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By Liam Verster

Automatic Credit

Electricity credit to help drive down energy costs

Apr 1, 2024 | 11:13 AM

British Columbians will be receiving some financial aid for their energy bills.

Starting Monday, April 1, B.C. Hydro customers will be eligible for the B.C. Electricity Affordability Credit, which will save customers of the Crown corporation an average of $100 a year.

The credit will be applied to the first bill after April 15, and will be automatically divided and applied to energy bills over the next 12 months.

Credits will be provided to people who had an active B.C. Hydro account as of March 31. People will not need to apply for the credit, and customers with more than one account with see savings on all their bills.

The credits will be based on an individual customer’s annual electricity consumption prior to March 31, 2024.

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For the average household, that will translate to savings of approximately $100. Commercial businesses will receive a credit of 4.6 per cent, or roughly $400.

A comparable credit will also be provided to customers of non-B.C. Hydro electricity providers, including FortisBC and municipal utilities, as the province had previously entered into agreements with those agencies.

The province rolled out the credit on the same day that electricity bills are set to increase by 2.3 per cent, as previously approved by the B.C. Utilities Commission.