Article content continued

But those percentages and costs are perfectly in line with what energy utilities and the provincial government forecasted, said Wendy Tynan, spokeswoman for Direct Energy.

“Nobody likes to pay extra, but it’s absolutely, exactly what the government has said it’ll be,” said Tynan.

The company, she said, has received numerous calls from consumers either alarmed or curious about how the carbon tax is affecting their invoice.

That could be considered a silver lining of the levy, she added.

“People are actually taking time now to look at their bills,” she said.

An Alberta government website states the carbon tax should add $124 a year on the natural gas bills for the average couple and $136 for a couple with two children in 2017.

Next year, it says those numbers should jump to $186 and $205 respectively.

In anticipation of concerns arising from the new levy, Direct Energy sent a letter to MLAs with an explanation of the billing changes they can pass on to constituents.

“In some cases, customers may find that their natural gas bills have doubled or tripled from December,” it states, adding the regulated price of gas also increased by nearly 50 per cent.

That was coupled with a severe cold snap in the first half of January that saw consumption soar.

Even so, Calgarian Zeegers questioned the premise of the entire program, saying the new tax and its rebate program is a bureaucratic boondoggle addressing a problem that doesn’t exist.

“Climate change is the sun doing what it’s not supposed to do,” she said.

The province says the $9.6 billion raised by the tax over the next five years will go to developing renewables, transportation infrastructure and energy efficiency.

For more information on the carbon tax and its impact, go to https://www.alberta.ca/climate-carbon-pricing.aspx#p184s1

BKaufmann@postmedia.com

on Twitter: @BillKaufmannjrn