Sask. Rivers MLA Nadine Wilson is questioning the cost of home heating for people in rural areas. (file photo/paNOW)

By Susan McNeil

Home heating

Home energy a hot topic for Sask. Rivers MLA

Nov 18, 2022 | 4:00 PM

The price of heating homes, especially in rural areas, was a hot topic in Thursday’s debate at the Legislature.

Sask Rivers MLA Nadine Wilson raised the topic, saying some rural seniors are facing not being able to heat their homes.

“Earlier this week I was contacted by a senior, who does not live in my constituency. This person is facing a home heating bill of $10,000 this year, and that’s double what their bill was a year ago,” she said.

The senior and their other neighbours all use home heating fuel as an energy source because installing natural gas on their properties is out of the realm of possibility. Wilson said Installation costs to homes in the area would exceed installation costs of $100,000.

“What will this government do to help rural seniors on fixed incomes who absolutely cannot afford to heat their homes this year?” asked Wilson. “Is he willing to let them freeze this winter?”

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Despite being asked for more information on the name of the person who made the call, Wilson did not identify the caller.

Don Morgan, the minister of Crown Corporations, said that Saskatchewan has the lowest natural gas rates in Canada.

“If the member opposite has a specific question about a specific customer as far as hookup rates or whatever, we’d be glad to treat that as casework,” said Morgan.

He suggested that part of the increased cost is due to the increased carbon tax, but, as energy critic Meara Conway pointed out that is still lower than the provincial taxes that are collected when it comes to products like gasoline.

“With the stroke of a pen tomorrow, they could make gas 15 cents per litre cheaper,” she said.

Raising the rates for utilities such as electricity is also having an impact.

“Why will the Sask Party not scrap their back door taxation plan to raise power bills by eight per cent?” she asked.

SaskPower rates increased by four percent on September 1 and will increase another four percent on April 1, 2023

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com