Hay River,
NT (March , 1999)
Domestic power customers in some smaller communities
will see rates increase, while commercial and government rates in many
communities will go down, as a series of rate adjustments takes affect
across the NWT and Nunavut March 29.
This year's changes
are the third of a five-year program to gradually balance rates to reflect
the actual cost of delivering power services, says the NWT Power Corporation.
Total revenues for the Corporation will not increase or decrease in
this process.
Judith Goucher,
Director of Regulatory Affairs for the Corporation, said the program
was approved by the NWT Public Utilities Board in a 1997 decision after
extensive consultation and public hearings with customers and communities.
“The purpose
is to eliminate what generally amounts to a domestic subsidy, from government
and business customers who are paying more than their share of costs.
By 2001, the balancing will be complete,” she said.
The Corporation
has over 200 different rates in the 50 communities it serves. Once completed,
the balancing will merge all government and non-government customer
classes into basic domestic or commercial categories.
Depending on where
they live, some domestic customers will see the maximum allowable 15
per cent raise in rates. Decreases, mainly in commercial and government
sectors, range from under one per cent to 10 per cent. Customers in
each community will receive detailed information in this month's power
bills.
This latest round
of rate balancing does not affect Yellowknife or Hay River, or other
communities served by Northland Utilities Ltd.
The Territorial
Power Support Program for homes and businesses is unaffected. The Corporation
will continue to administer the program for the NWT Government, and
pending approval of a transition agreement, for the Nunavut Government,
after April 1.
