Deciphering Your Bill
The Ontario Government has introduced a simplified electricity bill across the Province that shows exactly what consumers are paying for the power they use. Click here to see the bill.
The bill is designed to help consumers better manage their electricity costs and conserve energy. Rates and charges on the new bill have not changed.
The new format has only four items in the electricity charges portion of the bill and provides a clear description of terms related to the costs of electricity. They are:
Electricity
This is the cost of the electricity supplied to you during the billing period and is the part of the bill that is subject to competition. The electricity consumed is multiplied by the adjustment factor.* Brantford Power collects this money and pays this amount directly to our suppliers.
*When electricity is delivered over a power line, it is normal for a small amount of power to be consumed or lost as heat. Equipment, such as wires and transformers, consumes power before it gets to your home or business. The adjustment factor accounts for these losses.
Delivery
These are the costs of delivering electricity from generating stations across the Province to Brantford Power then to your home or business. This includes the costs to build and maintain the transmission and distribution lines, towers and poles and operate provincial and local electricity systems.
A portion of these charges are fixed and do not change from month to month. The rest are variable and increase or decrease depending on the amount of electricity that you use.
Regulatory Charges
Regulatory charges are the costs of administering the wholesale electricity system and maintaining the reliability of the provincial grid.
Debt Retirement Charge
The debt retirement charge pays down the debt of the former Ontario Hydro.
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Credit Policy
Deposits
All new Customer accounts will be reviewed to determine whether a security billing deposit is required. Sufficient identification is also required when applying for service.
As Customers switch to competitive Retailers, and depending on the billing options, the amount of exposure for BPI will vary and, therefore, the security deposit amount may be adjusted to reflect the new level of exposure.
If a satisfactory payment record cannot be maintained, a cash deposit will be required.
The following policy shall apply for each billing option:
- Retailer-Consolidated Billing
Under this option, BPI will not issue a bill to a Customer. The Retailer is responsible for issuing the bill to the Customer, and for Customer non-payment risk. BPI would not require a security deposit from the Customer.
If the Customer Service department is in possession of a Customer's deposit at the time of a switch to Retailer-consolidated billing, the deposit shall be applied to the final bill, and any excess returned to the Customer.
- Distributor-Consolidated Billing
Under this option, BPI will issue a bill to the Customer. BPI is responsible for Customer non-payment risk.BPI may impose an amount of security deposit, depending upon an assessment of the Customer's likely risk of non-payment as per the Security Deposit Requirements.
- Split Billing
Under this option, BPI and a Retailer shall each be responsible for Customer non-payment risk for the bills that each issues to the Customer. If a Customer already has a deposit with BPI, a portion of the deposit amount that reflects the non-payment risk associated with the new billing option will be retained. Any excess deposit amount will be returned to the Customer. For Customers making new application for service, BPI may impose an amount of security deposit, depending upon an assessment of the Customer's likely risk of non-payment as per the Security Deposit Requirements.
- Standard Supply Service
Under this option, BPI will continue to issue a bill to the Customer and will be responsible for Customer non-payment risk. BPI may impose an amount of security deposit depending upon our assessment of the Customer's likely risk of non-payment as per the Security Deposit Requirements.
Security Deposit Requirements
Residential Customers - Owners & Tenants
Residential Customers will be required to pay a security deposit equal to an average two-month billing at the address being serviced times the billing factor of 2.5, as estimated by BPI. If the Customer has a payment history which discloses more than one disconnection notice in a relevant 12 month period, the Distributor may use that Customer's highest actual or estimated monthly load for the most recent 12 consecutive months within the past 2 years. If the Customer is enrolled in the Automatic Payment Plan, the required deposit will be equal to an average billing times a billing factor of 2.0.
A cash deposit will be waived subject to:
- satisfactory payment record at BPI;
OR
- proof of satisfactory payment record with another Distributor or gas Distributor for one year will be accepted in lieu of a deposit. The time period that makes up the good payment history must be the most recent period of time and some of the time period must have occurred in the previous 24 months
OR
- a credit check satisfactory to the utility. The cost of such a credit check, as revised from time to time, shall be billed to the Customer.
Satisfactory Payment Record for Residential accounts is defined as follows:
The Customer has had no more than one (1) Not Sufficient Funds (NSF) cheque or no more than one (1) pre-authorized payment returned NSF or no more than one (1) disconnect / collect trip has occurred or no more than one (1) disconnection notice has been received over the last twelve (12) months of continuous service. The time period that makes up the good payment history must be the most recent period of time and some of the time period must have occurred in the previous 24 months.
Security deposits may be adjusted, based on actual billing history, after twelve consecutive months.
Cash deposits will be applied to the Customer's account upon:
- the establishment of a one-year satisfactory payment record;
- a Customer switching to Retailer-Consolidated Billing; or
- termination of service.
Interest on cash deposits will be credited to the Customer's account monthly. The interest paid will be at a rate equal to Prime Business Rate less two (2) percent, updated quarterly. Payment of the deposit may be made in equal installments over a four (4) month period.
Failure to meet any condition in this policy will result in service disconnection until the condition is met to the satisfaction of BPI.
Residential Customers may pay deposits by cash, cheque, Interac debit card or Visa / Mastercard. Deposits remain on account, and are applied to the Customer's last bill.
1.1.1.2 General Service Customers - Owners & Tenants
General Service Customers will be required to pay a security deposit equal to an average billing at the address being serviced times the billing factor of 2.5, as estimated by BPI. If the Customer has a payment history which discloses more than one disconnection notice in a relevant 12 month period, BPI may use that customer's highest actual or estimated monthly load for the most recent 12 consecutive months within the past 2 years. If the Customer is enrolled in the Automatic Payment Plan, the required deposit will be equal to an average billing times a billing factor of 2.0.
Payment of the security deposit shall be in the form of cash, cheque or an automatically renewing, irrevocable Letter of Credit from a bank.
For new services where no usage history is available, an estimated usage and/or projected demand will be used to determine the deposit amount.
Satisfactory Payment Record for General Service Customers is defined as:
The Customer has had no more than one (1) NSF cheque or no more than one (1) pre-authorized payment returned NSF or no more than one (1) disconnect/collect trip has occurred or no more than one (1) disconnection notice has been received over the last twelve (12), five (5) years service, for General Service Customers in a <50 kW demand rate class or seven (7) years in the case of a General Service Customer in any other rate class.
The time period that makes up the good payment history must be the most recent period of time and some of the time period must have occurred in the previous twenty-four (24) months.
| Credit Rating | Allowable Reduction in
Security Deposit |
|---|
| AAA- and above or equivalent | 100% |
| AA-, AA, AA+ or equivalent | 95% |
| A-, From A, A+ to below AA or equivalent | 85% |
| BBB-,From BBB,BBB+ to below A or equivalent | 75% |
| Below BBB- or equivalent | 0% |
A deposit will be waived or reduced subject to:
- satisfactory payment record for General Service accounts at Brantford Power Inc;
- proof of satisfactory payment record for General Service accounts as defined above with another Distributor or gas Distributor;
- a credit check satisfactory to the utility. Where a General Service Customer in any rate class other than a <50 kW demand rate class, has a credit rating from a recognized credit rating agency, the maximum amount of a security deposit which the Distributor may require the non-Residential Customer to pay shall be reduced in accordance with the following table The cost of such a credit check, as revised from time to time, shall be billed to the Customer.
The form of payment of a security deposit for General Service Customers shall be, cash, cheque or an automatically renewing, irrevocable letter of credit from a bank as defined in the Bank Act, 1991, c.46.
Existing General Service Customers are required to maintain their deposits.
Security deposits may be adjusted, based on actual billing history, after twelve consecutive months.
Federal, Provincial or Municipal government operations will be exempt from deposit requirements.
Deposits will be returned upon:
- a Customer switching to Retailer-Consolidated Billing;
OR
- five (5) years of good payment history for a General Service Customer in a <50 KW demand rate class or 7 years of good payment history of a General Service Customer in any other rate class. For Customers that are in >5000 kW demand rate class, only 50% of the security deposit held by the Distributor will be returned;
OR
- termination of services.
Interest on cash deposits will be credited to the Customer's account monthly. The interest paid will be at a rate equal to the utility's bank prime rate, minus two (2) percent, updated quarterly.
Payment of the deposit may be made in equal installments over a four (4) month period.
Failure to meet any condition in this policy will result in service disconnection until the condition is met to the satisfaction of BPI.
Where BPI carries out work that is chargeable to the Customer, the Customer will be required to furnish a suitable deposit before BPI commences.
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Methods of Payment
Bills are rendered for electrical energy used by the Customer and are payable in full
by the due date; otherwise, a late payment charge will apply.
For residential accounts, payment can be made by cash, cheque, Interac debit card
or Visa / Mastercard. An Automatic Payment Plan is also available.
Payments can be made at any chartered bank and most trust companies, by phone
or via Internet, or in person at Customer Services, 220 Colborne Street, Brantford.
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Late Payment Charges
- Outstanding bills are subject to the collection process, and may ultimately lead to the
service being disconnected. Service will be restored once satisfactory payment has
been made. Discontinuance of service does not relieve the Customer of the liability
for arrears and continuing fixed charges.
- Brantford Power Inc. shall not be liable for any damage on the Customer's premises
resulting from such discontinuance of service. A reconnection charge will apply
where the service has been disconnected due to non-payment.
- The Customer will be required to pay additional charges for the processing of
returned items.
- Customers will pay special charges and deposits, on request, as outlined in the
Retail Settlement Code.
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Equal Payment Plan
Brantford Power Inc. offers an Equal Payment Plan.
- The equal payment plan is based on the average usage over a 12-month period at the customer's location.
- Participation in the Pre-authorized Payment Plan is a requirement of the Equal
Payment Plan.
- An equal amount is withdrawn from the customer's bank account each month.
- The customer's account is reconciled annually and any debit or credit is rolled into the
subsequent year's equal payment amount.
- To ensure that the actual payment amount is in line with actual usage, accounts will be examined each
month during the twelve-month plan. If an adjustment to the equal payment plan is required, we will
notify you on your next bill.
- If you choose to switch to an electricity retailer, your account will be reviewed and any
adjustments will appear on your next bill.
Pre-authorized Payment Plan
Brantford Power ties the EPP plan to the pre-authorized chequing plan, unless a customer
strongly objects. Enrollment in the EPP plan involves removing the account from the normal billing and collection
processes. By tying the two plans together, administrative and collection costs are reduced significantly. The
pre-authorized payment plan also reduces the credit risk to the utility. In order to make our EPP plan
attractive and flexible, our EPP customers are allowed to choose any day from the 1st to 28th as their withdrawal date.
We can also easily suppress a payment with about a 1 week notice and reschedule for a different date. No penalties
or late payment interest charges are charged on EPP accounts. All EPP accounts not linked to the pre-authorized chequing plan
have to be reviewed manually each month; therefore, few requests to implement EPP plans without pre-authorized chequing have been
approved.
Methodology for Initial Price Forecast
The initial price is equal to the fixed reference price related to the EPP. The forecasted price will be used
if it is sufficiently different from the fixed reference price.
Tolerance Point for Equal Payment Amount Adjustment
The tolerance point for the equal payment amount adjustment is between $50 and $100 and is not adjusted
for seasonal differences. Prices over a 3-4 month period average closely to the fixed reference price, although
there are short-term spikes.
The Equal Payment Plan Formula
The current method for determining the EPP amount is to calculate the average monthly bill for that location, based on the
current price plus scheduled increases and the average usage over the past twelve months at that location. Seasonal
variances are considered for those customers who join the EPP plan in a month different from September. For example,
if a customer who has electric heat joins the EPP plan in December, Brantford Power will take the average consumption
for the months from December to September. This is done in order to ensure that the difference between what is billed and owed
is close to zero in September (Brantford Power's current recalculation month).
Please contact Customer Services at (519) 756-1360
or e-mail customerservices@city.brantford.on.ca with questions
or comments about the Equal Payment Plan.
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