P.E.I. man refuses to pay his power bill until Maritime Electric can explain why it's so high
CBC
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.
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?"
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