Residential Customer Rights and Responsibilities: Disconnections

With the onset of winter weather and the difficulty that some electricity customers are having paying their bills, North Bay Hydro wants to ensure that customers know their rights and responsibilities when it comes to bill payments and potential disconnection of services for unpaid balances. North Bay Hydro will work with you to avoid disconnection but balances owed are the responsibility of the customer to pay.

 Responsibilities – Timelines

Timelines are set out in the Distribution System Code that North Bay Hydro is required to adhere to

• Bill due date – your bill is due 19 days after the date it is issued. Sign up for e-Billing to ensure timely receipt of your bill! Click Here
• Late payment charge – if your bill is not paid in full by the due date your account will be assessed an interest penalty.
• Disconnection notice – if your bill remains unpaid two weeks past the due date, you will receive a disconnection notice. By this time, you will have received your next bill and will see a past due balance owing. The disconnection notice will provide you with a date range for possible disconnection, payment options, and payment support information.
• Customer contact – a North Bay Hydro Customer Service representative will attempt to contact you directly at least 48 hours prior to a scheduled disconnection to work with you to avoid disconnection. Please ensure we have your most updated contact information – you can register your account online through the MyAccount portal Click Here

Disconnection Rights

Customers will be offered a repayment option and cannot be disconnected if they agree to and follow that arrangement.

• Note: Customers that have had a prior payment arrangements may only be offered a new payment plan after a one-year period.

A low-income customer may be eligible for the following special rules:

• The right to request equalized billing without paying by automatic withdrawal;
• Suspension of a disconnection process for 21 days once it has been advised that a customer may be eligible for emergency financial assistance from a social agency; and,
• A customer that has agreed to a repayment plan has more time to pay outstanding balances to the utility.

If you are disconnected, North Bay Hydro is required to reconnect within 2 business days of receiving payment in-full or if the customer entering into a payment arrangement; however, North Bay Hydro is not obligated to provide same-day reconnections.  Reconnection charges may also apply.

Help with Paying Your Bills

Help is available for low-income consumers through programs including:

• Ontario Electricity Support Program (OESP), which provides a monthly on-bill credit based on household income and the number of people living in the home;
• Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP), which provides emergency financial assistance to help pay overdue electricity bills;
• Consumers can learn about these programs at oeb.ca/BillHelp.

Customers can contact the Low Income People Involvement of Nipissing (LIPI) at 705-472-1337 for assistance with LEAP.

Ontario Energy Board

If you feel that the rules have not been followed, or have other concerns or questions, you can call the Ontario Energy Board at 1-877-632-2727 or visit their website at www.oeb.ca.