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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - With complaints coming in from customers across the territory, the Public Utilities Board has launched a formal inquiry into why some Northland Utilities users' consumption rates have doubled or tripled in the past few months.

Michelle Beckwith may get help with her soaring power bills now that the Public Utilities Board has launched an inquiry into why some residents' power consumption rates have skyrocketed in recent months. - Herb Mathisen/NNSL photo

Joe Acorn, chairman of the Public Utilities Board, said he has heard from about five Northland customers whose consumption levels have jumped drastically. As a result, the board, which regulates the territory's utilities under the Public Utilities Act, sent a letter on Feb. 11 to Northland Utilities' Yellowknife and NWT branches seeking an explanation.

On Feb. 17, Northland answered and blamed colder than usual temperatures, along with longer billing cycles as likely reasons for the higher bills.

But that wasn't good enough for the Public Utilities Board.

"The board has some questions about aspects of NUL's explanation that it would like to examine in more detail," said Acorn.

"Depending upon the answers to those questions, the board might want to issue directions to Northland."

Acorn said the question is, "why some bills have been coming in with significantly higher consumption levels and what the company does to respond to them and address those concerns?"

Yellowknifer recently reported that Michelle Beckwith, who lives in a trailer in Northland trailer park, witnessed her power bills tripling in the past three months, and that she was told more increases were on the way.

Her bills tell her she's consuming three times the power she was during the same period last year, although she is adamant she is using the same - if not less - power. A new meter was installed at her home last fall and Beckwith wonders if it may be behind the jump in her power bills.

"I just don't know where to go from here," she said on Tuesday.

Jeff Barbutza, manager of Northland Utilities (Yk), said the company has received complaints from customers, but would not divulge any numbers.

"With these customer complaints and stuff, the information we can share with you is very limited," he said, adding he can't speak to specific cases because they are guarded under privacy legislation.

Some of the increased consumption, he said, may be due to a longer, 35-day billing period used by the utility from time to time. "It's not so much the jump in rates, it's about some timing issues," he said.

Acorn isn't the only person who has heard complaints from residents.

On Monday, Frame Lake MLA Wendy Bisaro asked what appeals process existed for Northland customers if they wished to challenge the amount charged on their bills.

"I think everybody in this room, as well as any resident who happens to ... live in Yellowknife will know that over the last several months, we've experienced a few problems with our power bills and Northland Utilities," she said. "There are inconsistencies."

"What exists for me when I have a problem with a private industry like Northland Utilities where I believe that in this case, for instance, my usage numbers are wrong and I've been over-billed?"

Beckwith said she has dealt exhaustively with the company.

"They tore the meter out and they are saying it's not the meter," she said.

She said she even had a technician come by and examine her hot water tank, which she said Northland claimed was the culprit of the consumption draw, but everything checked out.

Bisaro raised the idea of setting up an appeal board or even establishing an ombudsman.

"My concern is there isn't an avenue of appeal," the MLA said.

Acorn said the board is the next step in the complaints process. While the Public Utilities Board chair said he encourages people to try to deal with their problems through the utility company, the board will investigate complaints if residents are not satisfied with the answers they are getting from the company.

Beckwith said she did not know who to contact after dealing with Northland, the Arctic Energy Alliance - an organization which provides energy audits of buildings - and her MLA. However, she heard the utility board could help and said she contacted Acorn, who is investigating her case.

Acorn confirmed this, adding he'd put in a call to Barbutza on Tuesday.

Barbutza also recommended customers contact the Public Utilities Board if they were not satisfied with Northland's response, but said the company would do what it could to help.

"We certainly want to know if our customers have any concerns and questions," said Barbutza.

Late Thursday, the utilities board ordered Northland not to cut power to customers facing unusually high increases until the inquiry is complete.

Acorn said he expects the inquiry to wrap up by the end of March.