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Albertans will no longer be getting a break on their natural gas bills. The Stelmach government made the announcement in the legislature during Thursday's question period. Energy Minister Mel Knight says that low natural gas prices are good for consumers but bad for the province's bottom line.
He says that in accordance with the province's mandate for energy efficiency and conservation, the program will not be renewed in the upcoming fiscal year. In 2008, homeowners saved $206 on their natural gas bills. According to the province, the program has provided more than $1.9 billion in assistance to Albertans since 2003. The program runs from October to March, when Albertans use about 80 per cent of their yearly total.
The rebate amounts are calculated on a sliding scale once the rate goes over $5.50/GJ with the maximum cost of natural gas to consumers capped at $8.75/GJ.
In the years before the program was formally established the Klein government spent millions of dollars in rebates on an as-needed basis. Knight says the program might be revisited by the current government if natural gas prices rebound in the future.
The Alberta Liberal Party has previously called for the rebate to be scrapped, suggesting the money from the program would be better spent on energy efficiency and conservation programs for homes and businesses.
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Province cancels natural gas rebates
