Orders

October 13, 2020                                                                                                                                                                                              

Sent via email                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Letter L-61-20

To:          Independent Licenced Gas Marketers

Re:          COVID-19 – Direction from British Columbia Utilities Commission

On March 18, 2020, the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) issued letter L-10-20 which suspended
door-to-door sales of gas marketing contracts in BC due to the global COVID-19 pandemic and the state of emergency declared in BC.

On May 21, 2020, the BCUC issued letter L-29-20 advising that gas marketers wishing to resume door-to-door sales will need to develop protocols to ensure the safety and well-being of the public and its sales personnel. Gas marketers are no longer required to file those protocols with the BCUC, and the BCUC will not be reviewing or approving such protocols.

It is the gas marketer’s responsibility to ensure their policies and practices align with all relevant orders, notices and guidelines issued by the Provincial Health Officer or other government officials during the state of emergency in BC regarding COVID-19. It is also the gas marketer’s responsibility to monitor and ensure compliance with those policies and practices.

As such, gas marketers wishing to resume door-to-door sales during the COVID-19 pandemic must complete and submit the enclosed declaration to the BCUC. Upon receipt of the signed declaration, the BCUC will issue a letter to the gas marketer confirming receipt of the declaration and that the gas marketer may resume door-to-door sales.

Gas marketers conducting door-to-door sales in BC during the COVID-19 pandemic must have an accepted declaration on file with the BCUC, and submit quarterly reports to the BCUC on any contraventions of their policies and practices related to door-to-door sales during the pandemic, and action taken, if any. If there are no contraventions to report, the gas marketer must confirm so in writing, also quarterly. The first quarterly report on compliance is due
January 15, 2021, and the reporting requirement will remain in effect as long as the state of emergency is in place in British Columbia.

If you have any questions, please contact us at commission.secretary@bcuc.com, 604-660-4700 or BC Toll Free:
1-800-663-1385.

Sincerely,

Original signed by:

Marija Tresoglavic

Acting Commission Secretary

CF/dg

Attachment

cc:   Mr. Doug Slater

Director, Regulatory Affairs

FortisBC Energy Inc.

Licensed Gas Marketer Declaration: Door-to-Door Sales & COVID-19

Please check the boxes below as applicable.

By signing this declaration, you confirm the following:

1.       Your organization will adhere to all relevant orders, notices and guidelines issued by the Provincial Health Officer (PHO) or any other government official during the state of emergency declared in British Columbia regarding COVID-19.

2.       Your organization will review orders, notices and guidelines issued by the PHO every business day and update its policies and practices as a result of changes to the orders, notices and guidelines.

3.       Your organization will inform and educate all representatives of your organization of the policies and practices related to COVID-19.

4.       Your organization commits to ensuring compliance with these policies and practices via strict monitoring and enforcement.

Note: This Declaration must be signed by a person authorized to sign on behalf of the company or partnership.  In the case of a partnership, it must be the person authorized to sign on behalf of the general partner.