Westville woman saddled with large power bill with no explanation

WESTVILLE — Danielle Fraser expected a higher bill in February, given the winter season and Nova Scotia Power's recent rate increase.

What she wasn’t expecting was a bill almost triple what she usually pays, as well as triple the amount of kilowatts.

“When I look at my ledger, I’m going by kilowatts because that's what I'm disputing. I'm disputing consumption. They're trying to say that there is something in the house or something with my heating, or it's something with my appliances,” Fraser said, adding that she’s on propane, so heat shouldn’t be a factor in the amount.

According to Fraser’s bill from Nova Scotia Power from Feb. 16, her average kilowatt usage is 1,305 kilowatts, with November 2023 being the highest bill of 1,832 kilowatts. That was before she got her bill in January, which recorded her usage skyrocketing to 4,288 kilowatts and saddled her with a bill of more than $800.

NO CHANGES TO HOME

When asked if anything had changed in her home's power usage, she said that, besides putting up a Christmas tree in December, it had remained the same.

“I know that my heat pumps are using more electricity, which is the goal, but that was not a change that just started this winter. I'm not getting any explanations from anybody,” she said.

She added that she acknowledges that Nova Scotia Power had increased its rates on Jan. 1 from 16.354 cents per kilowatt to 17.547 cents per kilowatt. That increase, she said, doesn’t cover the amount her bill increased or explain the tripling of her power usage.

“You have the rate increase, so there's a slight increase, but I'm not going to accept that the bill can just double with no changes to our living arrangements,” she continued.

Even though she said she has the means to pay this bill right now, she’s fighting for an explanation as to why there was such a dramatic increase. She has reached out to Nova Scotia Power, is getting her meter audited, has spoken to

Danielle Fraser acknowledges that she’s in a fortunate position where she has the means to pay off the bill of more than $800, but doesn’t understand why her power usage and bill increased without warning. ANGELA CAPOBIANCO

the Dispute Resolution Officer about her case and will be taking it to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board unless she can get a reason for the increase.

“There's no explanation. It's basically your heating costs, but it's not actually an explanation. They're just trying to say we're doing something wrong. I honestly don't know the solution, but I'm not willing to just say, ‘Okay, fine, let's pay the $1,000 power bill,’” she said.

NOT ALONE

Fraser isn’t the only person who’s experienced a sudden increase in her power bill and usage. On Feb. 27, Scott Collier put together a Change.org Petition that, as of the time of publication, has 4,163 signatures

in support of demanding a public inquiry into Nova Scotia Power’s billing procedures and rate justification.

Emily Mckearney, one of the signers of the petition, wrote on the petition that, similar to Fraser, her situation hadn’t changed, but her bill went up.

“My bill went from $80 to $221. Heat is included in my rent, and I was working every weekend during this billing period—therefore, I spent no time at home,” Mckearney wrote.

Another petition signer, Tilal Abbasher, expressed similar confusion around billing.

“I use heating oil as my heat source,” Abbasher wrote, “and for a reason I don’t understand, my last power showed double what I usually use. I

am talking electricity use in watts. I am not talking money … Nothing has changed in my life. (It’s) the same household that lives in the house.”

REGULATED RATES

When asked whether these kinds of increases are expected and usual, Chris Lanteigne, the customer care director for Nova Scotia Power, said that bills and power usage usually increase in the winter.

“In Nova Scotia, we typically see energy costs increase in the wintertime if you're heating your home with oil or with electricity. It's very hard to comment on an individual situation, but generally speaking, there's a lot of factors that can affect a customer's energy usage,” Lanteigne said during a phone interview on March 7.

He added that customers can reduce their power usage by installing heat pumps and ensuring their homes are energy efficient. He was also sympathetic to customers' concerns about the cost of power, especially with the increasing cost of living.

When asked about concerns raised by Fraser and those who signed the petition that the higher bill is an attempt to recoup costs following damage from post-tropical storm Fiona, Lanteigne said that all rates are regulated.

“We can definitely understand customers' concerns about costs and wanting to better understand their electricity bill from our perspective,” he said. “All of our customer rates are sent through a regulatory process to factor in the cost of delivering electricity to customers, which is the only thing driving the cost of electricity. As you know, the regulatory board ensures that prices are set fairly in the province.”

For Fraser, she wants her bill to reflect her historical consumption and for someone to take the concern seriously.

“I want to have a bill that's consistent with every other bill I've had since I've lived here. I get the rate increase; I'm totally aware it's going to go up. But there are people who aren't having the consumption issue, and their bills have been fine,” Fraser said.