Newfoundland Power says it acknowledges that colder weather will result in higher power bills.
The utility was responding to concerns raised by Consumer Advocate Dennis Browne who indicated that he’s heard from dozens of customers concerned about a sudden spike in their power bills.
Newfoundland Power says without billing details, it is unable to comment on the specific examples provided by the Consumer Advocate and anyone who wishes to discuss their bill is invited to call them directly.
Consumer Advocate Dennis Browne. (VOCM News)
The utility also says while smart meters could bring additional benefits to consumers, regulatory requirements prevent them from adopting that type of technology until doing so is the least-cost option for customers.
It says the Consumer Advocate is not considering the additional effort and cost of implementing smart meters.
Newfoundland Power says the PUB issued an order on December 16th as part of its response to its General Rate Application that indicated that “the evidence does not support a change (in metering technology) at this time.”
