City Hall

By Connor Gunn

City to debate collecting deferred electric bill amounts

Aug 24, 2021 | 4:17 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Lethbridge City Council will soon debate when the city will collect deferred electricity bills.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, people who experienced economic hardships and were unable to pay their electric bills were able to hold off on paying temporarily.

“The Government of Alberta established the Utility Payment Deferral Program, whereby electricity customers were able to defer the payment of certain amounts on their electricity bills from March 18, 2020, to June 18, 2020, until June 19, 2020, to June 18, 2021,” the city says.

Not all deferred payments were repaid, as the “outstanding amounts need to be collected by the entire electric customers within the province of Alberta.”

At an upcoming city council meeting that has still yet to be decided, councillors will make a decision on if or when residents will have to pay these balances back.

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The city says “Rule 034 from the AUC, states that an electricity service provider” will add a “rider” to all customer’s bills, titled “Utility Deferral Adjustment – Electricity” or “Utility Deferral Adjustment-E.”

Therefore, this rider will be applied to consumers whether they are customers of a retailer, are on the regulated rate option, or are a default supply customer. This rider will be charged on a per-kilowatt-hour basis.

If approved, the bylaw would remain in effect until June 18, 2022.

The item will be given its second reading and will be talked about at the September 7 council meeting.

More information can be found here.