People already struggling with power bills worry about looming spectre of Muskrat Falls

People in Newfoundland and Labrador say they worryabout the bills they have todaylet alone what's to come, when many expect power costs to double as Muskrat Falls comes online.

"I have no faith in anything that's happening right now when it comes to Muskrat Falls and the cost of electricity to Newfoundlanders," says Christina Rose, 28.

"[The political parties] can say that they've got a rate mitigation plan in place, whatever that is, they're not really publicizing what the consequences of that plan will be," she said.

When the opportunity to transfer to her hometown of Grand Falls-Windsor came up at work, the financial advisor kept her two-unithousein Mount Pearl as a rental property.

Averaged over the year, Rose said the power bill is $225 a month upstairs and $140 a month in the basement apartment.

"Most people, their incomes aren't going up on a month-to-month basis and even on a year-to-year basis. I've got fantastic tenants in both units right now, so if they have increased expenses like the electricity bill it could impact what they can afford on rent," said Rose.

She doesn't see how people will cope if electricity rates double in 2021.

"We're already strapped, we see that all the time. There's been so many moreforeclosures and bankruptcies."

Like many landlords CBCNews talked to, Rose said herapartments need to be affordable.Some offer utilities included, but others said that can be difficult as tenants have different habits. Tenants are grateful to landlords who lower rent in order to offset higher power bills, but everyone said there's only so much wiggle room.

'We just need to know'

Mike Turner has been a real estate agent for 10 years, and a landlord in Gander for five. He's seen electricity bills take on more importance for both house hunters and tenants, and said the unpredictability is tough.

For example, a new tenant in his basement apartment was shocked by a $370 power bill this February, whereas his old tenants said their highest billlast winter was $187.

"I'm going to have to figure something out, because I can't have people moving into the apartment and they can't afford to be there, freaking out. It's not good for me, not good for them," said Turner.

He said with the uncertainty about how Muskrat Falls will effect power bills,"clear direction" from the next government is crucial.

"It's causing a lot of stress," said Turner.

"If our bills are going to double, there's some real change gotta happen in people's lives. We need to be able to have a clear insight into where we're going and what we've gotta get ready for."

Landlords and tenants feeling the strain

Sabrina Robinson, 24, is renting a basement apartment in St. John's, and asked her landlord about electricity bills before she moved in. When that costunexpectedly jumped to more than $200 a month in the winter, Robinson got a roommate.

"It's been a huge financial burden. An extra $100 may not seem like a lot, but to somebody that has to worry about three pets to take care of and other bills, and paying off student loan debt that extra $100 is my groceries," she said.

Robinson said it's disheartening to think about her power bill going up further. "That's crazy to me, to think that electricity rates are going to be half what some people are paying for rent."

"There are a lot of people that are working minimum wage jobs here and things like that," she said.

Indeed, a number of people told CBC News they're working to reduce their electricity use, but those on income support or very fixed incomes have no idea where to cut.

One woman living in Newfoundland and Labrador Housing said even with heat subsidies, the power bill is between $60 and $100 a month, so when living off $1,600 a month she and her husband can't afford for it to get any higher.

"I'm in a similar boat to a lot of people that I know, so there's a lot of us out there that are struggling," Robinson said.

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