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Electricity rates hiked today Increases in Yellowknife translates into increases across NWT: NTPCNathalie Heiberg-Harrison Northern News Services Published Monday, January 9, 2012
The increase comes on the heels of the NWT Public Utilities Board's Dec. 21 decision to approve rate increases in Yellowknife, which rose 1.2 per cent on Jan. 1. "If the rates in Yellowknife go up, then that means everybody in the higher-cost communities who are subsidized down to Yellowknife will also see that same increase as well," said Joe Acorn, chair of the board. Through the Territorial Power Support Program, customers in higher-cost communities pay Yellowknife's rate for the first 1,000 kW/h during the winter months and 600 kW/h between April and August. At anytime of the year when customers use more than the subsidized amount, they pay for the excess usage at their own local rate. Approximately 80 per cent of customers use less than 800 kW/h per month, according to the Northwest Territories Power Corporation. After the GNWT reviewed Northland Utilities' rate increases in Yellowknife, they decided to increase the power support program rate, according to Terence Courtoreille, manager of financial planning with the power corp. "They have increased the (Territorial Power Support Program) rate from 22.28 cents per kW/h to 23.53 cents per kW/h," he said. Under the old subsidy rate, 800 kW/h would cost customers $178.24. As of Jan. 9, the same power usage will result in a bill of $188.24, representing a 1.1 per cent increase. In Aklavik, where customers pay one of the highest rates for power, Mayor Arny Steinwand said that any increase would have a huge impact on residents. "It's getting to the point where (power bills) take most of our money," he said. "It seems to me that the rates are exceedingly high and they keep jacking them up all the time. For most people, it's pretty tough." Courtoreille said that when rates in Yellowknife increase again in 2013, subsidy rates across the territory will also increase. "As rates in Yellowknife change, the (Territorial Power Support Program) rate will correspondingly change," he said. The rate increases in Yellowknife will be smaller than originally proposed by Northland Utilities, as city intervention brought the three-year increase down to 3.5 per cent from six per cent. Residential power users in the capital will see an increase of 2.5 per cent, while general service users will see a decrease of 0.3 per cent. The overall increase in 2013 will again be 1.2 per cent.
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