Laurie MacAhonic can’t make any sense out of her FortisBC bill, which jumped from $9.58 in November to over $1,000 this month.
Lyonel Doherty photo
Imagine seeing your electrical bill go from $9.58 on one invoice to $1,007 on the next.
That’s what one single mother in Oliver has to struggle with after Christmas.
Laurie MacAhonic was shocked to see January’s invoice from FortisBC that left her in tears.
“This should be illegal to do this to anybody,” she said in her small apartment.
The mother of two children stated she thought it was all a big mistake by Fortis, but was shocked to learn it wasn’t.
In November of 2013, her invoice total was $9.58 (after making monthly payments on her account). The invoice showed a 61-day billing period at 126 kWh used.
Her January invoice was $1,007.02, representing a 62-day billing period at 8,348 kWh used.
“One thousand dollars for 62 days . . . that just blows me away!” MacAhonic said, noting she is at a loss to explain the 8,348 kWh consumption.
She stated the only difference between the two billing dates is the fact she went away at Christmas time in December, so she wasn’t using any power during that time.
“I don’t keep the heat up high . . . I don’t turn the lights on during the day, and I don’t turn the light on when I go to the bathroom.”
MacAhonic said she contacted FortisBC about the discrepancy and was told they were basing the bill on last year’s consumption. She told the company she couldn’t afford to pay the latest bill, so the utility gave her a $94 credit (no interest until March).
“I really feel ripped off. Maybe they just don’t care . . . I’d like to shut off their power or give them this bill,” MacAhonic said.
She wishes she could switch to another utility company, and is considering legal action.
The mother is afraid that Fortis will shut off her power if she doesn’t pay, so she’s trying to make monthly installments. “I have to decide whether I want food or electricity.”
MacAhonic wonders why her small apartment is costing more for electricity than the three-bedroom house she previously lived in (she paid $400 every two months).
She acknowledged the fact that Fortis workers were on strike during her November billing period, therefore, the company could only estimate her power consumption.
Nicole Vandenakker, billing operations manager for FortisBC, said some customers have asked how bill estimates will be adjusted now that employees are back to work.
She noted that bills will be adjusted if the estimated electricity use is different than the actual use.
Vandenakker said FortisBC will make sure customers receive maximum benefit from the residential conservation rate. This will be done by ensuring the lower cost (Tier 1) is fully utilized during the past six months.
If this results in a difference in the customer’s favour, a credit adjustment will be provided in the March billing cycle, according to Vandenakker.
But MacAhonic said people need to be aware of this situation to ensure they aren’t being “ripped off.”
Neighbour Dan Wigmore was also hit with an increase, but not nearly as high as MacAhonic’s.
Wigmore questioned how FortisBC could charge anyone under the Tier 2 schedule when the company was not reading the meters during the labour dispute. If the utility averaged consumption rates over six months, that would not have been fair, and should be illegal, Wigmore said.
“It’s like we are being punished for the labour dispute.”
FortisBC spokesman Neal Pobran confirmed that the utility was estimating meters, but now that the dispute is over, they are reading meters again.
Because of the provincial privacy act, the company can’t disclose details on customers’ accounts, Pobran said.
But he noted that MacAhonic told the media that her dwelling was empty last year before moving in last summer.
“We base our estimates on historical usage at the customer’s address, so during the labour dispute her bills were based on last year’s electricity consumption.”
Pobran said once they received a meter read from MacAhonic’s address, they issued a bill based on actual usage. “This is why there is a large discrepancy.”
During the labour dispute, FortisBC tried to let customers know they were estimating meters through newsletters, bill messages and a service alert on the website. If customers thought their bill didn’t reflect their usage, Fortis urged them to call.
“We have reached out to MacAhonic and have made sure that we have fully utilized Tier 1 and have made this adjustment to her account. We’ve also offered payment arrangements or a payment plan as well.”
Pobran said their PowerSense team is also following up to see if there are any energy saving options for MacAhonic since her electricity usage appears to be higher than the average residential customer.
Lyonel Doherty
Oliver Chronicle
