Tuesday 15 January 2019

NB Power tells customers to ease pain of rate hikes with efficiency

https://twitter.com/DavidRayAmos/with_replies





Replying to and 49 others
Methinks folks should quit electing the same politicians while making fun of the Independents who are also intervening at the EUB hearings such as Roger Richard and I N'esy Pas?

https://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.com/2019/01/nb-power-tells-customers-to-ease-pain.html

 


https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/nb-power-rate-increase-efficiency-programs-1.4977076




NB Power tells customers to ease pain of rate hikes with efficiency



110 Comments
Commenting is now closed for this story.




Frank MacPhee 
Shawn McShane
When asked about the carbon tax and if that would increase rates guess what? Another increase coming.


David R. Amos
David R. Amos
@Shawn McShane "1971 5 Man Electrical Band."

Methinks you should review this comment section N'esy Pas?

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/smart-meters-nb-power-1.4973785







 Frank MacPhee 
Frank MacPhee
People have been asked to conserve for years. For most, there is no more they can do. So if everyone cuts back 5%, then NBPower looses 5% revenue. Then the hue and cry goes up that they need more money. Where does this end??


David R. Amos
David R. Amos
@Frank MacPhee Methinks it never will if folks keep electing the same political party politicians while making fun of the Independents who are also intervening at the EUB hearings such as Roger Richard and I N'esy Pas?

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/eub-hearings-nb-power-smart-meters-1.4529640








 Frank MacPhee 
Shawn McShane
When NB Power was to be sold to Hydro Quebec it was mentioned that NB governments have taken hundreds of millions from the crown corporation. Could be billions.


Rosco holt
Rosco holt
@Shawn McShane
It 's (probably) still the plan.

David R. Amos
David R. Amos
@Shawn McShane Methinks whereas you know so much folks should ask you the obvious question. Why don't you and your Five Man Electrical Band intervene at the EUB hearing about this rate increase FYI you dudes have until half past midnight on February 1st to register your indignation and ask questions just like my friend Roger Richard and I do N'esy Pas?

David R. Amos
David R. Amos 
@Rosco holt Mr Higgs, Gaëtan Thomas and their cohorts won't tell you but on October 12th, 2018 the EUB 357 matter began again

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/eub-hearing-nb-power-rate-design-smart-meters-1.4305685

Whereas the EUB allowed Dominic Cardy's wife to intervene a full year and a half after the matter had begun they also had to allow my friend Roger Richard to intervene as well. The board did not know what to do about scheduling hearings etc because they had no idea which political party was going to oversee them for the next few years and Premier Gallant had promised to freeze power rates to to the distain of David **** who was supporting him. This was in the news that day

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/nb-power-rate-freeze-gallant-****-1.4859687

Anyway the outcome of the hearing on October 12th was EUB board decided to look for someone to advise them and adjourned the hearings on the matter until a later date. However they had done that once already despite my protest and then barred me from the 375 matter. Methinks now that the 357 matter is underway again and the 430 matter is about to begin its gonna be a circus within the EUB before Higgs brings out his budget N'esy Pas?



NB Power tells customers to ease pain of rate hikes with efficiency

'We are doing every kind of effort possible to help customers reduce their power bill'


Gaëtan Thomas, the CEO of NB Power, says the utility is doing everything it can to help customers reduce their power bills. (CBC)


NB Power is encouraging its customers to take advantage of efficiency programs to lower electricity costs in the face of proposed rate hikes.

Increases requested by the utility average 2.5 per cent, but the highest increase, at 2.9 per cent increase, is proposed for residential customers.

This would add $5 a month for the average household.

NB Power's CEO Gaëtan Thomas said rising fuel costs have given the utility "no choice" but to increase the cost of electricity.
"We have to raise them to be a break-even operation," Thomas said.

The request for new rate increases comes only six months after the Energy and Utilities Board approved raising the residential rate by almost one per cent and commercial and institutional rates by 0.4 per cent.

"We know every rate increase is difficult for our customers, and we will help them," Thomas said.
For those struggling to pay power bills, he pointed to NB Power's efficiency programs.



Information Morning - Fredericton
NB Power looking to raise rates again


 As NB Power's costs go up, so does your power rate. This year the cost of fuel is having a big impact. CEO Gaetan Thomas explains why NB Power is asking for a 2.9% increase. 14:19

"I think we've got to start looking at how we can insulate the homes better," he said. "There are ways to access programs if you are low income, there's an application process to even get free help through Social Development through NB Power."

Thomas said low-income earners can even get some renovations done free of cost through utility programs.

NB Power plans to spend an additional $40 million on such cost-reduction programs over the next three years, he said.

"For every dollar we invest in the conservation energy program, it's worth two dollars back over time for our customers and the utility," Thomas said.
"We are doing every kind of effort possible to help customers reduce their power bill."

If customers take advantage of NB Power's programs for low-income earners, Thomas said, they can save up to eight per cent on their power bills, absorbing more than the cost of the proposed increase.
Thomas also said the utility will not be "doing any excessive [salary] increase."

NB Power is also attacking the problem of power interruptions, using an "aggressive tree-trimming program."

"When we continue to cut trees, we actually reduced the number of interruptions compared to previous storms," Thomas said.


Thomas says NB Power's tree-trimming program has improved service to customers and reduced power interruptions in storms. (CBC)

He pointed to the smart meter campaign as a way for customers to save money in the future.

"It will be costlier for our customers over time to continue with analog meters because they will be less available in the future and more costly."
With files from Information Morning Fredericton

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