Power bills could be going up for most of Saskatchewan. 

SaskPower has applied to the Saskatchewan Rate Review Panel for a pair of increases over the next 14 months. The first increase, if approved, would be by 4 percent on September 1st of this year, and the second increase would be by 4 percent on April 1st of next year. SaskPower stated that the increases would see residential customers paying, on average, $5 more per month. 

“SaskPower is committed to providing stable and reliable power to our customers at an affordable rate, and we’ve worked hard to avoid rate increases in recent years,” said Troy King, Interim President & CEO. “Today, SaskPower requires additional funding to increase renewable generation, modernize the power system and ensure a sustainable future for us all.” 

In addition to requesting the rate increase, SaskPower has also asked to change the rate design methodology. The change itself would be revenue-neutral to the Crown power company, and would only have an impact on customers who pay separate demand and energy charges. Residential customers, and the majority of farm and small commercial customers, would be unaffected by the changes. 

The proposed increase would be the first from SaskPower since 2018. At that time, SaskPower had asked for a 5 percent increase, but the Saskatchewan Rate Review Panel recommended a 3.5 percent increase, which was accepted and approved by the provincial government.  

The rate application from SaskPower is expected to be posted to the Saskatchewan Rate Review Panel website in the coming days. Once it is posted residents will be able to submit their views by mail, email, social media and by phone.