BC Hydro has announced a special plan to let Westside residential customers spread out the big power bills they racked due to the recent colder-than-usual weather over a six-months period.
The 2016/2017 Winter Payment Plan option is BC Hydro's way of helping customers deal with higher than normal electricity bills they are likely to see between now and the end of March, says the company.
“Given the unusually cold weather, we anticipate that many of our customers will receive higher than normal bills,” said Jessica McDonald, president and CEO of BC Hydro.
“We recognize that some customers may need the option to manage the costs over a longer period of time. This program allows them to do that.”
The extra time to pay will only affect residents living in Westside and on the west side of Okanagan Lake, as residential electricity in Kelonwa and on the east side of the lake is provided by FortisBC.
With the colder than average temperatures this season, BC Hydro is seeing electricity consumption reach record levels.
On Jan. 3, it reported that a 10-year record was broken for peak electricity demand.
The special payment plan provides residential customers with the option to spread out payments of winter bills over a six-month period. The winter billing period runs from Dec. 1, 2016 to Mar. 31, 2017.
B.C. Hydro is encouragng anyone interested in using the payment plan to call it after receiving their next bill so arrangments can be made without incurring late payment fees. There is no deadline for joining the plan.
Customers who want to participate in the 2016/2017 Winter Payment Plan can call BC Hydro’s customer service team at 1-800-BCHYDRO (1-800 224 9376) for more details and to enrol