NEWS PHOTO EMMA BENNETT
Medicine Hat City Hall is seen in early November 2017. Proposed utility rate updates that would see the average Medicine Hat household pay about $13 per month more are to be presented to city council on Dec. 4.
Utility rates could rise and average of about $13 per month for the typical house next year, according to proposed rate updates that will be presented to city council on Monday night.
That increase would be about $3 less than was initially proposed when two-year budget plans were endorsed in late 2016 for gas, power, water, sewer and garbage collection services.
The largest area of increase would be for power fees, which would jump $5.30 a month in average cases.
That’s about $1.25 less than an expected increase, because the department is deferring some capital spending.
The largest reason behind the increase, however, is higher debt repayment in the annual budget stemming from power line construction and the new north-end power plant.
Sewer rates will average $3.35 per month, up from estimated $1.33 when initial projections were made in late 2016.
Other business plans call for slight increases for gas to 31 cents per month (scaled back from $2.21), water $1.55 per month (down from $2.91), and garbage collection 42 cents per month (up from 35 cents).
Actual costs will vary depending on usage.
The rates will be finalized at council’s Dec. 18 meeting in order to be in effect on Jan. 1, 2018.
