Cost of electricity for FortisBC customers to go up

If you’re a FortisBC customer, your power bill is about to go up.

FortisBC has received approval from the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) for an electricity rate change effective Jan. 1, 2017.

Starting in the new year, the rates are increasing by 2.76 per cent.  That’s about $3.65 more per month for the average residential electricity customer.

“We recognize the unique energy needs of British Columbians and know that decisions made today will have an impact for decades to come,” Diane Roy, vice president of regulatory affairs said. “We work to make investments in the system and purchase the necessary capacity so our customers have power when they need it most now and into the future.”

Fortis says the rate increase is needed to maintain and upgrade electrical infrastructure. The BCUC has approved the rate as interim, and the final rate change is subject to change based on further regulatory review in 2017.