Alberta’s ombudsman is investigating how Alberta Agriculture determined who received and who was denied rebates under a remote heating allowance program.
Ombudsman Gord Button launched a larger investigation of the program after a complainant was unfairly denied rebate compensation for propane bought under the program.
The ombudsman allowed the claim because written notification from the province of changes that reduced the time limit from two years to one year for applicants to file a claim for propane purchases was not provided to all known applicants.
The rebate program was established in 1980 to help rural Albertans who do not have access to natural gas services under the Rural Gas Program. Applicants can receive a rebate of 25 percent of the cost of their heating fuel purchased to a maximum natural gas equivalent of 450 gigajoules a year.
Applicants who believe their claims were unfairly denied are asked to contact the Alberta ombudsman.
