Plug in.Point up.Power on

Electricity bills have been rising in New Brunswick. A small solar kit could help a household buy a little less electricity by making some at home. The savings would depend on the kit and where it goes, but the choice should be open to more people.

A plug-in solar kit uses small panels to make electricity for your home. A device called a microinverter converts that power for use in your home's wiring. Kits can mount on a balcony, a wall or a railing and connect through a regular wall outlet. Germany has more than a million of them. We're working to make certified kits an option here.

From St. Stephen, you can look across the St. Croix River to Maine, where plug-in solar has a legal route. The sunshine crosses the border. The rules change at it. Here, plug-in solar has already been raised at the Legislature, and we're asking the province to create a clear route of its own.

We're asking New Brunswick to follow Maine's example and open a simple route for certified plug-in solar. A household should be able to understand what it needs to do before buying a kit. Add your name to bring that request to the province.