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

Cody MacKay · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 28, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

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

In Question Period Thursday, Green MLA Matthew MacFarlane said he's spoken to radical who are paying hundreds much connected their electrical bills this winter compared to past year.

He said the precocious powerfulness bills have led immoderate radical to consciousness "punished" for switching to vigor pumps to supply electrical vigor successful their homes — with galore utilizing authorities programs to bash so. And helium said some are going backmost to furnace oil because of however overmuch it costs to heat with electricity.

"Another Islander reached retired to maine with a measure that came successful astatine implicit $1,000, being hundreds of dollars much than helium has ever seen before. He besides has a vigor pump, but successful an effort to conserve vigor and support costs down, helium keeps his location acold and uses blankets to support warm," MacFarlane said.

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

"I deliberation you're 2 months down the 8 shot here," Arsenault responded. "What we've done is we've launched — astir apt adjacent to a twelvemonth agone — the P.E.I. vigor review, which volition uncover overmuch of the accusation that [MacFarlane] is looking for."

He provided nary details of what the "thorough review" involved but said the results are owed out in 4 to 5 weeks.

Arsenault besides said a "P.E.I. Energy Blueprint" should beryllium coming retired this fall, laying retired a 10-year strategy for vigor connected the Island.

'People privation answers'

In an interrogation with CBC News aft Question Period, MacFarlane said seeing radical stock their bills with him and connected societal media was "astonishing." He said a Maritime Electric audit should beryllium a precedence for the Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action.

"We've seen New Brunswick telephone for an audit. People privation answers… and the lone mode we're going to get answers to this drastic year-over-year alteration is to person an autarkic audit."

Customers of the main powerfulness utilities in some New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador have complained of rising electrical bills passim this winter. 

N.B. Power and Newfoundland Power person pointed to acold upwind arsenic 1 of the drivers down higher bills. Similar points were made Thursday successful the House, wherever Arsenault suggested P.E.I. bills are higher due to the fact that it's been specified a frigid winter.

MacFarlane said he'd alternatively person much clarity connected that determination by government doing a afloat audit of Maritime Electric's billing process.

The MLA would besides similar to spot the state "investigate the infrastructure that Maritime Electric employs and the transportation of energy passim the province, to spot whether oregon not the depletion per household is accurately being recorded."