The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Creighton and Denare Beach families will receive a $137 rebate next month as the Saskatchewan government keeps its promise to offer the lowest-cost bundle of basic utility services in the country. The rebate will appear as a credit on SaskTel residential phone bills during December. Every household will receive a credit of the same amount. "We made a commitment to Saskatchewan families that they would have the lowest-cost bundle of basic utility services in Canada, this year and into the future, and we have kept that commitment," Premier Lorne Calvert said in a press statement. "With this rebate, our 2004 bundle of basic utilities ? residential electricity and natural gas, basic phone service, and auto insurance ? represents a total annual cost that is lower than any other province in Canada." SaskTel charges will be subtracted from the rebate credit until the full $137 has been used, even if that takes a few months. Saskatchewan residents who don't normally receive a SaskTel bill can fill out an application form to have the credit applied to their SaskPower or SaskEnergy bill. There will be no cash rebates. "We looked at a number of options and decided that the best way to meet our commitment would be to provide a rebate to residential customers," Crown Management Board Minister Pat Atkinson said in a statement. "With this rebate, our bundle will now cost less than Manitoba's for the full year." The rebate program is expected to cost the government up to $54.1 million. For more information about the rebate, including how to apply for it if you don't normally receive a SaskTel bill, call 1-866-366-6611 or visit www.cicorp.sk.ca.11/18/2004
