We have answers.
In recent weeks, some customers have raised concerns about missed bills and high bills.
Below, we answer some of the common questions we’ve received.
Q. Why is my bill so high?
A. There are two reasons for the higher-than-normal bills.
- We recently consolidated our Customer Information System as part of our merger integration work. As a result, bills for some customers in Waterloo, Woolwich and Wellesley were delayed as our billing cycles synced in the new system.
- Those delayed bills are going out now, reflecting the previous and current bill period.
- There were some very cold weeks in January and February, so home heating systems were working overtime to keep homes and businesses warm. Most of those bills have already gone out, but some of them were caught up in the billing delay and are only now being issued.
This billing delay was a one-time occurrence, and we will be returning to regular monthly billing cycles in the coming weeks.
Q. What options do I have if I receive a higher-than-expected bill?
- Check the number of billing days in the “Electricity Details” section on the back of your bill.
- In cases where our billing cycles are adjusting, you may see that your bill covers a longer billing period. This will return to normal in your next billing cycle.
- If you were affected by the billing delay, we are being flexible with payment due dates and are waiving late payment fees.
- If you were not affected by the billing delay but are concerned about a high bill, log in to My Account to check your usage. With My Account, you can:
- Compare month-over-month consumption
- Identify usage spikes
- Track your bills and payment due dates.
Options to help manage electricity bills all year round
There are programs and options available to help you manage your electricity use and bills year-round.
- Explore Save on Energy efficiency programs to see if you qualify for upgrades to help reduce your overall electricity use.
- Programs include the Home Renovation Savings Program and the Energy Affordability Program.
- Compare pricing plans to see if you are on the most cost-effective pricing plan for your electricity use. There are three plans to choose from:
- Tiered pricing, which allows customers to use a certain amount of electricity at one lower price, but if you exceed the threshold, you will be charged a higher rate for the electricity used during the rest of the billing period.
- Tiered pricing is a good fit for customers who want some flexibility around when they use electricity.
- Time-of-Use pricing splits electricity pricing into three periods based on provincial electricity demand. Prices are highest when demand is highest, and lowest when demand is lowest.
- Time-of-Use pricing is better for customers who can use their most energy-intensive appliances, like washing machines, dishwashers, or pool pumps, for times when provincial electricity demand and prices are lowest, on evenings and weekends.
- The Ultra-Low Overnight Rate may benefit customers who use the majority of their electricity at night, such as shift workers or people who own electric vehicles and charge at home.
- Tiered pricing, which allows customers to use a certain amount of electricity at one lower price, but if you exceed the threshold, you will be charged a higher rate for the electricity used during the rest of the billing period.
- Sign up for our Equal Payment Plan to spread payments out over 12 monthly payments and smooth out seasonal spikes from extreme cold or hot weather.
- Explore the Ontario Electricity Support Program: Some customers may qualify for an on-bill credit through the Ontario Electricity Support Program.
Call us! We are here to help
If you have questions about your bill, or if you are having trouble paying your bill, call us at 226-896-1010, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. so we can work with you to help you find programs that may help, or work out a payment arrangement. We are here to help.
