NB Power has released the findings of a much-anticipated assessment looking into billing concerns from this past winter.
The independent review found no evidence that any of the utility’s meters are over-reporting power consumption.
Instead, it pointed to two main factors already identified by NB Power: last spring’s power rate hike and colder weather than normal.
“Customers may not have noticed the increase in the bill until we actually got to the heating season,” Lori Clark, the utility’s president and CEO, said in an interview.
“The challenge in New Brunswick is that we, as customers, have a high dependence on electric heat.”
Bills increased by 25% on average
KPMG Canada found that power bills increased by an average of 25 per cent between December 2023 and December 2024.
About half was attributed to a rate hike that took effect in April 2024, while the other half was related to higher power consumption, said the assessment.
Factors leading to the higher power consumption included colder temperatures, a longer billing cycle and fewer power outages compared to the year before.
The auditing firm tested 440 smart and legacy meters across the province, as well as 100 other meters at homes where power bills showed a significant increase.
All met Measurement Canada guidelines of three per cent accuracy, and none showed any evidence of overstating energy consumption.
In addition, residential customers who changed to a smart meter in the past year did not see higher increases than customers still using a traditional meter, said the report.
Helping those struggling with affordability
“New Brunswickers should take comfort that the billing and metering systems that we have at NB Power are working and accurately recording their usage, but it still does not solve the challenge that customers have of higher electricity bills,” said Clark.
The president and CEO said they are committed to taking steps to help customers understand and manage their energy usage.
That includes launching a Vulnerable Populations Committee with government departments and social groups to find more ways to support those struggling with affordability.
The utility also plans to open its equalized payment plan program for budget billing to customers with arrears up to $1,200 and standardize billing days for everyone with smart meters.
NB Power said it will also seek to introduce optional time-of-use rates, which would allow customers to use electricity during lower-cost, off-peak periods.
