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Letter: Alberta electricity changes a concern

Dismantling regulated system and discontinuing coal power plants will lead to high power costs.

The NDP government is making broad and wide sweeping changes to every aspect of our lives as they move into their term in office. Recently announcing the dismantling of the regulated system under which we are billed for electricity into our homes. The regulated system only permits a provider to bill end users for electricity consumed by that user. The Notley NDP has announced that this is going to be changed so that the electricity providers are permitted to bill end users for their “potential capacity”… not actual use in order to encourage growth and expansion in the Industry. A possible attempt to offset the huge increase in cost of electricity that we are about to face as she shuts down coal and turns more to green sources. If you follow Ontario news, electricity cost has more than tripled and it is about to happen here. Attached are quotes from Global News: “As Global News first reported, Ontario electricity providers disconnected more than 59,000 residential customers in 2015.” “In total, Ontarian residential customers owed more than $172 million in back payments as of Dec. 31, 2015. This represented an increase of nearly 60 per cent over the amount owed at the end of 2013.” -“They [the government] need to live in a house on the same income as a normal, average working-class parent,” said Jane. “Just see how it feels to have someone cut your hydro off with your kid there. You know, how does it feel when you have to choose between groceries and hydro? When you choose between hydro and rent?”

Are you ready?

Duke Hanson, Red Deer