Your electricity bills are about to go down, according to BC Hydro

(File photo)

BC Hydro customers will be paying a bit less each month as of Friday, the utilities provider says.

In a news release Thursday, BC Hydro said interim approval from the provincial utilities commission means that customers will see their bills decrease by an average of 1.4 per cent.

It's part of a three-year rate application that would mark a "period of the lowest rate increases in B.C. over the past 15 years," BC Hydro said.

But so far, the plan has only received interim approval, meaning right now the change is only approved for this year. The plan for the next two years is actually to increase bills, but the rate changes would be less than is typical, according to BC Hydro.

If the plan gets full approval, customers would see an average increase of two per cent next year, and 2.7 per cent in April 2024.

Energy Minister Bruce Ralston said in the statement from BC Hydro that the NDP government is working with the provider to keep rates competitive.

"In the BC Hydro Review, we identified several recommendations to ensure British Columbians have access to tools to help keep their bills low, and we’re actively implementing those recommendations," he said.