VANCOUVER – Customers who do not want to have a smart meter, but want to keep their old meter or a radio off-meter will have to pay monthly fees.
The British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) has approved the meter choices fees that will apply to customers who choose to retain an old meter or a radio-off meter. BC Hydro filed an application last fall to recover fees to offset the expense of providing meter options to eligible customers.
Customers who have an old meter will pay $32.40 per month and those who have a radio off-meter will be $20 per month.
The set up cost for a radio-off meter will be $22.60 with an exit fee of $55.00 for an overall fee of about $77. BC Hydro says as some of the final fees differ from the interim rate, they will adjust customers’ bills accordingly.
The fees to retain an old meter came into effect Dec. 2, 2013 and the fees for a radio-off meter were effective as of Apr. 1, 2014.
About 68,000 or three per cent of BC Hydro customers had the option of making a choice as part of the Meter Choices Program. Of these customers to date:
- about 49,000 customers elected to take a smart meter;
- 460 customers requested a radio-off meter; and
- fewer than 19,000 customers are keeping an old meter.
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