The complaint: Brett cancelled his BC Hydro account because he was moving. This meant he didn’t receive the cost-of-living credit that had recently been announced by the BC government. The credit was to be applied by BC Hydro to customer bills. Brett called BC Hydro to complain. BC Hydro staff reopened his account and closed his account a few days later so Brett could receive the credit. But because his account was reopened, Brett was billed for electricity use at his old home after he moved out. Concerned that this was unfair, Brett reached out to our office for help.

What we did: We reviewed BC Hydro billing records for Brett’s account as well as government documents about the cost-of-living credits. We also spoke to BC Hydro staff about Brett’s complaint. It appeared Brett should have been eligible for the cost-of-living credit without reopening his account. We were concerned that BC Hydro’s decision to charge Brett for electricity on his old account was unreasonable.

How we helped: BC Hydro refunded Brett for the electricity charged to his account. BC Hydro also committed to identifying customers who closed their accounts in similar circumstances and providing the credit to those customers who open an account in the future.

Why it matters: Brett’s complaint resulted in a commitment by the authority to identify others who were also impacted by an unreasonable decision. One complaint can benefit many.