Lethbridge City Hall. (Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

City of Lethbridge reversing utility disconnects during heatwave

Jun 30, 2021 | 2:39 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – After several local news outlets, including LNN, reached out to the City of Lethbridge, the municipality will ensure all residents can keep their electricity on during the heatwave.

LNN was contacted by a resident whose electricity was shut off on Monday, due to her inability to pay her bill.

The woman told related that she had been laid off last year due to the pandemic and has been unable to return to work since. She is on EI, and due to international laws, is not receiving child support from her ex-husband, for their two children.

As the woman has been struggling to pay all of her bills, she reached out to the city to see what could be arranged.

According to her, the operator of the city’s 311 phone line, the utility manager, and the mayor’s assistant were not able to provide her with any meaningful solutions. She adds that a city hall employee told her to “get a job.”

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She reached out to us because, in extreme heat like this, it is no longer a matter of personal comfort, but rather, safety.

The woman explained that her house has been over 40 degrees in recent days, and if she had left her children in the car in that heat, she would face federal criminal charges.

Because of this, having her utilities shut off during the heatwave is what she called “economic violence” perpetrated by the city.

She adds that it is likely that other residents are going through similar hardships.

LNN, along with at least two other local news outlets, reached out to the City of Lethbridge for comments.

A statement from the city says they “have been able to implement some changes related to our heat procedures today.”

“In an effort to ensure residents remain safe, any disconnections that have happened this week will be reconnected until the heat wave has ended and/or payment plans can be established to continue the service.”

The city continues to say that service disconnects are “always the very last resort,” and while they have procedures around avoiding utility disconnects during extreme cold, there are currently no procedures for extreme heat.

As extended heat waves such as the one Alberta is currently in are becoming more common, the municipality affirmed that it will be reviewing its disconnect process to determine what changes are needed to best support the community going forward.

“In an effort to avoid disconnections, all utility late payments are addressed by issuing notifications over several months and working with account holders to access supports and develop repayment plans.”

Any residents who have concerns with their utility accounts are encouraged to call 311.