N.S. Power executive admonished by opposition MLAs for proposed rate hike
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New Democrat MLA Claudia Chender wasn't as blunt with her criticism of the proposed increase, but acknowledged "news of the rate increase has caused a lot of consternation right across the province."
"People are upset because they can't pay their bills already and we know that 37 per cent of Nova Scotia households experience what is defined as energy poverty, so more than six per cent of your after-tax income is spent on home energy," she told Sidebottom. "That's a massive number of people who struggle every month to pay their power bill."
During the spring sitting, the PC government updated the law that governs the utility and review board, but government members voted down amendments to that bill that would have allowed the board to create a special power rate for Nova Scotia Power customers who don't earn much money.
That concept was championed by the NDP, which led Chender to ask the utility if it would support a new customer rate designed to help low-income families.
Sidebottom responded: "Nova Scotia Power would be receptive, in fact supportive of understanding what could be a solution around this."“