Whereas the electricity rates in British Columbia can be difficult for low-income households to pay; And whereas electricity rates have increased significantly in the past 10 years and are expected to continue to increase in the next decade: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM lobby the provincial government to direct BC Hydro to develop an electricity affordability program for low-income residential customers and that a northern subsidy program be developed for over the winter months.
Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources The B.C. government is currently conducting a comprehensive review of BC Hydro to identify cost savings, efficiencies, new revenue streams and other changes to keep electricity rates low and predictable over the long-term. On August 29, 2018, Finance Minister Carole James released Public Accounts 201718, confirming a surplus and taking steps to address a past audit qualification on BC Hydros regulatory deferral accounts. The fall 2018 report on the first phase of the review, and governments response, will inform a refreshed rates plan, and assist BC Hydro in preparing its next rates application, to be filed with the BC Utilities Commission BCUC in early 2019. In the interim, BC Hydro residential customers who find themselves in an emergency such as loss of employment, unanticipated medical expenses or pending eviction for example are now eligible for a grant of up to 600 toward their outstanding BC Hydro bill. The grant does not need to be repaid. The Customer Crisis Fund is currently a three-year pilot program running until 2021. In addition, over three years from 2018 to 2020, BC Hydro will spend 10 million an increase of 2.2 million dollars on low income conservation programs to help customers in need. These programs include: - The Energy Conservation Assistance Program, in partnership with FortisBC, provides free energy assessments and energy-saving products such as new ENERGY STAR refrigerators and insulation upgrades. Over 13,000 customers have participated, including more than 3,600 First Nation homes in 90 communities. - Energy Savings Kits which include a number of simple, easy-to-install products such as energy-efficient LED light bulbs and weather stripping have been distributed to more than 100,000 customers since 2008. This has resulted in over 4 million dollars in annual electricity cost savings to BC Hydros low income customers. - Both BC Hydro and FortisBC have a range of low or no-cost tips on their websites that can help customers reduce energy consumption and lower energy bills.
BC Hydro BC Hydro is dedicated to providing reliable and affordable services to our customers and has been working very closely with representatives from Indigenous communities, government and low income organizations in the last couple of years. The ongoing dialogues have helped drive the following policy and business practice changes to help our residential customers in need: -We launched a Customer Crisis Fund pilot in May 2018 to provide financial assistance to customers who face disconnections for non-payment. -We implemented a Winter Moratorium program in the 20162017 winter season. Under this program, residential customers in the North and South Interior regions were not disconnected for non-payment during the winter months. Residential customers in the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island were not disconnected for non-payment when the average temperature was below zero-degrees Celsius during the winter months. -We offer all residential customers a winter payment plan, which allows customers to pay back higher winter bills in installments over a six-month period. -Customers can choose to use a guarantor as an alternative to a security deposit. -We implemented the Wild Fire Evacuee Program in the last two years for residents who were evacuated from their homes, and waived energy charges during the evacuation period. We also continue to review our rates and explore options for our customers. We plan to develop a residential rate design application over the coming year. We will be engaging with our customers to help inform future rate designs and appreciate UBCMs feedback and will take it into consideration when we develop new rate designs. We also have a number of energy conservation programs specifically for income eligible households, Indigenous and remote communities, and social housing providers: -Energy Conservation Assistance Program: we partner with FortisBC to offer income qualified households a contractor to visit their home to install energy efficient products and provide personalized advice on how to further reduce energy usage. Households may be eligible for a new Energy Star refrigerator, andor insulation and air sealing upgrades at no cost. -Energy Savings Kit: income qualified households can receive a free energy savings kit containing easy-to-install products that help save energy and improve home comfort. -Indigenous and Remote Community Programs: we plan to launch new residential programs specifically for Indigenous customers and customers living in BC Hydros non-integrated areas in 2019. These programs provide Indigenous and remote customers with increased incentives to support home energy upgrades and training to help build skills to deliver residential retrofits locally. -Social Housing Incentive Program: we partner with FortisBC, Fortis Electric, the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, BC Non-Profit Housing Authority and BC Housing to provide rebates for energy efficiency and low carbon electrification upgrades to all social housing in the province, to reduce operating costs and greenhouse gases for the tenants.