"Unreal!": Some BCers notice a massive increase in their FortisBC bills

A couple argue over their high bills (ALPA PROD/Shutterstock)

If you’ve noticed a big jump in your FortisBC energy bills, you’re not alone, as many BC residents are experiencing the same fate.

Daily Hive recently asked FortisBC why some people might be seeing increases in their bills, and they were able to provide some answers.

Those answers also suggest that with more cold weather in store for BC, your next bill might also reflect the frigid conditions.

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Daily Hive obtained a couple of bills from FortisBC customers, showing pretty stark increases in their current bills versus their previous ones. Some residents also shared their statements online.

Good God! Just got our #FortisBC gas bill and I almost fell over! We keep our heat at 20C from 7 am – 11 pm, but have dropped it to 17C at night.

I bought some sweaters at VV yesterday…

If you use Natural Gas, what do you keep your house temperature set at?

— iceblueaccent (@iceblueaccent) December 11, 2022

In one case, a customer’s charges went up from $95.34 to $219.19.

Submitted

Former Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts also shared her energy bill online, claiming that her statement had doubled.

Unreal ! My Fortis Bill has doubled this month – for the same usage that used to cost me $270.76 AND an $85.72 charge for CARBON TAX ! pic.twitter.com/qb0oJVxiJK

— Dianne Watts (@DianneWatts4BC) December 10, 2022

The reason, according to FortisBC, is simple.

“If customers are using more natural gas, their bill will increase to reflect higher consumption. As November was a significantly colder month than October, it’s expected that some customers will have used more energy to keep their homes warm.”

It seems pretty straightforward, right?

If you recall back to October, it was an unseasonably warm month for BC, in contrast to the typically wet and cool month residents are used to. Unfortunately, that also means the potential for your next bill to be high.

“We appreciate the difficulties that a higher-than-normal bill may cause. That’s why we have solutions available to help our customers who are experiencing challenges paying their bills,” a FortisBC spokesperson said.

There’s also some good news on the horizon for FortisBC customers.

“Just last week, we announced a decrease in our cost of gas rate, which means customers will be paying about $4 less per month come January 1, 2023.”

You can call 1-888-224-2710 if you have concerns about your bill.