REGINA – An Act meant to fulfill the government’s commitment in the recent provincial election to extend the carbon tax exemption on home heating was introduced in the Saskatchewan Legislature Tuesday.

Minister Responsible for SaskEnergy Jeremy Harrison introduced The SaskEnergy (Carbon Tax Fairness for Families) Amendment Act, 2024.

In response to the federal government’s decision to stop charging the carbon tax on home heating oil, which primarily benefits families in Atlantic Canada, the Government of Saskatchewan removed the carbon tax on home heating at the beginning of 2024.

The provincial government says the removal of the federal carbon tax from residential SaskEnergy bills is saving the average Saskatchewan family approximately $400 in 2024. Due to the expected increase in the carbon tax on April 1, 2025, from $80 to $95 per tonne, the government says, continued removal of the federal carbon tax from residential SaskEnergy bills will save the average Saskatchewan family approximately $480 in 2025.

The bill proposes to amend The SaskEnergy Act and The SaskEnergy (Carbon Tax Fairness for Families) Amendment Act, 2023, to repeal a sunset clause which is set to take effect on December 20, 2024, ensuring that the Government of Saskatchewan remains the sole registered distributor of natural gas for the purposes of the federal Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act throughout 2025 and beyond.