Burnaby and North Vancouver councils are calling for a fair and consistent energy taxation policy across the board under the reinstatement of the provincial sales tax.
Burnaby council received a resolution from the City of North Vancouver asking the provincial government to ensure everyone is taxed fairly - from the consumer to the supplier.
North Vancouver operates the Lonsdale Energy Corporation, a district energy system that supplies heat to residential and commercial customers in part of the city, according to a staff report.
Burnaby supports the call for tax policy under the PST to ensure consistent, supportive and fair energy taxation for district energy systems.
"The (City of North Vancouver) is generally seeking to ensure that the cost ultimately borne by rate payers is consistent and supportive of various technologies and fair, regardless of whether the heat energy is purchased through district energy systems, building-scale systems, or other systems," the report states.
The two cities want to ensure that all suppliers pay the same tax for distribution, and when purchasing production machinery and equipment. Burnaby and North Vancouver also want to "ensure that residential customers and rate payers purchasing heat are not taxed at both the consumer level and through the tax paid by the supplier of the heat energy," according to the report.
The resolution from North Vancouver was also sent to the Union of B.C. Municipalities and the provincial government.
The PST will come into effect on April 1.
