FortisBC has received approval from the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) for an electricity rate change effective January 1, 2017.

FortisBC recognizes the importance of electricity to daily lives and is committed to providing safe and reliable service at the lowest reasonable cost. FortisBC is meeting the challenge of balancing ongoing investments needed to maintain and upgrade our electrical infrastructure with the impact on rates. We work to ensure our customers have a stable source of power when they need it most through upgrades and improvements to the system and long-term electricity purchase agreements to meet customer growth and demand.

The rate customers pay is increasing by 2.76 per cent, which is approximately $3.65 more per month for the average residential electricity customer. The BCUC has approved the rate as interim, and the final rate change is subject to change based on further regulatory review in 2017.

We are committed to helping customers understand and manage the energy use in their homes. A variety of additional tools, advice and programs to help all of our customers lower their energy costs can be found at fortisbc.com/rebates.

“We recognize the unique energy needs of British Columbians and know that decisions made today will have an impact for decades to come. We work to make investments in the system and purchase the necessary capacity so our customers have power when they need it most now and into the future.” –

Diane Roy, vice president of regulatory affairs.