Green MLAs urge government to audit Maritime Electric’s billing practices [Video]

The P.E.I. Greens are urging the government to audit Maritime Electric’s billing system after some Islanders reported their bills are getting out of control.

In Question Period Thursday, Green MLA Matthew MacFarlane said he’s spoken to people who are paying hundreds more on their electric bills this winter compared to last year.

He said the high power bills have led some people to feel “punished” for switching to heat pumps to provide electric heat in their homes — with many using government programs to do so. And he said some are going back to furnace oil because of how much it costs to heat with electricity.

“Another Islander reached out to me with a bill that came in at over $1,000, being hundreds of dollars more than he has ever seen before. He also has a heat pump, but in an effort to conserve energy and keep costs down, he …