Fredericton residents have questions about high power bills, panel has few answers

Affordability was high on the list of questions at a public meeting in Fredericton on the future of the province’s debt-laden electric utility.

About 50 people gathered in an auditorium to air their concerns to a three-member panel mandated by the government to tour the province and collect comments from residents.

Premier Susan Holt has said the status quo at NB Power is unacceptable with the utility drowning in $5-billion debt and with residential rates that have increased more than 20 per cent in two years.

Randy Dickinson asked panel members why his power bill exploded after he installed a smart meter.

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Panel member Duncan Hawthorne, an expert on utilities, said he’s heard the same complaint at every public meeting so far.

Hawthorne said NB Power hasn’t been able to provide the panel with a clear answer.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2025.