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From The Province
Terasen Gas applied Monday to the B.C. Utilities Commission for its second 11-per-cent rate increase for natural gas and propane customers since March.
If approved, the price hike would take effect July 1 and would raise rates for most customers by about $150 per year.
Terasen projects that the proposed increase means a typical residential customer in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Interior, Northern B.C. and the Kootenays would see their bills rise between $142 and $164 per year, depending on consumption levels.
Fort Nelson customers would see their bills rise by a whopping 17 per cent, or $270 per year, depending on consumption levels.
"Traditionally, their rates have been lower than the rest of British Columbia," said Terasen spokeswoman Joyce Wagenaar of the Fort Nelson rates.
The B.C. Utilities Commission reviews Terasen's rates every three months.
"It would surprise me a little bit that in today's increased-price environment of increasing prices for virtually all commodities, if some increase wasn't needed," said Brian Williston, spokesman for the B.C. Utilities Commission.
The last hike took effect on April 1, raising residential gas bills an average of between $127 and $147, depending on consumption levels.
Propane customers in Revelstoke and Whistler will see their bills increase 23 per cent or $411 and 22 per cent or $448 per year, respectively, depending on consumption.
"Propane prices are impacted by different market factors but principally are driven by the cost of crude oil," said Cynthia Des Brisay, vice-president of gas supply and transmission.
Residents of Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast and Powell River serviced by Terasen are covered by a separate regulatory agreement and will not see a change in their rates at this time.
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Frankly, this is highway robbery, and we all saw this coming when a public utility, BC Gas, was sold to the private US company a few years back. This is just another instance of Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberal Party co-opting the middle and lower classes to be able to boast about a big ol' surplus at the end of the fiscal year. They did this with hospital and school closures, and then it became privatization.
Privatization of public utilities is never a good idea, unless there are assurances that for people that depend on these services, and in this case, HEAT, it is rather vital, that the price or structure will not change. If there is even the slightest idea that the private company we are selling our essential services to will end up being worse for the people of the city, province, country, whatever.
Public utilities were made that way for a reason, because the private sector is not responsible enough to provide these services without greed in mind. At least with government, rate hikes like these would be accountable, but with the company that now owns our heat based not in an elected office, but in a different country, how the hell are we supposed to have any recourse?
Look at some South American countries like Venezuela and Ecuador, who are buying back energy and utility companies like wildfire, as they recognize that the private companies now caring for these services and running these industries are not performing with the interests of the people in mind, which is inherent in market with very little regulation, as plenty of South American countries were when they were economically invaded by foreign companies in the last 50 years.
These politicians are taking back their countries for the people, not for the cash, which is a principle we seem to have forgotten here.
We need to do all we can, which isn't much, aside from an email campaign, to show the BC Government, and companies like Terasen that we will not take this kind of economic subjugation lying down.
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