The New Brunswick government has been spending more than $2 million a month on electricity assistance for the highest-income households, despite record deficits, but Finance Minster René Legacy argues the expense is worth the cost because lower-income groups are also benefiting.
Nearly $100M-a-year provincial rebate program rewards high consumption over need
Robert Jones · CBC News
· Posted: May 07, 2026 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour ago
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Large homes in high-income New Brunswick neighbourhoods like Maliseet Drive in Rothesay use more electricity on average than low-middle and low-income households, so they qualify for more government help with power bills. (Roger Cosman/CBC)
The New Brunswick government has been spending more than $2 million a month on electricity assistance for the highest-income households in the province, despite record deficits.
But Finance Minster René Legacy argues the expense is worth the cost because lower-income groups are also benefiting.
“We wanted to do something quickly,” Legacy said in an interview. “And if a few people got some benefits that maybe they don’t need — to give benefit to the whole — it was a price that we were willing to pay.
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