CONSUMERS NEED ACTION

If Alberta’s NDP government has demonstrated anything since coming to power in May, it’s a determination to put its stamp on the province after four decades of Tory rule. From royalty and climate change reviews, to steeper corporate taxes and a higher minimum wage, the government has unleashed a staggering number of policy changes.

One piece of legislation the NDP must find time to revisit contains the regulations that govern the Alberta Utilities Commission. The agency ruled in late July that TransAlta manipulated power prices and engaged in insider trading when it shut down six coal- fired power plants for maintenance during periods of peak demand on cold days on four occasions during the winter of 2010- 11.

The little- known utilities consumer advocate, which is a branch of the Service Alberta ministry, had argued that the money should be returned to consumers, who paid more for their power than would otherwise have been the case.

The advocate took a common- sense approach. After all, if you were overcharged for a carton of milk at the store and a miscalculation came to light, you’d expect to deposit the change right back into your pocket, not see the money or a similar sum end up somewhere else.

A penalty phase will begin Nov. 30 that could lead to fines being levied against TransAlta. Sadly, the existing system fails to give due consideration to consumers because any amount assessed against the company will go into the provincial government’s general revenues, not to those who paid a little more to keep their lights on.

“I think most Albertans will see this as further evidence of a broken system and a system that needs improvement to keep companies accountable and to protect consumers’ rights across the province,” Wildrose electricity critic Don MacIntyre said.

MacIntyre is right, of course. The situation isn’t the same as a driver being clocked going faster than the speed limit on the highway. In that instance, it’s general public safety that is put at risk and it’s understandable that any fines would be put into the general coffers. In the case of TransAlta, the consumer advocate noted that Albertans overpaid for their electricity — an important point, even if the individual sums may be small.

The NDP obviously has an appetite for making changes. Along with its growing list of other reviews and actions, it should ensure that if consumers are charged too much for the energy they use, the money goes back to those who paid for it in the first place.

It’s only fair.