The other shoe dropped Wednesday in an anticipated increase to home-heating costs in Saskatchewan, as the provincial government formally approved a second fee hike for the Crown corporation SaskEnergy.

A $2-a-month increase in the delivery charge collected by the natural gas company has been approved, effective Nov. 1.

The approval was expected after an independent analysis by the Saskatchewan Rate Review Panel determined the increase was reasonable.

The latest hike in home-heating costs came on the heels of a jump in the price of natural gas for Saskatchewan consumers.

When the two changes are combined, the result, for a typical home in the province, is an added expense of $19.50 per month or about 20 per cent more.