CALGARY -- Canadian Utilities — an ATCO company — announced Wednesday it has requested to hold its electricity and natural gas distribution rates at current levels for more than 1.2 million Alberta customers.
The company said in a news release the pause in rates is to support families and businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic and the historic collapse in oil prices.
"With a presence in more than 300 Alberta communities, we have seen first-hand the immense toll the pandemic is having on the lives and livelihoods of our families, friends, neighbours and customers,” said Nancy Southern, chair and chief executive officer of ATCO and executive officer of Canadian Utilities.
“Our hope is that we can provide some stability and certainty to our customers in this difficult time, and that we can keep our distribution rates as low as possible as the province gets back on its feet.”
At the beginning of December, Canadian Utilities — which owns both ATCO Gas and ATCO Electric — submitted its request to the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) seeking the deferral of compulsory distribution rate increase which would come into effect Jan.1, 2021.
The increase in the compulsory distribution charge would be about 16 per cent for electricity customers and about 15 per cent for gas customers.
For the average residential customer, ATCO says bills would increase about eight per cent for electricity and five per cent for gas.
If the request is approved by the AUC, both ATCO Gas and ATCO Electric will hold the distribution components of customers' bills at current levels in the new year.
"It is vital that regulators, governments, utilities and businesses work collaboratively to overcome the significant economic damage caused by the pandemic, said Siegfried Kiefer, president and chief executive officer of Canadian Utilities.
“We are grateful for the Government of Alberta's leadership and its desire to explore new and creative ways to support Albertans in these extraordinary times."
