Last winter, Albertans were faced with some of the highest electricity rates the province has ever seen.
Compared to the previous year, electricity rates doubled last winter, reaching a high of 15 cents per kilowatt hour. Those rates have hit Albertans hard.
"We're paying $4,000 a month for electricity alone, and it's a lot, and we have no option but to have our lights on, being a lighting store." said Ann Normandeau, owner of Chateau Lighting in Edmonton.
Normandeau is currently under a five year fixed contract. She realizes her electricity bill will be high due to the nature of her business, however, worries about what will happen to her bill when her contract expires.
"Hopefully the government will step in and help us out and have these rates at a better price for residential and for businesses," Normandeau said adding, "I think we pay a lot more than anywhere else in Canada, right here in Alberta."
In September, the Redford government received a report with 41 recommendations on how to lower electricity rates and moderate prices however, that report has not been made public.
"We will be dealing with it before the end of the year," said Energy Minister Ken Hughes adding, "This is a very complex area. There are 390 pages in the report, there are 41 recommendations. We've committed to ensuring that, to the extent possible, we're quite clear about how we're going to deal with every one of those 41 recommendations."
The privacy of the report has opposing parties speaking out. NDP leader Brian Mason says the report needs to be made public.
"I'm very concerned that the minister is trying to keep this report quiet, keep it under wraps until all the decisions have been made," Mason said adding, "I think we should be having the public debate now, before the decisions are made, and I think that would serve democracy and electricity consumers far better."
He says it's the result of deregulation that has caused prices to skyrocket, and it's time for the Conservatives to take a look at their policies.
"They're not willing to look themselves in the mirror and say 'You know, listen, it's our plan to deregulate power in this province that has caused this problem that has forced us into some of the highest power prices in the entire country'."
Minister Hughes maintains the government will be acting on the report however, it will not be in time for this winter's bills.
"We're going to move as quickly as we can," Hughes said adding, "I can ensure consumers that by next winter, for sure, there will be an impact upon the volatility, I believe, by that time."
Normandeau says in the meantime, she'll be doing everything she can to control her bills.
"We've put in the fluorescent light bulbs in the store, we haven't turned on as many lights as we could have in the store but still, it adds up."
With files from Ross Neitz.
© Global News. A division of Shaw Media Inc., 2012.