Deadline looms for public intervenors as Nova Scotia Power tries to cut EfficiencyOne

HALIFAX – A proposed change to EfficiencyOne could see its budget cut by more than 40 per cent.

Better known as Efficiency Nova Scotia, the not for profit’s programs are paid for by Nova Scotia Power (NSP). EfficiencyOne’s budget hearing will start at the Utility and Review Board on June 15, but the public’s deadline to apply to intervene on the case is Tuesday.

EfficiencyOne’s mandate is to reduce energy consumption with the goal of cutting power bills and limiting the need for expensive new upgrades to the power grid in the long term.

At issue is a $16.5 million difference in opinion. EfficiencyOne has asked for $38.5 million but NSP is countering with a $22 million proposal. In evidence filed with the review board EfficiencyOne said it needs the full amount to save roughly 133 gigawatt hours of energy in 2016. Meanwhile, the power utility said it’s proposal would reduce energy usage by 100 gigawatt hours next year.

If the budget cut is approved programs to upgrade residential heating systems, retire old appliances and improve household insulation could all be on the chopping block.

Nova Scotia’s Consumer Advocate John Merrick said he is against the cut.

“If you insulate you’re house not only do you benefit in the fact that down the road Nova Scotia Power won’t have to build a new power generating plant, but you see an immediate impact on fuel bills,” he said.

NSP declined an interview request, but in its submission to the review board, it called EfficienyOne’s proposal “neither cost-effective nor affordable” and said its own proposal “mitigates rate pressure for customers.”

However, EfficiencyOne CEO Allan Crandlemire said power rates won’t go up if the not for profit gets the $38.5 million budget because that sum is in keeping with the budgets in past years. “Our plan is affordable, its not going to increase rates,” he said.

“It means lower cost electricity for Nova Scotians over the long term.”

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Reducing energy usage, is also meant to cut Nova Scotia’s carbon emissions, which the Ecology Action Centre said has worked. “Efficiency has reduced overall consumption by close to 6 per cent,”said Catherine Abreu, energy coordinator for the Ecology Action Centre. Adding that is the equivalent of taking 130,000 cars off the road.

So far intervenors at next weeks review board hearing include Nova Scotia’s consumer advocate, a small business advocate, the Ecology Action Centre and an industrial group.