials in a statement say residential customer bills rise “on average, of $11.95 per month (16.8 per cent) in year one, $2.43 per month (2.9 per cent) in year two, and $2.53 per month (3.0 per cent) in year three.”
CEO Mark Guillet says their “residential customers have the lowest natural gas bills in Canada and will continue to have the lowest natural gas bills in the country.”
The SaskEnergy proposal schedules the increases for August 1st in year one, with delivery service rate changes for year two and year three taking effect on June 1st, 2023, and June 1st, 2024, respectively.
The Saskatchewan NDP Critic for SaskPower Aleana Young says the Sask Party government “continues to offer no relief for Saskatchewan families” even as they are “sitting on massive resource revenues.”
Young points out that as Saskatchewan has crown corporations, the province is in a unique position to offer help to residents.
“We’re seeing an ask for an eight per cent increase in the next year. And now we are seeing an ask for a 16.8 per cent increase to residential customers for SaskEnergy rates this year. And a government that has crown corporations is in a unique position in Canada to make life more affordable for people. We are seeing that they simply don’t give a damn about the affordability crisis that’s happening right now.”
As MyLloydminsterNow has reported, the Saskatchewan Rate Review Panel is seeking residents’ input on their website and social media. They have indicated that the rate application and other supporting documents will be posted online in their “Contact the Panel” section.
However the NDP Critic says the government will not follow the process.
“A government that is going to bypass the Saskatchewan Rate Review Panel with a three-week timeline for this most recent rate application. And a government that is seemingly intent on doing absolutely nothing to help people address the crushing cost of living.”
SaskEnergy is also applying to raise its commodity rate by 31 per cent to 16.74 cents per cubic metre ($4.20/gigajoule), according to the Saskatchewan Rate Review Panel.