CBC: Smart meter overbilling complaints investigated by Hydro-Québec

CBC: Smart meter overbilling complaints investigated by Hydro-Québec

From Take Back Your Power

Excerpt

Hydro-Québec is looking into complaints that its new smart meters are overbilling homeowners, following a CBC investigation.

The provincially owned power utility is in the process of installing close to 4 million next-generation meters across Quebec — a switch the utility had claimed would save it, and by proxy its customers, millions of dollars.

Marc Magendie lives in a two-storey home in Laval. He says he’s extremely careful with his electricity consumption, so he was shocked when his hydro bills doubled after a new smart meter was installed. Magendie got his first surprise in January — when he received a bill for more than $1,000. He normally pays between $450 and $500 for that same time period.

smart-meter-customer-overbilling-hydro-quebec Marc Magendie says he doesn’t know how he’ll afford his increasing hydro bills. “I’m running a very tight budget and that increase is breaking me.” (CBC) Marc Magendie says he doesn’t know how he’ll afford his increasing hydro bills. “I’m running a very tight budget and that increase is breaking me.” (CBC) Magendie responded by reducing his electricity consumption even further. “I’ve got a programmable thermostat … I don’t use my dishwasher, I only do laundry once a week when they’re full, I use a drying line.” But he says it hasn’t made a difference. Magendie’s bills have already cost him nearly $3,000 for this year. Normally, he says he pays an average of about $2,000 per year for electricity.

SNIP

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