Newfoundland Power requests rate hike for July 2016

Newfoundland Power has applied to raise its rates in July 2016.

If the Public Utilities Board gives the company what it's looking for, residential customers would seetheir bills go up by about 3.6per cent.

Newfoundland Power says part of the increase is needed to cover the higher cost of buying electricity from Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro.

• PUB hearings begin with questions about Hydro costs, reliability

Customers will have their say at a public hearingbefore any decision is made.

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro is also seeking a rate hike that would result in an estimated average jump of 2.8 per cent for those on the island interconnected system, retroactive to January.

Hydrocame under fire at recent hearings for handing out executive bonuses in 2014, the year of DarkNL.