BC Hydro - Final Notice of Disconnection Letter

You don't get a first notice of disconnection, you only get a final notice of disconnection.

If you have never received from BC Hydro a "Final Notice of Disconnection" you are lucky. OkanaganLakeBC.com bet lots of BC Hydro's customers get these letters at one time or another.

BC Hydro sends out a "Final Notice of Disconnection" letter if you don't pay your bill on time and in full. You never get a first notice of disconnection.

BC Hydro sends this letter out to get the customer to phone them. I don't know why BC Hydro doesn't just say what they mean (phone them). It is scary for a customer to think they are going to get cut off.

For a BC Hydro customer to get the "final notice of disconnection" letter, all the customer had to do was owe BC Hydro $40.00 for 7 days.

On July 21, 2005 the customer was first hooked up to BC Hydro Lines after paying $2,692.12 for two hydro poles. This customer did not get the first hydro bill. The customer called BC Hydro to ask where the bill might be. BC Hydro told the customer that the customer did not finish filling out the form properly when they applied, and that BC Hydro had only part of a form filled out. Over the phone, BC Hydro finished filling out the form and said it would be a long while yet before the customer got their first bill. The customer waited 6 months to get their first bill in January 2006 for $183.85. The customer paid this bill in full and on time.

The customers neighbour informed the customer that the neighbour did see the meter reader reading the customers meter before the customer asked BC Hydro where the bill was. In other words, BC Hydro read the customers meter, but didn't know to send the customer a bill. Didn't BC Hydro have the address?

The second BC Hydro bill was $95.51. The customer paid $55.51 of the total before it was due. $40.00 left owing was due March 7, 2006 but was not paid on time. BC Hydro sent out a "Final Notice of Disconnection" letter on March 14 .. just 7 days after the bill due date of March 7, 2006 which $40.00 wasn't paid.

Shouldn't BC Hydro give out a first notice, and shouldn't BC Hydro be a little more lenient especially after BC hydro didn't bill the customer the first bill until 6 months after the customer hooked up to hydro. The customer was only late 7 days while BC Hydro was late at least 4 months, if BC Hydro's billing is every two months.

Now instead of the customer owing just $40.00, BC Hydro has added $219.00 security deposit, which now makes the customers bill a total of $259.60.

The customer this happened to hopes that others will complain if this is brought to their attention.

The BC Utilities Commission will take complaints regarding BC Hydro. If you can't get any help from the BC utilities Commission, you can go to the BC Ombudsman who will also take complaints regarding BC Hydro. This customer did not get help from either one of the above so is now going to try the BC Public Interest Advocacy Centre.

Click here to see larger image
This is the customers second bill of which only $55.51 was paid out of a total $95.51. This left $40.00 owing to BC Hydro.

Below is BC Hydro's "Final Notice of Disconnection" letter that is sent to BC Hydro Customers.
BC hydro final notice of disconnection letter and security deposit of $219.00

BC hydro final notice of disconnection letter and security deposit of $219.00

BC Hydro added a $219.00 security deposit to the outstanding customer balance of $40.00 owed over the last 7 days.

The customer called BC Hydro and the $219.00 security deposit was waived, and the customer paid the overdue balance of $40.00 to BC Hydro on March 29, 2006. Meanwhile the customer was sure they were going to get cut off because BC Hydro said in the letter to pay $259.60 by March 27th, and the customer was not able to pay until March 29th.

It was hard to believe what I was reading!! BC Hydro wanted a security deposit of $219.00 because of $40.00 due?

After all that ... BC Hydro told the customer to phone BC Hydro if the customer has a problem paying on time and in full next time. What a way to scare a person with the final notice of disconnection letter to have BC Hydro say, just phone us next time if you can't pay on time in full.

The customer who received the "Final Notice of Disconnection" feels that BC Hydro should state on their first bill that if the customer does not pay the bill on time and in full, that the customer needs to contact BC Hydro. BC Hydro needs to say what it means. If the customer does not contact BC Hydro, then a "Notice of Disconnection" not "Final" notice of disconnection should go out.

This will keep happening unless more complaints are made to the BC Utilities Commission and BC Hydro. I made a complaint but nothing was done about it. I feel BC Hydro could use some more complaints against it.

This message was sent from:
http://www.okanaganlakebc.com/feedback.htm
------------------------------------------------------------
Name of sender: Withheld
Email of sender: Withheld
------------------------- COMMENTS -------------------------

Re: BC HYDRO
"FINAL NOTICE OF DISCONNECTION"
LETTER SENT TO CUSTOMER

Your article was well written but can I comment or share my BC HYDRO nightmares as well?
They (hydro) send a "FINAL NOTICE OF DISCONNECTION" to me more than 15 times a year....despite regular payments and a large "security deposit" in trust held by BC HYDRO. If the amount owing is LESS THAN THE DEPOSIT already held in trust, WHY threaten to disconnect and close the account? I am actually owed a refund if this event should happen.
This is a ridiculous waste of letters, calls, time and staff.

PORT MOODY, BC

---------------

*Note* OkanaganLakeBC.com can't help but agree with the BC Hydro customer who wrote in from Port Moody, B.C.. BC Hydro's tactics cause people a lot of stress for nothing, plus wastes everyone's time and patience.

BC Public Interest Advocacy Centre - Contact the BCPIAC if you have trouble with the Final Notice of Disconnection letter or paying to have hydro poles installed along the road because in the two cases explained on this website, both the BC Ombudsman and BC Utilities Commission did not help.

BC Hydro Fact Sheet - Security Deposit, Equal Payment Plan, Pay as you Go, Connections, Final Notice of Disconnection, etc.

BC Hydro Collections Dept. in trouble
The provincial Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act prohibits collectors from using “threatening, profane, intimidating or coercive language”. Individuals who violate this section may be fined up to $10,000 and face imprisonment for up to a year; agencies may be fined up to $100,000.

You will find businesses, services, free classifieds, local arts and crafts, vacation rentals, plus much more located around Okanagan Lake BC. We will be adding to this site, so come back and check it often.