Review
THE www.keremeosreview.com PM Agreement #40012521
Vol.15 Number 13
Serving the communities of Keremeos, Cawston, Okanagan Falls and Kaleden
SIMILKAMEEN PLANNING SOCIETY SESSION
Water study issues dominate meeting See page 3
MAINTENANCE MONEY
Lower Similkameen Indian Band to receive funding for wind turbine See pages 7,11
SPRING FEVER
Even the animals are enjoying springlike weather See page 15
Thursday, March 28, 2013
$1.15 including HST
Fortis’ conservation rate proves shocking
By Steve Arstad news@keremeosreview. com Fortis Stakeholder Relations Manager Bob Gibney spoke to the regional district board about hydro rates at the Environment Committee meeting of the board on Thursday, March 21. The recent hike in hydro rates has sent many residents in the regional district reeling, after a reasonably severe winter in the South Okanagan - Similkameen added to hydro users’ woes by forcing them to crank up the thermostat. Fortis, at the insistance of the B.C. Utilities Commission, instituted a “conservation rate” along with a Fortis price hike to start the new year. The conservation rate, which starts punishing users after they have consumed more than 800 kilowatts in a given month, has resulted in some eyebrowraising bills for residents who were surprised by the increase. Concerned Olalla residents
Photo by Steve Arstad
Fortis Stakeholder Relations Manager Bob Gibney speaks to Olalla resident Robbie Killborn after Gibney addressed the regional district board last week. Killborn has been canvassing Olalla residents recently to find out how the new conservation rate has affected Fortis customers in the area. Robbie Killborn and C.R.”Buzz” Henshaw attended the early morning meeting to bear witness to Gibney’s presentation. The community was hard hit by the increase, as many residents are living on static pensions and other forms of fixed income.
Fortis’ residential customers currently pay 8.803 cents per kilowatt hour for the first 1,600 kilowatt hours each two month billing period. After hitting the 1,600 kw threshold, the price jumps to 12.952 cents per kilowatt hour. “The utilities commission asked
Fortis to apply the rate,” Gibney told the directors. “It amounts to a substantial increase.” Gibney said the idea behind the move was to force people to consider conservation methods. He noted several times that natural gas heat provided a much
lower cost alternative, if one had access to it. Gibney admitted that if one did not have access to natural gas, there were few alternatives available. Gibney did note, however, that Fortis had a farm rate that customers who had farm status could continued on page 3