Harbour Grace woman says Newfoundland Power needs to be held accountable after bill increases

A Harbour Grace woman, who has seen her power bill balloon in recent months, says she wants to see Newfoundland Power held accountable by Newfoundland and Labrador's Public Utilities Board.

Tricia Muldoon moved to Harbour Grace from Ontario in September. She says her power bill was manageable when she first moved in, but it's grown to nearly $900 a month with little answers from Newfoundland's electricity utility. 

"Every month since then, it's gone up by $200-$300. Every single month. And the usage is saying that we're using thousands of more watts every month," Muldoon told CBC News Friday.

"When I got the next bill, it said I had gone up just over 2,000 watts in usage. And I thought, that's not possible."

Muldoon says her power meter reading was accurate and matched what she was billed, but she still isn't sure what can justify such an increase — especially when she has taken extensive efforts to lower her usage.

She maintains the temperature in her 2,000 sq. ft home at 16 degrees, she said, and has her lights on timers.

"There's nothing else we could do to reduce this cost," she said.

"It also makes me think about anyone who is making minimum wage. There's no way that they could pay this kind of thing. It feels like you're being taken advantage of."

And Muldoon isn't alone.

As previously reported by CBC News, many Newfoundland and Labrador residents are facing similar staggering costs for power this winter.

Muldoon says the increased cost has put her account balance at around $1,800 — simply because her family can't pay the high bills all at once.

"It's almost our property taxes for the year, and it can't be right," she said.

Newfoundland Power, owned by Fortis Inc., is the primary electricity distributor in the province.

On Thursday, the PUB asked the company to file a report on how it ensures the accuracy of meter readings and investigate whether billing errors could have occurred given a high volume of complaints to the board.

It also called on Newfoundland Power to share additional measures it plans to take to provide customers with payment flexibility and better communication.

Muldoon says something like payment flexibility sounds good on paper, but wouldn't serve as a long-term fix.

"It's like a Band-Aid fix, because you're still going to be owing that money. So you're still struggling, you're just maybe struggling a little longer, really," she said. "Because the next bill is coming in, right? The next bill's coming, and we know it's not going to be less."

She says she wants to see Newfoundland Power review its meters to ensure readings are correct and functioning properly, and explore the potential of rate changes during non-peak hours of the day.

Reasoning not good enough

When contacted by CBC News on Thursday, Newfoundland Power spokesperson Glenda Power said the company welcomed the opportunity from the PUB to address concerns.

Power recently said the winter's cold temperatures and high winds likely play a factor in bills increasing each season — as heating systems have to work harder to maintain a steady temperature within the home.

Muldoon said that reasoning isn't good enough.

"Newfoundland has always been windy.… If you question it, even for a second, it just doesn't seem like it flies," she said.

"I want them held accountable to everybody in this province."

The PUB said it expects Newfoundland Power's findings to be reported to the board by March 21.

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