SaskPower bills to increase by 3.5% in March

Your SaskPower bill is increasing again after the Saskatchewan government approved a 3.5 per cent rate increase, which will go into effect March 1.

The hike approved by cabinet yesterdayfolloweda 3.5 per cent increase in January2017 and a 5 per cent increase in July 2016.

Originally, it had been proposed that the March price hike be 5 per cent but it was reduced amidst "unprecedented" concern from nearly 100 people to the Saskatchewan Rate Review panel.

So, the increase was knocked back to 3.5 per cent and approved by cabinet on Wednesday, which the government estimates will result in about $4more per month on the typical residential bill.

"Every year, SaskPower is keeping up with new records of power consumption, while working to keep power rates as low as possible," Dustin Duncan, minister responsible for SaskPower said in a news release.

In its application for another rate hike, SaskPoweroutlined a need to cover "major" maintenance costs, a modernization of the power grid and a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by40 per cent from the 2005 levels by 2030.