The Saskatchewan Rate Review panel has approved a 26.7 per cent natural gas rate increase.
If approved by the province, the rate hike would see the average SaskEnergy customer’s bill increase 13.5 per cent or $9.57 a month, starting July 1.
The proposed increase to $4.84 a gigajoule is the first rate hike SaskEnergy has applied for in six years.
SaskEnergy has said it needs to increase rates because of increased demand due to the extreme cold weather this past winter that lasted well into March.
In its report, the panel also suggested that SaskEnergy apply for increases sooner, so deficits do not grow as large before rates are revised.
