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爱城居民要尝到一个月能源休克的感觉了，因为相较其他加国人，这个冬天，象下个月的取暖费将近去年同期的两倍。
, Q2 t6 \$ p/ T" h, I4 O3 @3 ]由于省里的能源补助要到１１月份才能兑现，那么一个典型的城市房屋的取暖费１０月份将是155刀，比去年的87刀增加了８０％。
) `# e _0 V! c0 |: i' MDirect Energy Regulated Services 在本周二提出了涨价，因为公司已经不能维持赢利。
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在阿省，取暖燃气月消费量在十月每户会加倍到9ＧＪ，在十一月会再加倍到１８ＧＪ，在１２月和１月到达峰值22-23，然后到政府补贴结束时的４月又降到９ＧＪ。+ M A5 a: p% X1 ]% H) R0 f
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补贴将使消费者的账单，相对于十月份的11.2刀，固定在8.75刀／ＧＪ，还包含价格过低的61加分的奖金。（我翻译不明白是什么意思。）这些补助将花费政府5000万到１。１５亿元，但仅烧掉汽油每涨１０分，省税总收入便增加9900万的一个小数。如果油价维持在目前水平，政府将有42亿额外税收超过上个财政年度的64亿。& L( G2 ]' O& M# _4 |( r2 e+ T( j
ＤＩＲＥＣＴ ＥＮＥＲＧＹ的记录表明：１０月的价格超过了本月的9.63刀，也超过了去年北美市场的最高的时期：2001年２月份。消费者最大的期望是由于ＫＡＴＲＩＮＡ和ＲＩＴＡ飓风造成对墨西哥湾生产的破坏导致的油价的上升会适度下降。5 m P; [2 z; Q( K
; @; ]8 ]5 r% I* _. I目前的涨价，只是一个长期涨价的趋势的最新阶段。燃气平均价格已经从99年的２。９２刀涨了近３倍，2005年第二季度为7.55刀／ＧＪ。
8 ?" ?3 X! R H! q- E5 a! eＤＩＲＥＣＴ的工作人员鼓励消费者考虑长期固定价格的合同，因为政府补贴项目在这个冬天过后就会到期失效，会被政府重新审核。
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- T% `- z9 G; ^; a% y7 ], A" KEDMONTON - Albertans will have a one-month taste of the energy shock that awaits other Canadians this winter as next month's home heating bill nearly doubles what they paid last October.
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/ \5 w2 ^# \- @, m; \With provincial natural gas rebates unavailable until November, the cost to heat a typical Edmonton home will be $155 in October -- up about 80 per cent from $87 in October 2004.
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2 o: m" @* {5 R2 D- c" TDirect Energy Regulated Services laid out the hikes Tuesday in an application to pass on record wholesale gas prices. The Alberta Energy and Utilities Board routinely approves monthly bills Direct calculates with a formula developed by the board.; |5 r- O2 O/ }- K4 Q* G5 Z3 u
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The company is barred from making profits on fuel.. z6 i- j' I: G) J% {- l5 G
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"We've got to learn to conserve -- this is the signal," said analyst Carol Crowfoot of GLJ Petroleum Consultants, whose price reports and projections are widely used by energy companies and financial institutions.
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But in Alberta the urge to lower thermostats, replace inefficient furnaces and think about energy alternatives will be softened when annual heating season rebates kick in during the higher-consumption months from Nov. 1 through March 31.; T: ~% R. _% R9 Y5 `4 o4 D. k
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In Alberta, typical monthly consumption -- not the only factor in a consumer's bill -- roughly doubles in October to nine gigajoules per household, doubles again to 18 GJ in November, peaks at 22-23 GJ in December and January, then falls back to nine GJ by the time provincial rebates end in April.0 d; f7 W+ D$ i K
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The subsidy caps consumer bills at $8.75 per gigajoule, compared with $11.20 for the Edmonton area in October, which includes a 61-cent premium for undercharging this month.
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. D0 ~6 Y F; f. m5 N) T5 xThe rebates, which cost the government $50 million to $115 million or more each month depending on wholesale prices, burn off only a fraction of Alberta's annual royalty revenue bonuses of $99 million for every 10-cent jump in average natural gas prices.' K+ [7 b/ c+ V; S J4 ?0 j1 b
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If wholesale markets stay at current levels for a whole year, the government gains an extra $4.2 billion in gas royalties beyond the $6.4 billion in the province's last fiscal year.
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5 n) W P9 S0 j e4 K/ V( ZThe October gas price eclipses the record $9.63 per gigajoule set this month and the previous high of $8.77 at the peak of the last North American market spike in February 2001, Direct Energy records show.
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5 C7 J# z; i7 ]/ ^: o) a3 }4 K0 G6 ]' `"In the absence of the rebate program, regulated rate customers would experience these prices throughout this winter," Direct vice-president Gary Newcombe said.# g2 W0 l+ ]6 G/ Y$ j% Z
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The best consumers can hope for, Crowfoot said, is a moderate drop from a surge in prices after hurricanes Katrina and Rita damaged production in the Gulf of Mexico.
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/ b% v" `- g5 n {The current spike is only the latest stage in a persistent upward trend that saw average prices rise nearly threefold to $7.55 per 1,000 cubic feet in the second quarter of 2005 from $2.92 in 1999, GLJ figures show., K# H' \% I& E
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The year 2000 was a turning point in which supplies stopped growing almost everywhere in North America, including in Alberta's aging gas fields, while demand kept increasing, Crowfoot said.2 \# A& o1 N! m+ `# Q* W) Q
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At Direct, Newcombe encourages consumers to consider switching to long, fixed-price contracts offered by gas dealers, including other arms of Direct, in Alberta's deregulated retail energy market. The rebate program, which expires after this winter and is under review by the government, also covers buyers of deregulated gas.7 D) R, g/ e! ]
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While Direct's regulated arm rides with the market instead of making forecasts, "there is no particular reason to expect that increased prices are not here to stay as a general trend," Newcombe said.
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, u/ _/ [( U9 pEven before the hurricanes, Alberta investment houses Peters & Co. and FirstEnergy Capital Corp. forecast increased annual average gas prices of $7.80 to $8.10 per 1,000 cubic feet for this year and $8.60 to $9.10 for 2006.7 U8 ^4 D2 |6 R6 x ~- a
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"We're not in a desperate situation," Crowfoot said.: T0 v# b% w3 L: r _; f/ `9 F
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Gas stored in Canada and the U.S. is at normal levels for the last few weeks before the onset of heating season.# a! s. @7 f; x; ~% Y) T
* H9 v& s, ^. S; ~3 ]"But if it's a cold winter in New York, Ontario and other major markets, that would definitely make it very painful for consumers. The only hope is it's a mild winter," Crowfoot said.9 M2 N/ R- c. n4 D) b* x
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Provincial Liberal energy critic Hugh McDonald called on the government to make the rebate cover October, then launch conservation aid programs such as home insulation and furnace replacement.
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( s3 W# G8 d( c"Many Albertans, many households, cannot afford these high energy costs," McDonald said. "Part of the Alberta advantage is having affordable gas to heat homes and offices." |
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发表于 2005-9-28 18:07
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发表于 2005-9-28 19:21
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