NB Power rate hike delay not enough, say advocates
Despite the delay of NB Power’s proposed 4.75 per cent rate hike, advocates warn higher power bills will still hit low-income residents hard.
In a ruling Monday, the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board rejected NB Power’s request to increase electricity prices, which, if approved, would have taken effect April 1.
Instead, the board decided to delay the rate hike until June or July, stating that an interim rate order is an “extraordinary remedy and is not intended to shield utilities from the known or reasonably foreseeable consequences of their business decisions.”
Related: EUB rejects interim rate hike request from NB Power
According to multiple media reports, the delay until July 1 would result in a revenue loss for NB Power — and savings for customers — of about $22.3 million.
However, New Brunswick ACORN chair Nichola Taylor said the organization is not slowing down its efforts to stop the hike altogether.
Taylor said the advocacy group has filed written submissions on behalf of low- to moderate‑income people, as well as those on fixed incomes, urging the EUB to consider how another increase would affect the most vulnerable.
“It’s really difficult for them because they have to make some tough choices,” Taylor said. “They’re making those choices of, ‘Do I put the heat on and stay warm, or do I put food on my table?’”
Taylor said another increase would be “too much” for many families.
Report finds energy costs hitting low‑income households hardest
According to the Human Development Council’s 2025 Energy Poverty Report, New Brunswick has the second-highest rate of energy poverty in the country.
Electricity costs rose 21 per cent between 2021 and 2025, leaving many New Brunswickers unable to afford essential needs — from heating to running medical devices. The report notes that increasing energy bills have pushed households into debt or left them at risk of disconnection.
The report also highlights the disproportionate impact on low‑income households, with more than 68 per cent spending over six per cent of their after-tax income on electricity. HDC executive director Randy Hatfield said households crossing that threshold is considered energy‑poor.
“Increased energy, increased rent, increased food costs are putting tremendous burden on low‑income New Brunswickers,” Hatfield said.
Before another rate hike is introduced, Hatfield said the province and NB Power should develop a more comprehensive energy‑poverty strategy.
He acknowledged existing NB Power programs aimed at reducing energy use and costs, such as the enhanced energy savings program and the winter disconnection moratorium. But he said more is needed, particularly around payment plans and debt management.
“If you are merely postponing payments of the debt, and making prepayment options too onerous, you’re not dealing with [the problem] in the long term,” he said.
Like Hatfield, Taylor believes more needs to be done on debt forgiveness and said ACORN is pushing for stronger measures, including a permanent winter moratorium.
Acadia Broadcasting reached out to NB Power, which declined an interview.
In an emailed statement Friday, spokesperson Elizabeth Fraser said the utility recognizes that affordability is a “real” concern for many customers.
Fraser said NB Power is offering programs to help New Brunswickers manage their energy use and reduce costs by improving home and business energy efficiency, including through its enhanced energy savings program.
The utility has also launched initiatives such as the Vulnerable Populations Committee to explore additional ways to support people struggling with affordability.
