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Open letter to Norm Letnick, MLA:
We are sending you a copy of our latest electricity bill that is outrageous! So outrageous that we are now living in a very cold home because our new supplemental energy source - a Blaze King wood stove will not heat the entire house. We are burning only wood and we are not even using our brand new energy efficient clothes dryer or our brand new split system ductless Mitsubishi heat pump.
We invested the last of our savings to draft proof our home and upgrade our heating system and appliances, but all to no avail! We are still amongst the energy poor, suffering in the cold because the 2 tier system punishes us for using what energy we need to stay comfortable. It is not based on reality - especially if you live in an older home at a higher altitude in Joe Rich.
Your Government has stated that BC's electricity rates are among the lowest in Canada and that the typical home using electricity for heat has seen “minimal bill impacts” as a result of the two-tier rate system. This bill clearly refutes these statements. And, it is important to point out that the bill would have been much higher if We had not significantly increased the usage of our wood stove.
Yes, the last few months have been abnormally cold, but the reason our bill is so high is because your so-called “conservation” rate is nothing of the sort unless by “conservation” you mean freezing in the dark. The two-tier electricity rate is simply a “tax” on all residents that use electricity for space and water heating. It charges residents, such as ourselves, an electricity rate that is way above the cost of generating that electricity. And, to make matters worse, the amount of the “tax”, and the “tax rate” itself automatically increase whenever the weather gets colder since that places a larger proportion of my consumption in the second tier.
This “tax” is completely unjustified and is in violation of the BC Utilities Commission Act which forbids discriminatory rates such as this one. Unless the Government makes it clear that this “tax” will be scrapped, I am sorry but you can truly forget about getting our support in the upcoming election.
Allan Schockenmaier & Valerie Maltese
