Activists called for an end to “energy poverty” on Friday and promised to make electricity costs a voting issue in the upcoming provincial elections.
NB: ACORN wants the province to cover 30 per cent of electricity bills for low-income customers and implement a moratorium on winter power shutoffs.
“People should never have to choose between food, rent, electricity and heating their homes,” said Peter Jongeneelen, co-chair of NB ACORN, to a crowd of about 15 people gathered at a rally in front of Assumption Place in downtown Moncton.
NB ACORN advocates for low- and middle-income people.
Households that spend more than six percent of their net income are sometimes referred to as “energy poor.” According to a 2019 study, the Atlantic provinces have the highest levels of energy poverty in the country.
In New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, the energy poverty rate is 37 percent, compared to 38 percent in Newfoundland and Labrador and 41 percent in Prince Edward Island.
These energy poverty rates are about twice the national rate of about 20 percent, according to the study published by Canadian Urban Sustainability Practitioners.
The protest took place immediately after the Energy and Utilities Committee’s latest hearing on NB Power’s proposed tariff increases.
The energy supplier has asked the EUB for permission to increase its overall tariffs by 9.25 percent in 2024/25 and the following financial year. For private customers, this corresponds to an annual increase of 9.8 percent. The final arguments are expected on Monday.
Earlier this year, the EUB approved provisional tariff increases while NB Power awaits the outcome of its application. These increases amount to an average of 13.2 percent for residential customers, according to NB Power.
“These are increases that low-, middle- and even moderate-income New Brunswickers cannot afford due to factors such as high food prices, inflation, rising rents, medical costs and other bills,” Jongeneelen said.
He said the payment plans offered by NB Power are not sufficient. “They’re still getting monthly bills,” Jongeneelen said. “They’re falling further and further behind. We need a system to help someone get that sorted.”
“There is one thing we can all do: we can make our voices heard in this election,” he said.
He said NB ACORN had been contacted by the provincial Liberals, Green Party and NDP in the run-up to the October election, but not by the governing Tories.
“They have not consulted us at all,” Jongeneelen said. “That shows where their interests lie.” The Conservative Party did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
Friday’s rally included members of groups such as the NB Coalition for Pay Equity, the NB Common Front for Social Justice and the New Brunswick Federation of Labour.
Several local candidates were also present, including Green Party candidate for Riverview Sarah Lord and NPD candidate for Moncton South Rebecca Rogers. NDP provincial leader Alex White was also in attendance.
According to CBC, a Calgary consultant called for smaller tariff increases during hearings this week and warned that an increase in power shutoffs for people struggling with poverty was among the potential risks.
NB Power said in a statement on Friday that power outages were “an absolute last resort, especially during the winter months.”
Dominique Couture, a spokesman for the utility, said NB Power is “exhausting all opportunities to contact customers to make payment arrangements that best suit their individual situation and avoid power cuts.”
Couture urged customers to contact NB Power if they are unable to pay their bills, “so we can explore financial assistance programs and find a solution that avoids a power interruption.”
The statement continued: “We recognize these are difficult times for our customers and we are offering options to help them manage their past due bills, including payment arrangements and information about programs that may provide assistance.
“We also offer installment plans that allow customers to split their annual bill into equal monthly payments, avoiding higher bills in the winter months. In addition, we offer a range of energy efficiency programs that help customers save energy and reduce their bills.”
The proposed tariff increases have faced opposition from social groups such as the NB Coalition of Persons with Disabilities, the Human Development Council and the Madhu Verma Migrant Justice Centre, who have called on the EUB to “prevent more people in New Brunswick from falling deeper into energy poverty and poverty in general.”
The increased electricity prices come after the provincial government ordered NB Power to reduce its debt to 80 percent of the utility’s value by 2029. Previously, the province had given NB Power a deadline of 2027.
In its provincial election platform, NB ACORN also called for expanded tenant rights, more financial support for people with disabilities, and the establishment of a publicly funded and operated drug treatment center as part of the health care system.
David Gordon Koch is a journalist at NB Media Co-op. The The reporting was made possible in part by the Government of Canadamanaged by the Canadian Association of Community Television Broadcasters and Users (CACTUS).
