Earlier this week, SaskTel started to inform customers that they would be charging $1.95 per sasktel.net email address, per month. This news came as a surprise for many, considering there is an abundance of options for email at no cost.  

We wanted to know what you thought of the move by SaskTel. 

In a poll here on Discover Weyburn, we asked you what you thought of the decision.  

Of the respondents who have a SaskTel email address, 54.2 percent said that they would not be keeping the email address once the charge goes into effect. Another 33.3 percent said they were unsure if they would keep the email address, and 12.5 percent said they will be keeping the email address. 

The comments we received were all critical of the decision by SaskTel, with a number calling it nothing more than a money grab.  

One respondent wrote: 

“It does not make sense to pay for something I get for free everyplace else. I suspect that they are relying on the fact that we are lazy for the most part and cannot be bothered to change for $1.95 a month, meanwhile they make a lot of money over time.” 

Another comment was: 

“It seems like everything is going up now. Too many increases. I’ve been a loyal customer for 40+ years but am definitely thinking of scaling back now.” 

One person had another idea for SaskTel: 

“I think the first one per household should be free. Charge for each additional one. I receive all my statements by email. This cuts cost for paper and postage for companies.” 

In a written statement to Discover Weyburn Thursday, SaskTel didn’t state the reason behind the decision but did clarify it will take effect in April. They noted they haven’t offered new sign-ups for a SaskTel email address since January of last year, as there were a number of other free alternatives available for consumers.