The Town of Antigonish will be filing an application to the Utility and Review Board for a power rate increase. The town is asking for a hike of 7.2 per cent in the domestic and general service utility rates and 7.9 percent in the streetlight rates. This is the first General Rate Application the town has submitted in decades.
The Town’s Electric Utility purchases power at a wholesale rate from Nova Scotia Power. Town CAO Jeff Lawrence expects their costs to purchase power will be up 28 per cent from last year. He says a large portion of the proposed increases are due to the cost of purchasing power rising significantly while a small percentage is for continued operations.
Last spring, the town hired BDR North America, a firm that specializes in utility rates and regulations to conduct a rate study. It was recently presented to town council, who directed staff to seek a rate increase.
If approved the average monthly usage would increase by $10.50 a month or $21 a bill. The proposed domestic rates for the town will be 12 per cent lower than the new Nova Scotia Power Domestic Rates.
The Town is asking the UARB to consider implementing the new rates in April of next year.
