N.W.T. MLA introduces bill to ban power limiters

When money is tight and a customer can't pay their power bill, the N.W.T. Power Corporation (NTPC) can put them on limiters. But if Nunakput MLA Jackie Jacobson's bill passes, the practice will be banned explicitly in winter months.

Jacobson, who has previously called the limiters "life threatening," introduced legislation Wednesday to ban the power corporation from installing limiters on customers with overdue accounts.

Limiters reduce the amount of energy a customer can use and shut off power at regular 15-minute intervals, or when a customer plugs in too many appliances at once. 

In the winter months, the interruption of power can make it hard to adequately heat a home, Jacobson said. He previously told CBC that some elders in his district are heating water on propane stoves to pour down their drains and melt their pipes.

Simple tasks like cooking become difficult and drawn out, he said.

Jacobson's Bill 23 would prohibit using limiters from Oct. 1 to April 30 or when the temperature goes below zero. 

It would also force the power corporation to reconnect customers disconnected between May 1 and Sept. 30 by Oct. 1 each year.

Power corp resumed collections over $2M in arrears

In March 2020, NTPC announced that because of the pandemic it would remove all limiters, and pause collections on overdue accounts. 

In November, eight months later, it said it had $2 million in arrears on 1,889 accounts and would need to resume collections.

At the time, Nunakput MLA Jackie Jacobson said he would introduce legislation to ban limiters if the power corporation did not stop using them.

NTPC CEO Noel Voykin said in a November interview that NTPC was the last Northern utility to resume collections, and that limiters are standard industry practice. 

They are banned during the winter months in Ontario, but Voykin said the N.W.T. and the province are not comparable. 

Voykin said then that the corporation was concerned that customers won't be able to repay their bills in the future, and that these costs will be offloaded on all NTPC customers.

If the $2.16 million in arrears were spread out across the power corporation's 6,330 residential customers, each customer would absorb roughly $340 in costs. 

NTPC spokesperson Doug Prendergast said in February 2020 that there were 88 customers on limiters. 

As of January 2021, there are 97 people on limiters, but the power corporation can't specify where, due to privacy.

In that same time period, the average amount of arrears remained the same at $1,186.00.

The CBC has requested updated numbers from the power corporation.

What you need to know if you're in arrears

If a customer enters into a payment plan, they will not be charged interest on their account. The power corporation is encouraging customers who have fallen behind on their payments to contact customercare@ntpc.com or phone them at 1-800-661-0855. 

If a customer does not enter a payment plan, they are charged a 1.5% monthly interest rate and a $35 fine once their bill is sent for collection.

For residential customers who cannot or do not pay their bills, customers that are disconnected have to pay a $40 reconnection charge and then a $300 security deposit.