Meter fees
Customers who choose to retain an old BC Hydro meter or a radio-off meter are having their extra fees tweaked, according to a decision made recently by BC Utilities Commission (BCUC).
Smart meters were introduced by BC Hydro as a way to modernize the electricity grid. The Crown corporation believes the meters will help lower costs, reduce theft, encourage conservation and automatically detect outages.
Last summer, BC Hydro proposed three choices for residential clients who did not have a smart meter installed: receive a standard smart meter at no cost; receive a radio-off meter for a $100 setup fee and $20 monthly fee; or keep an old meter for a $35 monthly fee as long as stock lasts. BCUC’s role was to independently review the fees.
Sixty-eight thousand people, or three per cent of customers, were given the option. Approximately 49,000 customers chose the smart meter; 19,000 decided to keep their old meter; and 460 customers requested a radio-off meter.
Fees to retain an old meter came into effect December 2013 and were tweaked to $32.40 per month. Fees for a radio-off meter were effective as of April 2014 with an initial setup cost of $22.60 and an exit fee of $55.
Setting it straight
In the report last week on the City of Powell River five-year financial plan, an increase in taxes for major industry for 2014 was incorrectly stated. The amount remains at $2,250,001 for 2014 and the plan shows an increase of $78,771 in 2015. This new level of $238,772 is proposed to remain the same throughout the remainder of the financial plan, which ends in 2018.
