Nova Scotia Power’s proposed rate increase is ‘out of touch,’ premier says

CITYnews halifax / By Mark Hodgins

Nova Scotia’s premier says the province’s electric utility is “out of touch” amid plans to raise power rates.

Nova Scotia Power’s proposed rate increase is ‘out of touch,’ premier says

On Tuesday, Nova Scotia Power announced it has reached a deal with customer representatives that would see power rates across all customer classes go up by an average of 2.1 per cent in 2026 and again in 2027.

For residential customers, the rate increase would be 4.1 per cent in 2026 and again in 2027. The increased rates are subject to approval by the independent Nova Scotia Energy Board (NSEB), formerly known as the Utility and Review Board.

“This settlement is the result of strong collaboration and engagement with customer representatives who work on behalf of customers across Nova Scotia,” reads a statement from Nova Scotia Power. “We appreciate the time and effort that has gone into the discussions over the last several months to strike a critical balance of affordability for our customers while continuing to invest in the grid to ensure customers have service they can count on.”

According to the utility, the customer representatives included the Consumer Advocate, Small Business Advocate, Industrial Group, the Berwick Electric Commission, Riverport Electric Light Commission, the Town of Mahone Bay, the Town of Antigonish, and Port Hawkesbury Paper.

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Premier Tim Houston was quick to react to the news on Tuesday, saying Nova Scotia Power should not be asking people to pay more after overseeing one of the largest data breaches in the province’s history.

The utility is offering five free years of credit monitoring to all current and former customers after a ransomware attack exposed sensitive data, including names, phone numbers, email addresses, mailing and service addresses and more.

“We still feel betrayed by Nova Scotia Power. This is not the time for a rate increase. This is a time for Nova Scotia Power to show they understand Nova Scotians and withdraw or significantly reduce their application,” reads a statement from the premier.

The utility says it plans to file its rate application to the NSEB later in September.