Nova Scotia Power’s rate hike proposal and its growing opposition

An energy board will review Nova Scotia Power’s rate hike proposal.

Nova Scotia Power is seeking to raise residential rates by 3.8 per cent in 2026 and 4.1 per cent in 2027.

But, according to the utility’s rate application, medium and large industrial customers will see decreases, leading to average jumps to 1.8 per cent and 2.4 per cent, respectively.

The increases are shining a spotlight on lower-income earners; a demographic for which the non-profit organization ACORN fights.

“Why don’t CEOs maybe take a pay freeze for a couple of years and give the people a break?” asks Fabian Donovan, the former chair of the Mainland Common chapter. “There’s people that are living on $20,000 or less a year in this province and even in this neighbourhood.”

Ross Colton, an economist who focuses on utility affordability, says given inflationary and clean energy pressures power companies are facing, the proposal’s numbers “don’t offend me.”

But he acknowledges that doesn’t ease the burden on anyone who has to pay for them.

“Those numbers aren’t unreasonable in an objective way,” he says. “It doesn’t make the increases any more affordable.”

“We have worked hard with customer representatives to balance both the reliability and affordability priorities to put forward a broadly supported proposal to fund the electricity services customers deserve and need in a cost-effective manner,” said the utility’s filing with the Nova Scotia Energy Board on Thursday.

Premier Tim Houston scolded the power company over the proposed hikes earlier this month, and on Thursday, said the province will intervene in the regulatory process.

“We’ll intervene in the process with the (N.S. Energy Board),” he said. “That’s the first step. We’ll see what that process brings.”

Houston declined to share details about what other avenues the province might pursue, saying he didn’t “want to speculate.”

The province’s handling of the proposal hasn’t sat well with the Ecology Action Centre.

“Government should really sit down with Nova Scotia Power and stop pointing fingers at them, or using them as a boogeyman to scare Nova Scotians, or rile them up – and sit down and come up with a plan,” said Chris Benjamin, the senior energy coordinator.

“‘How are we going to meet our sustainability goals and our reliability goals while being affordable?’”

The utility said the rate application does not include costs related to the massive cybersecurity attack earlier this year.

No dates have been set for hearings so it’s not clear when a decision would be made on the proposal.

However, Nova Scotia Power sought to have the first increase take effect Jan. 1, 2026, and the Nova Scotia Energy Board said it’s “doubtful” a decision would be rendered by that time.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page