July 3, 2014
Manitoba Government Preserves Province's Affordability Advantage
An independent audit released today confirms that Manitoba remains the most affordable place in Canada for basic household utilities and auto insurance, with Manitoba families saving over $2,100 compared to the national average, Municipal Government Minister Stan Struthers, minister responsible for Manitoba Hydro, announced today.
“Our government made a commitment to Manitoba families to keep our province affordable and that means keeping rates low for hydro, home heating and auto insurance,” said Minister Struthers. “We will continue to fight to keep these services publicly owned because that helps to keep rates down, saving families in Manitoba over $2,100 compared to what households pay across the country.”
The independent audit found that Manitobans paid an average total of $2,813 last year for electricity, home heating and auto insurance, the lowest in the country. The average across Canada was $4,974 or $2,161 more than in Manitoba. The next least expensive province is Quebec where families pay $595 more, over average, than in Manitoba. Families in Ontario pay $7,878 on average for these basic services, the highest in Canada and $5,065 more than families in Manitoba.
Since 2012, the finance minister is required to submit a report each year showing the comparative costs of a utility bundle of electricity, natural gas and auto insurance rates for each province. The government has committed to Manitoba families to keep the utility bundle the cheapest in Canada, Minister Struthers said.
The audit found that for electricity, Manitobans pay $873 on average per year compared with the countrywide average of $1,385. For home heating, Manitobans pay $787 compared to the Canadian average of $1,544 while car insurance is $1,153 in Manitoba while the national average is $2,045.
The report is available at www.gov.mb.ca/finance/otherreports.html
- 30 -