New N.S. advisory group considers low-income power rate amid cost of living struggle

A new group has been formed to determine what can be done to help Nova Scotians struggling to pay their power bills.

Members want to see the province adopt a universal service program directed at lower-income earners.

The Affordable Energy Coalition is continuing its call for a low-income power rate. It’s part of a new advisory group tasked with looking at ways to help reduce energy poverty.

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The group also includes representatives from the provincial government, Nova Scotia Power and EfficiencyOne. Members spoke at the legislature’s standing committee on community services on Tuesday.

The chair of the Affordable Energy Coalition points to universal service programs adopted in other jurisdictions.

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“We’ve been proposing a universal service program modelled on the American style, which is ratepayer-funded and none of the three parties that were in power were willing to touch that,” Brian Gifford says.

He says Ontario modified its program so it’s funded by taxpayers. A monthly credit based on income and energy use is directly applied to the power bills of eligible customers.

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“They would get a subsidy on every bill that they received to bring it down to six per cent of their income,” explains Gifford.

He says Nova Scotia could also modify the program.

EfficiencyOne says demand for existing supports has been high in the province.

“If you take a look at the number of participants in our program in 2022, halfway through 2023 we’ve already exceeded those numbers,” president Stephen MacDonald says, “this year alone, so we expect in some cases program participation will double.”

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Nova Scotia Power says it’s not ruling the program out.

“From talking to other utilities that are in Ontario, they report to us that they have a lower percentage of customers who are experiencing arrears balances because the on-bill credit is able to help those customers before they actually get into trouble,” customer care director Chris Lanteigne says.

Gifford is hopeful the program could become a reality.

“I’d say we’re seeing the best chance we’ve had in 20 years to actually get something to happen,” he says. “I really hope it does.”

So far this year more than 2,800 people have seen their power cut off because they were not able to pay their bills.