Latest news with #EnergyandUtilitiesBoard
Global News
25-04-2025
- Business
- Global News
NB Power says third party report found no significant errors in power bills
NB Power has shared the findings of a third-party report looking into high residential power bills. After many residents filed complaints of a spike this past summer, the report found no significant errors causing high bills. The residential customer assessment was completed by KPMG, a third-party auditing service. It tested a 'statistically significant' sample of 400 meters, as well as 100 meters in a risk-based sample. Only 12 meters in total between the two sample groups showed any signs of inaccurate readings, none of which were smart meters. According to NB Power CEO Lori Clark, those 12 meters were under-reporting power consumption levels. 'This report today should give customers confidence that our metering and billing systems are working properly and that smart meters actually provide a tool for them to help manage their energy usage over time,' said Clark. Story continues below advertisement The analysis attributed the high bills to increased rates, longer billing periods, fewer power outages compared to the previous winter, and colder weather. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'The challenge in New Brunswick is that as customers, we have a high dependence on electric heat,' said Clark. 1:39 Moncton woman joining growing chorus of NB Power bill complaints KPMG laid out several recommendations for NB Power to take in response to the results, including opening their equalized payment plan to customers with arrears up to $1,200, more standardized billing days, and applying to the Energy and Utilities Board to introduce optional time-of-use rates. That last action won't be taken until the rest of the province's smart meters are installed, said Clark. 'Once we get the smart meters rolled out, the next step would be to design or to have those time-of-use rates in front of the Energy and Utilities Board, get those approved and then applied to all customers at the same time.' Story continues below advertisement NB Power will also commit to testing 500 meters per year. The next step is a comprehensive review coming from the provincial government, which is expected to be completed by March 2026.
CBC
01-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
New Brunswick gasoline prices tumble to 3-year low
Social Sharing Fuel prices across most Canadian provinces — including New Brunswick — tumbled Tuesday morning, ending six years of federal carbon carbon charges on fossil fuels sold at retail. New Brunswick's Energy and Utilities Board lowered the maximum price that can be charged for gasoline in the province by 20.2 cents to $1.44 per litre. The reductions included a 17.6 cent elimination of all carbon charges and 2.6 cents in HST attached to that. The combination is enough to save $10.10 on a 50-litre fill-up. It's the lowest price setting in New Brunswick since January 2022. Maximum prices for diesel, which contains more carbon than gasoline and carried a higher carbon charge because of that, were lowered 24.6 cents. The change was causing brisk business at service stations across the province among those who knew it was coming, but the reduction is not a pure discount. University of Alberta economist Andrew Leach told CBC News the cheaper prices will be followed by the end of federal carbon rebates and that will cost many Canadian households more than they gain. "So you take away the carbon price, you take away the rebates, then that's a net negative for most lower-income households and a net positive for most higher income households," Leach said. In New Brunswick over the past year, federal carbon rebates totalled $760 for a family of four in urban areas and $912 for those living in rural areas. Also ending are carbon charges on other fossil fuels including propane and natural gas. About 7,500 New Brunswick households heat with natural gas and on average will save about $270 over the next year with the change.
