SaskEnergy rate increase cancelled by provincial government

Province cancels SaskEnergy’s proposed rate hike WATCH: The provincial government has cancelled SaskEnergy’s proposed five per cent rate increase. Wayne Mantyka explains.

Saskatchewan residents won’t be paying more to heat their homes this year.

The provincial government has cancelled SaskEnergy’s proposed five per cent rate increase. The government said it is to address affordability concerns.

“The main concern that we hear right now is affordability at a consumer level,” said Don Morgan, minister in charge of Crown investments.

It’s $2.43 per month savings and one of the measures that the NDP has been calling for to address the cost of living.

“This is a government that has failed to offer any help to those facing a generational cost of living crisis. Out of touch,” said NDP leader Carla Beck.

The government has also stopped a similar rate increase planned for July 2024. The NDP said SaskPower rates need attention as well.

“We have just seen three rate increases by SaskPower in the past eight months during an affordability and cost of living crisis. This is not the time,” said NDP MLA Erika Ritchie.

The government said it would be difficult to rollback SaskPower rates after the crown corporation registered a $138 million revenue shortfall last year.

“We have to maintain the viability of all the Crowns. These are businesses that are owned by all of the citizens of the province. We have to make sure that they are well capitalized,” Morgan said.

The government said it’s looking at affordability and it might have been a different conversation had the carbon tax not gone up recently. It’s says the price of the carbon tax is rapidly approaching the value of the commodity being delivered to consumers.