Green MLAs urge government to audit Maritime Electric's billing practices

The P.E.I. Greens are urging the government to audit Maritime Electric's billing system after some Islanders reported their bills are getting out of control.

In Question Period Thursday, Green MLA Matthew MacFarlane said he's spoken to people who are paying hundreds more on their electric bills this winter compared to last year.

He said the high power bills have led some people to feel "punished" for switching to heat pumps to provide electric heat in their homes — with many using government programs to do so. And he said some are going back to furnace oil because of how much it costs to heat with electricity.

"Another Islander reached out to me with a bill that came in at over $1,000, being hundreds of dollars more than he has ever seen before. He also has a heat pump, but in an effort to conserve energy and keep costs down, he keeps his home cold and uses blankets to keep warm," MacFarlane said.

"Will you commit, minister, to launching an independent review and audit of Maritime Electric's billing, infrastructure, and maintenance?"

"I think you're two months behind the eight ball here," Arsenault responded. "What we've done is we've launched — probably close to a year ago — the P.E.I. energy review, which will reveal much of the information that [MacFarlane] is looking for."

He provided no details of what the "thorough review" involved but said the results are due out in four to five weeks.

Arsenault also said a "P.E.I. Energy Blueprint" should be coming out this fall, laying out a 10-year strategy for energy on the Island.

In an interview with CBC News after Question Period, MacFarlane said seeing people share their bills with him and on social media was "astonishing." He said a Maritime Electric audit should be a priority for the Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action.

"We've seen New Brunswick call for an audit. People want answers… and the only way we're going to get answers to this drastic year-over-year change is to have an independent audit."

Customers of the main power utilities in both New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador have complained of rising electric bills throughout this winter. 

N.B. Power and Newfoundland Power have pointed to cold weather as one of the drivers behind higher bills. Similar points were made Thursday in the House, where Arsenault suggested P.E.I. bills are higher because it's been such a frigid winter.

MacFarlane said he'd rather have more clarity on that determination by government doing a full audit of Maritime Electric's billing process.

The MLA would also like to see the province "investigate the infrastructure that Maritime Electric employs and the delivery of electricity throughout the province, to see whether or not the consumption per household is accurately being recorded."