Orders

ORDER NUMBER

F-33-20

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

the Insurance Corporation Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 228, as amended

and

Insurance Corporation of British Columbia

Application in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

BEFORE:

D. M. Morton, Panel Chair

T. A. Loski, Commissioner

B. A. Magnan, Commissioner

on September 14, 2020

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      On April 16, 2020, the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) filed an application with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) requesting interim and final approval of the following temporary measures to provide relief to universal compulsory automobile insurance (Basic insurance) policyholders in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic (Application):

1.    Waive cancellation charges on non-fleet owner’s certificates;

2.    Permit fleet customers to suspend their Basic insurance and obtain a refund without the need to cancel their Basic insurance by amending the use of Rate Class 919 and temporarily transferring fleet certificates to Rate Class 919; and

3.    Permit customers currently insured in Rate Classes 001, 002, 003, 004, 005, 007, 021, 022, 023, 024, 027, 051 and 055 to temporarily use their vehicles for delivering food and medical products during the pandemic without charging additional premiums or changing rate classes;

B.      On April 22, 2020, by Order G-119-20, the BCUC approved the Application on an interim and non-refundable basis, effective April 23, 2020 to June 21, 2020;

C.      On June 9, 2020, ICBC filed a letter to the BCUC seeking to change the end date of the three temporary COVID-19 relief measures to August 20, 2020 (Extension Period). By Order G-143-20 dated June 9, 2020, the BCUC approved the Extension Period on an interim and non-refundable basis, among other things;

D.      By Orders G-92-20, G-117-20 and G-143-20, the BCUC established a public hearing process and regulatory timetable for the review of the Application, which included, among other things, the filing of information requests (IRs) by interveners, and written final and reply argument:

E.       The following parties registered as interveners in the proceeding:

•         Insurance Bureau of Canada;

•         British Columbia Old Age Pensioners’ Organization et al. (BCOAPO);

•         Mr. Roy Ennis; and

•         Mr. Richard Landale.

F.       On July 17, 2020, by Order G-192-20 with reasons for decision issued concurrently, the BCUC granted final approval for the three temporary COVID-19 relief measures, effective April 23, 2020 to August 20, 2020, as applied for in the Application;

G.     The following participant filed a Participant Assistance/Cost Award (PACA) application with the BCUC with respect to their participation in the proceeding:

H.      By letter dated August 31, 2020, ICBC provided its comments on the PACA application, submitting that the cost award requested by BCOAPO is reasonable relative to their participation in the process; and

I.        The BCUC has reviewed the PACA applications in accordance with the criteria and rates set out in the PACA Guidelines, attached to Order G-97-17, and concludes that the cost award should be approved.

NOW THEREFORE pursuant to section 118(1) of the Utilities Commission Act, the BCUC orders as follows:

1.       Funding is awarded to the following participant in the listed amount for their participation in the ICBC Application in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic proceeding:

2.       ICBC is directed to reimburse the above-noted participant for the awarded amount in a timely manner.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this          14^th            day of September 2020.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

D. M. Morton

Commissioner