WATCH ABOVE: Mike McKinnon breaks down the terms of the $18-million ‘store credit’ with the smart meter manufacturer
REGINA – SaskPower and the provincial government are trying to clarify the terms of a $47-million settlement with the manufacturer behind Saskatchewan’s failed smart meters.
In a committee meeting, officials from the Crown utility said another $18 million would be lost if SaskPower chose not to make another purchase from Sensus Corp.
During Question Period, the government was forced to defend how forthcoming it has been about the deal. Politicians have gone on the record saying SaskPower could walk away from the company after three years.
“I would say if we didn’t provide enough information around that, we would certainly apologize,” Bill Boyd, minister responsible for SaskPower, told reporters Tuesday.
“The situation was clear to us all the way along, there would have to be independent evaluations done of this meter,” Boyd explained. “If that was the case and it was felt there was a stamp of approval provided, we would take a look at using them and then of course that credit would apply.”
The settlement agreed to in September included a $24-million cash refund and an $18-million credit toward purchasing new smart meters, while committing $5 million to research and development of a new smart meter product. SaskPower said the $47-million total is equal to the money spent on meters already purchases and the cost to remove them.
SaskPower won’t release the full contract, citing ‘commercial sensitivity’ clauses it agreed to with Sensus.
105,000 smart meters were ordered to be removed at the end of July after right fires linked to the devices. A ninth fire was confirmed in early November.
SEE BELOW: Timeline of events in SaskPower’s failed smart meter program
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