Chatham-Kent-Essex MPP Rick Nicholls said he’s well aware of Hydro One’s billing problems.
“I’ve been contacted by a number of constituents who have ongoing problems. I’m sorry to say this story isn’t unique,” he said.
Nicholls said he’s discussed the issue with Hydro One CEO Carmine Marcello who admitted the problem is the billing system the utility introduced last May.
“They’ve finally accepted responsibility but it could be nine more months before they have things straightened out,” he said. “That’s not acceptable to me. These are real people with real problems. They’ve been worried about the size of the bills.”
LEADWAVE Technologies from Chatham Voice on Vimeo.
Nicholls said Ontario Ombudsman Andre Marin is investigating the widespread problems.
“We’ve kept the heat on at Queen’s Park,” he said.
Nicholls urged anyone having problems to contact his office at 519-351-0510 as well as the ombudsman’s office at 1-800-263-1830.
“Although Hydro One has admitted it’s their problem, we still haven’t gotten any assurance that they’re going to refund overpayments people may have made out of fear they would be cut off.”
Nancy Shaddick, a Hydro One Communications Officer, said 5% of the utility’s more than one million customers have experienced problems with the billing system.
“We’re putting measures in place to ensure our customers concerns are addressed and they are treated with respect,” she said.
Shaddick said Hydro One employees have manually read more than 11,000 smart meters and the utility has sent letters to customers apologizing for the problems.
She said anyone who hasn’t received a bill for more than 30 days will receive a service credit and won’t be required to pay interest. When the issue is resolved customers will receive all of the bills at once but will only be required to pay the most recent amount. The rest can be paid on a no-interest basis with arrangements through the utility.
“We would ask anyone with a problem to call our toll-free number (1-888-664-9376),” she said. “We may not be able to correct the issue immediately but we want to offer assurance that we are working on it.”
