N.B. government orders independent investigation into rising power bills

CITYnews halifax / By The Canadian Press

The New Brunswick government says it has asked for an audit of NB Power’s billing process after receiving “hundreds” of complaints.

Premier Susan Holt says she has instructed the utility to conduct an “independent third-party audit” of their systems, including how meters are read, to get to the bottom of why people are seeing a sharp spike in electricity bills.

In hundreds of posts on NB Power’s social media page, people are complaining that their power bills for December inexplicably doubled.

The premier says she has asked the utility to appear before a public accounts committee in February to discuss the situation.

Her advice for anyone struggling to pay their bill is to contact NB Power about payment options, while keeping their legislative assembly members updated on the situation.

Holt says her government’s decision to remove a 10 per cent provincial tax from power bills effective Jan. 1 should bring people some relief when the next bills arrive.

She says government representatives met with NB Power officials Monday to understand what might be happening. “And that conversation left us with more questions,” she says.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 21, 2025.