Power rates holding steady for Berwick Electric users

Berwick residents won’t be seeing a power rate hike this year.

The Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board (UARB) approved Berwick Electric’s rates on Jan. 20. Customers will continue to pay around .13 cents per kilowatt hour for power, said Berwick chief administrative officer and director of Berwick Electric, despite a large sum consumers across the province owe Nova Scotia Power.

Back in 2012, Regan says, NSP went to the UARB to request a rate increase to help cover mounting fuel costs. Instead, the UARB offered a rate stabilization plan, which limited the power rate increase for consumers to three per cent between 2013 and 2014.

“They could only do that by deferring the collection of fuel costs,” said Regan.

Berwick Electric didn’t agree with that decision, he added.

“We thought the rate should be pay as you go,” Regan said, but the other interveners in the application were on the bandwagon to put the repayment off.

“All of that’s been building up – our obligation to pay NSP on the fuel costs, and no one’s been paying it,” he said.

“Our greatest need is volunteers,” Shannon said. “People can volunteer to help in any sport areas. Medical people are the hardest to recruit, so anyone with St. John Ambulance training or nurses or something similar who have a couple of hours to volunteer as medical support for the athletes are really needed.”

There are about 150 volunteer spots that need to be filled in order to put on the event.

Anyone wishing to volunteer can visit the Special Olympics Nova Scotia website at www.sons.ca to find the schedule of events and volunteer form. For more information, call 902429-2266 ext. 6.