The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Your Manitoba Hydro bill could be going up in the new year, but the increase will likely be modest. Bob Brennan, Manitoba Hydro president, was quoted in The Winnipeg Sun yesterday as saying a boost in the range of two per cent for residential and commercial customers is likely on the way. "We're getting ready to have a rate increase pretty soon," he is quoted as saying. "Despite the fact we had a pretty big loss this year, it will still be a pretty modest increase." If the rates are increased by two percent, the average homeowner in Manitoba would pay an added $17 per year, according to the Sun. It would be the first increase in Hydro rates since 1997. According to reports, Manitoba Hydro is expecting to be in the red by as much as $350 million this year. Manitoba Hydro, headquartered in Winnipeg, serves 499,535 electric customers throughout the province and 249,351 gas customers in various communities throughout southern Manitoba. Virtually all electricity generated by the provincial Crown corporation is from self-renewing water power. The company is one of the largest electricity and natural gas utilities in Canada.
