Electrifying error

A woman was frustrated and confused by a dramatic increase in her electricity bills after her meter was changed in August 2013 – from $244 that July, to $403 in August, and up to $1,700 in January 2014.

A woman was frustrated and confused by a dramatic increase in her electricity bills after her meter was changed in August 2013 – from $244 that July, to $403 in August, and up to $1,700 in January 2014. She said Hydro One was unable to provide her with an explanation for the increases, other than to tell her to get her wiring checked.

When Ombudsman staff asked Hydro One staff to review the woman’s file, they discovered an error on her account that effectively resulted in her being charged twice for the electricity she used. Hydro One corrected the error and gave her a credit for $2,613.77 for the overbilled amount, as well as a 12-month service credit of $288.84 to compensate for the poor experience.

The woman was very appreciative, and commented: “It was right there in front of everyone’s eyes to see but no one [at Hydro One] took the time to investigate.”