The complaint: People were illegally using undeveloped farmland to host events without permission from the owner, Mike. They managed to open a BC Hydro account to get service upgrades to the property and establish a hydro connection. Brenda, Mike’s daughter, said BC Hydro did not require proof of tenancy or ownership before opening the account.

When Brenda contacted BC Hydro to close the unauthorized account, BC Hydro agreed to remove the electrical connection and upgrades. BC Hydro told Brenda to open an account in Mike’s name so it could complete this work. Mike then received a bill for electricity used after BC Hydro closed the unauthorized account but before it disconnected the property.

BC Hydro would not waive the bill. Brenda paid the bill despite thinking it was unfair.

What we did: We investigated to see if BC Hydro had acted fairly in billing Mike for unauthorized hydro use on his property.

BC Hydro said Mike’s situation was rare. However, it agreed to track this issue and, if necessary, consider changing its application review policy to prevent this from happening to another homeowner.

BC Hydro also acknowledged it could have remotely disconnected service to the property on the day the unauthorized account was closed which would have prevented Mike from being charged for electricity he did not use.

How we helped: BC Hydro apologized to Brenda and removed the charge from her father’s account.

Why it matters: Taking responsibility, even in rare cases like Mike’s, is a key part of fair service delivery.