Via Email
customer.relations@bchydro.com May 28, 2015
Mr. Daren Sanders
Senior Manager, Customer Service Operations
British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority
16th Floor, 333 Dunsmuir Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 5R3
Dear Mr. Sanders:
Re: British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority
Customer Complaint – M.T. – Request to Waive Consumption
This letter is in response to the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority’s (BC Hydro) email dated May 21, 2015, requesting permission from the British Columbia Utilities Commission (Commission) to waive charges for M.T.’s (Complainant) BC Hydro account. BC Hydro requested permission to waive approximately 5,817 kWh of consumption (approximately $437).
In its request, BC Hydro confirmed that the meter under dispute was not available for testing by Measurement Canada and agreed to revise the invoices for the disputed period between January 2014 and September 2014, based on the average historical usage.
M.T. in a response dated May 21, 2015, disputed BC Hydro’s use of average historical data to re-bill the period under dispute. M.T. stated that she should only be re-billed during the periods when the consumption was abnormal. However, given that the allegation is that the meter was faulty, the Commission agrees with BC Hydro that the entire period under dispute must be re-billed given that there is no way to determine if the meter was functioning accurately or not. Furthermore, the Commission notes that the method of calculating the estimates for the disputed period is in line with M.T.’s original request to “take a 3 year average usage and apply it to the last year billing cycle.” BC Hydro used the average consumption history from 2010, 2011 and 2012 (2013 was excluded because most of these meter readings were estimated) to determine the estimates for the disputed period. The Commission is satisfied that this is the most appropriate approach.
Pursuant to section 63 of the Utilities Commission Act, BC Hydro is unable to waive charges for registered consumption without Commission consent. The Commission reviewed the matter and is of the view it is reasonable to waive the charges given that BC Hydro recycled the meter before the customer had an opportunity to have it tested even though a clear request by the customer was made to BC Hydro.
By this letter, the Commission gives consent to BC Hydro to waive approximately $437, the difference between the originally billed cost of energy and the revised amount.
Yours truly,
Erica Hamilton
PW/cms
cc: M.T. via email