Rates for BC Hydro customers are going up, but not by as much as the utility had hoped for.
The BC Utilities Commission this week approved increases, but at lower rates out of consideration for low-income customers, many who are in the “high usage” bracket. Under the proposed rates, customers in the highest energy use brackets would have faced annual increases of up to $244; instead they will be facing increases of up to $140 per year.
Customers in the lowest-use brackets will have to pay a little more than Hydro was asking; instead of annual increases of up to $22 their bills will increase by up to $26 annually.
The commission says it made its decision because of the impacts on low income customers, and also because BC Hydro did not do enough to encourage customers to use electricity efficiently.
