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South Okanagan Photos

RDOS director advocating for local residents is getting nowhere

From Premier Clark’s office in Victoria:

Ms. Wood

Thank you for your email. We wanted to take this opportunity to confirm receipt of your letter addressed to the BC Utilities Commission (BCUC) regarding the rates charged by FortisBC. From your letter, we understand that this is a pressing issue for some of the residents you represent and we do appreciate that you have taken the time to share some of their experiences with us.

As you are no doubt aware, the BCUC is an independent regulatory agency. It is responsible for providing safe and secure service to customers in B.C. while regulating energy utilities to ensure that customers pay a fair rate. Staff at the Commission are in the best position to speak to recent decisions regarding FortisBC’s rates and, by way of this note, we have asked them to ensure you receive a follow-up response to your letter.

Once again, thank you for writing and for keeping us informed of your concerns. We appreciate hearing from you.

pc: Honourable Rich Coleman, Minister of Energy, Mines and Natural Gas, BC Utilities Commission

Earlier letter to government:

 

From: Angelique Wood [mailto:awood@rdos.bc.ca] Sent: Tuesday, April 9, 2013 1:40 PM To: OfficeofthePremier, Office PREM:EX Subject: outrageous hikes in electricity bills throughout BC

Dear Ms. Clark:

Please see the attached letter which I recently sent to the BC Utilities Commission.

As an Electoral Director with the RDOS, I represent approximately 2200 residents in a land mass of about 3600sq km in the Southern Interior.  Many of these residents have been adversely affected by the “conservation rate” introduced in 2012.

I have had reports of individuals suffering EXTREME hardship, some having to pay their entire pensions to their Fortis bill for these winter bills.  Many are in crisis and desperate, facing costs they cannot possibly bear with no access to any other form of heat.  There is no natural gas access and many live in residences which cannot burn wood.  (Mobile homes)

Please let me know how your government will address this very urgent issue.

Angelique Wood

Director, Area G Regional District Okanagan-Similkameen 250-292-8082 Hedley 250-499-0503 Cell

www.rdos.bc.ca www.sibacs.com www.silga.ca

Letter from BC Utilities Commission

To: Ms. Angelique Wood – Director Electoral Area ‘G’

Re: FortisBC Inc. Complaint -Wood, A -FortisBC Rates

Thank you for your April 3, 2013 letter to the BC Utilities Commission regarding your request to have the Commission reconsider the two-tiered rate system implemented by Fortis in summer of 2012.

Commission Staff understand that many of FortisBC’s customers are unhappy with the Residential Conservation Rate (two-tiered rate). Many residents have written to the Commission expressing their concerns and Commission Staff are responding to residents. Commission Staff have provided residents with information about the Residential Conservation Rate and FortisBC’s rate increases (see attachment).

The Order approving the Residential Conservation Rate directs FortisBC to review and evaluate the rate’s impact on customers and its effectiveness, especially its achievement of conservation, in early 2014. Prior to this review Commission Staff will be compiling a document outlining the concerns of residents. The concerns that you and your organization have raised are important and will be added to this document.

Thank you for contacting the Commission.