On September 21, 2023 the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board (NSUARB) released its Decision on Eastward Energy’s 2024 – 2026 General Rate Application, which was filed in January 2023. This was our first distribution rate adjustment application since 2011. In its Decision, the NSUARB approved new rates for all customers and a new rate structure for commercial customers that will ensure the continued safe and reliable delivery of natural gas in Nova Scotia while maintaining competitive rates for our customers.
How will the approved rates and rate structure affect customers?
The approved rates will be the first adjustment to our distribution rates since 2014. The new rates affect only the Base Energy Charge (a variable charge for the delivery of natural gas) and the Fixed Monthly Customer Charge (a fixed charge that covers the cost of your service line, natural gas meter, customer account administration and 24-hour emergency service). The cost of natural gas (Gas Cost Recovery Rate) is an unregulated cost and was not part of this Application.
Effective January 1, 2024 a new General Service Class (GSC) will be implemented, replacing Rate Class 1, Rate Class 1A, and Rate Class 2. A new tiered pricing structure will also be implemented for General Service Class customers based on the total amount of natural gas used by a customer each month – as a General Service Class customer uses more natural gas in any month, their incremental cost per gigajoule (GJ) of natural gas will decrease.
The following approved rates will be effective January 1, 2024:
- Residential Customers: On average, total distribution charges for residential customers will increase by 15% in 2024, 10% in 2025, and 10% in 2026.
- The residential Fixed Monthly Customer Charge (FMCC) will increase from $21.87/month to $26.00/month in 2024, $27.50/month in 2025, and $29.00/month in 2026.
- The Base Energy Charge will increase from $8.685/GJ to $9.833/GJ in 2024 (an average increase of $10.61, to $11.015/GJ in 2025, and to $12.349/GJ in 2026.
- General Service Class (GSC) Customers: The GSC Fixed Monthly Customer Charge (FMCC) will be set at $65.00/month for 2024, 2025, and 2026. The Base Energy Charge changes for GSC Customers will follow the tiered $/GJ rates as shown in the table below. In total, the average increase for GSC Customers will be 1.0% in 2024, 6.1% in 2025, and 1.0% in 2026.
Tiered BEC Pricing Rates for GSC Customers:
| $/GJ | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
| First 15 GJs/month | $8.220 | $8.948 | $9.142 |
| Next 400 GJs/month | $5.513 | $5.870 | $5.943 |
| All additional GJs/month | $5.263 | $5.620 | $5.693 |
- Large General Service (Rate Class 3) Customers: The Rate Class 3 Fixed Monthly Customer Charge(FMCC) and Demand Charge will not increase and will remain at the same charges as currently in place for 2024, 2025, and 2026. The Base Energy Charge will increase by an average of 0.4% in 2024, from $0.159/GJ to $0.167/GJ, with no additional increases in 2025 and 2026.
For more information, please review the decision on our website here or contact the Eastward Energy Customer Care Team at 1-877-836-7427, (902)-466-2003, or by email at customercare@eastwardenergy.com.
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