SaskPower and SaskEnergy will be applying separately to the Saskatchewan Rate Review Panel (SRRP) to adjust their rates.聽
SaskPower is requesting a rate increase of five per cent, effective July 1, and a second one for five per cent, effective Jan. 1, 2017. The average residential customer will pay an additional six dollars per month in the final six months of 2016 and another six dollars per month in 2017, if the rate increases are approved.聽
鈥淲e understand our customers need reliable power, and in light of our challenges with aging infrastructure and keeping up with growing demand, we need additional funding to continue to provide that for the people of Saskatchewan,鈥� said Mike Marsh, SaskPower鈥檚 president and CEO.
SaskEnergy is proposing an adjustment to both its commodity and delivery service rates, resulting in residential customers saving approximately $1.70 per month on their heating bill, beginning Nov. 1.聽
SaskEnergy has applied to reduce its commodity rate by 14 per cent from $4.30 per gigajoule (GJ) to $3.65 per GJ, which would be the lowest rate in 16 years. The commodity rate was last decreased by 54 cents per GJ on Jan. 1, following a steady decline in natural gas prices.聽
SaskEnergy is simultaneously applying for a delivery service rate increase of 8.6 per cent, or approximately $3.50 per month for residential customers, which will be offset by commodity savings.
Overall, the typical SaskEnergy residential customer will see annual savings of $20, and small to large commercial customers will see decreases ranging from $180 to $3,000.
鈥淪askEnergy is facing many of the same challenges as other Canadian natural gas utilities to maintain the high safety standards our industry has set and our customers expect,鈥� said Doug Kelln, SaskEnergy鈥檚 president and CEO.聽
鈥淭hese rate changes, if approved, allow us to pass along lower market prices to reduce heating bills while continuing to invest in a safe natural gas system.鈥�
Further information on the rate review process, including a full copy of the SaskPower and SaskEnergy applications, will be available at http://www.saskratereview.ca.
