Hannah had received a new hydro meter. When her next bill came back higher than expected, she noticed moisture in the meter. She concluded that the water must have interfered with the device.

When Hannah contacted BC Hydro to dispute the amount charged to her account, BC Hydro explained that her consumption was consistent with past years and attributed her higher bill to an adjustment made to her payment plan. Furthermore, BC Hydro saw no reason to believe that a meter with water inside would read higher than one without. Hannah disagreed, opting to have the meter tested by Measurement Canada.

When the test came back normal, BC Hydro charged Hannah $96. Hannah disputed the charge, saying she was never told she would be charged for the test.

We asked BC Hydro for a description of any information provided to Hannah to alert her to the fact that she would be responsible for the costs of the test were it to come back showing the meter was error-free. BC Hydro was unable to confirm that any information had been provided to Hannah regarding her obligation to pay, and as such, BC Hydro agreed to credit Hannah’s account for the full cost of the meter testing.

While Hannah was still disappointed that BC Hydro would not credit her account for the electrical usage under dispute, she was thankful to receive a $96 refund for the test.