This AVC follows Greater Sudbury Hydro’s reporting of a billing system error that resulted in customers across all rate classes being overcharged. Under the terms of this AVC, Greater Sudbury Hydro will pay an administrative monetary penalty of $5,000 and provide a credit to its customers.
An AVC is a binding commitment by a regulated entity to take measures to rectify or prevent non-compliance. Failure to abide by the terms of an AVC can lead to enforcement action being taken by the OEB.
More specifically, under the terms of this AVC, Greater Sudbury Hydro will refund its customers an amount totalling approximately $919,000, which represents the overcharged amounts for four years. Refunds will be paid through a one-time credit that will appear on customer bills within 90 days of the acceptance of this Assurance by the OEB, at which time Greater Sudbury Hydro will also provide an explanation to its customers in a form approved by the OEB.
Upon discovery of the issue in March 2021, Greater Sudbury Hydro promptly reported it to the OEB and also quickly applied an interim measure to prevent further overcharging; a measure which Greater Sudbury Hydro has assured the OEB will be kept in place until a permanent solution is implemented.
“All licensed electricity distributors must be rigorous in applying OEB-approved rates and calculating accurate billing amounts for their customers. We commend Greater Sudbury Hydro for reporting this issue. With the assurance from Greater Sudbury Hydro that it has measures in place to prevent further overcharging, customers will be billed accurately and better protected.”
– Brian Hewson, Vice-President, Consumer Protection & Industry Performance
Additional Information and Resources
- Read the Assurance of Voluntary Compliance - EB-2022-0105
- Learn about the OEB’s Compliance and Enforcement Process
About the Ontario Energy Board
The OEB is the independent regulator of Ontario’s electricity and natural gas sectors. It protects the interests of consumers and supports the collective advancement of the people of Ontario. Its goal is to deliver public value through prudent regulation and independent adjudicative decision-making which contributes to Ontario’s economic, social and environmental development.
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