Although he maintains that the rates are “for the moment limited to the increase in costs”, Minister Fitzgibbon does not close the door to an increase in electricity rates in the future.
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In response to the survey of Newspaper which revealed, among other things, that Quebecers refuse an increase in Hydro rates, Pierre Fitzgibbon stressed that there was a “movement” in the world to increase rates, during a press briefing in Montreal on Tuesday.
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“When we look at what is happening in the world, the marginal cost of new production, it obviously costs more than what it cost ten years ago. There will be a movement to increase prices,” he said.
However, the bill could be minimized if Quebecers consume better, he added. “The idea is that if we consume differently, we could mitigate these increases and have a bill that would be reasonable.”
The minister also wants to help consumers to make them less energy-consuming. “I think there are tools that must be put in place by governments as well as programs and incentives to consume better. We need collaboration between the government, Hydro-Québec and the community, both business and residential,” he explained.
Remember that the annual increase in electricity rates in the residential sector officially came into force on Monday. This increase is, however, capped at 3%, as the state company announced last January.