P.E.I. man refuses to pay his power bill until Maritime Electric can explain why it's so high
'You can't manage with electric bills like this,' says Brackley resident
Many P.E.I. residents have taken to social media in recent weeks to raise questions about what they consider inexplicably high power bills from Maritime Electric.
Brackley resident Kirk Harnish has been facing the threat of Maritime Electric turning his power off because he hasn't paid his bill for the past two months. He's convinced it's not accurate.
"The last little while, they're getting just a little bit beyond. You can't manage with electric bills like this," he said.
"My bills were probably maximum around $300 a year ago and now they're $400, $600 and more."
Harnish said his power-using habits have stayed exactly the same over the past year, and he heats his home entirely with wood. Yet his bills for December and January were $200 to $300 more than he expected — and nearly double what they were during those months one year ago.
Harnish called Maritime Electric to question whether there's a problem with the meter that records his electricity usage, but he hasn't gotten any answers.
"All I want is some satisfaction to see what's going on here, why my light bill is so high," he said. "I don't mind paying the bill if you know it's true, or you can get some satisfaction if you know something is going wrong."
Dozens of other Islanders have raised similar concerns on social media this winter, as well as through emails to CBC News.
Meanwhile, people in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are also complaining about their high power bills. The New Brunswick government has actually asked NB Power to conduct an independent audit after widespread complaints from customers.
'How can people afford this?'
Donna Glass lives in Morell, but moves to British Columbia during the winter months.
Each winter, she turns her electric heat way down in her P.E.I. home while she is gone. This year, Glass said, she unplugged even more appliances than in years past.
Even so, her Maritime Electric bill jumped from about $400 last January to $550 this January.
"I have less things plugged in, and I know it's been a little bit colder in P.E.I. for the month of January, but I'm still just in shock that it's $552," Glass said.
"If you're paying a mortgage and other bills, how can people afford this?"
The Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission, which approves the prices Maritime Electric charges to customers, said power rates have increased 2.5 per cent between December 2023 and now.
Glass said that still doesn't explain why the electricity usage shown on her bill jumped 60 per cent.
She wants to have an energy audit conducted on her Morell home, adding that she is thinking about selling the house if her bill continues to go up.
"I'm over 65 so I'm thinking of downsizing anyway. But I thought I might just sell my home and let somebody else deal with this problem," Glass said. "I'm thinking, if it's this high in an empty home, what would the bill be if I was home?"
A colder winter?
Maritime Electric didn't make anyone available for an interview with CBC News, but a spokesperson said in an email that the utility's not getting any more calls than usual about strangely high bills and usage. The utility suggested the issue may just be that this winter has been colder than the last one.
December 2024 was indeed about three degrees colder overall, while January was one degree colder.
Rob Hoadley, a mechanical engineer and heating specialist in Fredericton, N.B., said those seemingly small temperature changes could have a big effect on someone's bill, even if they're using more energy-efficient sources like heat pumps.
"It makes a difference, especially when we get those very cold, –20, –25 nights. If in a given month we have more and more and more of those nights, you're really going to notice that on your bill," Hoadley said.
"Heat pumps love temperatures above –20. They function fantastically. But there will come a point where your heat pump can't produce heat effectively anymore."
The coldest part of the year doesn't really make a difference to me because I'm heating with wood.— Kirk Harnish
Harnish isn't satisfied with the colder-weather explanation for his big bills, given he doesn't heat with electricity.
"That's the excuse that I get from Maritime Electric. They always say, 'Well, we're living in the coldest part of the year,'" he said.
"The coldest part of the year doesn't really make a difference to me because I'm heating with wood and my lifestyle's not really changing in the house."
After his interview with CBC News, Harnish said Maritime Electric did show up at his house and installed a second meter to compare its readings with his existing one. He's now waiting now on the results.
The utility has not disconnected Harnish's power at this point.
Islanders who have questions about their bill are encouraged to reach out to Maritime Electric. If you're still not satisfied, you can file a complaint with the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission.
The commission said in an email that it has not noticed an increase in customer complaints concerning high power bills recently.
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