Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Customer Crisis Fund
Life events such as a loss of employment or benefit income, unexpected medical expenses, or a death in the family can cause electricity customers to fall behind on their bills. As a result, customers may face disconnection or the installation of load limiters. Committee notes that in other jurisdictions, notably British Columbia, there are programs that provide supports to electricity customers experiencing a temporary financial crisis. A similar program in the NWT context merits consideration as a policy response to electricity unaffordability for some customers. Therefore, the committee recommends:
Recommendation Four
The Standing Committee on Government Operations recommends that the Public Utilities Board work with the Northwest Territories Power Corporation and Northland Utilities to consider and study the implementation of a customer crisis fund, modeled after BC Hydro's Customer Crisis Fund, to provide grant payments to residential customers experiencing a temporary financial crisis and who have fallen into arrears.
Client-Centered Communication
During the COVID-19 pandemic, committee members received numerous calls and correspondence from constituents regarding how changes related to emergency income supports, like the Canada Recovery Benefit, impacted their eligibility to the Income Assistance Program. Constituents were sometimes unaware of these impacts and, as a result, faced unexpected difficulty in paying their electricity bills.
More generally, the committee believes that the public utilities can and should provide clearer, more proactive communication to customers regarding matters that may impact electricity bills, payments, and service. As the regulator and supervisor of public utilities in the NWT, the Public Utilities Board has a key role to promote more client-centered service to NWT electricity customers. Therefore, the committee recommends:
Recommendation Five
The Standing Committee on Government Operations recommends that the Northwest Territories Power Corporation and Northland Utilities, with oversight and, if necessary, enforcement from the Public Utilities Board, improve communications with customers so that they are clearer, more comprehensive, more proactive, and more client-centered, especially with respect to:
- Eligibility for the Income Assistance Program, and how policy changes or new benefit programs, like the Canada Recovery Benefit, may impact customer eligibility.
- The terms and conditions of service document regarding details on:
- The types and minimum timeframes of notices that NTPC may send customers;
- The type and operation of power limiters; and
- Customer payment options.
Conclusion
This concludes the Standing Committee on Government Operations' Report on Bill 23. The committee looks forward to the government's response to these recommendations.
Recommendation Six
The Standing Committee on Government Operations recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a response to this report within 120 days. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.