British Columbia

Rate hike will add $3.75 per month to the average household bill

B.C. Hydro customers can expect a rate increase this year and next, which will add $3.75 per month to the average household bill, according to the province.

B.C. Energy Minister Adrian Dix issued a directive to the B.C. Utilities Commission to increase hydro rates by 3.75 per cent a year for the next two years.

"This is what B.C. Hydro needs," Dix told reporters Monday. "We think this is the right approach. It provides clarity and stability in the system. It lets everyone know what the rates are."

Dix said even with the rate increase, British Columbians have among the lowest electricity rates in North America, paying almost half of what Albertans pay. The rate hike stays below cumulative inflation, he said.