Millions of Ontarians who rely on paper billing for their utilities may find themselves in a bind as the ongoing Canada Post strike hits the one month mark.
With mail delivery at a halt since Nov. 14, customers of major utility providers, including Enbridge Gas, Hydro One, Hydro Ottawa and Toronto Hydro, will face the risk of late fees and service interruptions if they fail to keep their accounts up to date.
Those companies are urging customers to switch to e-billing, but there are still a significant amount of people who will be waiting for their bills in the mail, they say.
Enbridge Gas, which serves approximately 3.9 million Ontario customers, revealed that 30 per cent of their customers still use paper billing. In an email to Global News, they note that there has been just a two-per cent increase in online signups since the strike began.
“We’ve provided several convenient options for customers to access their accounts, including our mobile app, online portal, and telephone banking,” a spokesperson said.
The company has committed to waiving late fees “where appropriate,” but encourages customers to use its digital platforms to avoid penalties for missed payments due to the strike.
Hydro One, serving over 1.4 million customers in the province, stated that almost half of their clientele still rely on paper billing. On their website, they acknowledge the disruption caused by the Canada Post strike, and suggest people to switch to paperless billing.
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For those who are unable to do so, the company has ensured to notify customers of statements by providing account balance updates through phone or its online customer portal. However, the utility made it clear that late fees may apply for unpaid balances.
“You are responsible for keeping your account current,” said Hydro One in a statement.
Toronto Hydro and Hydro Ottawa customers who are still on paper billing will also face penalties for late payments.
“We want to remind customers they are responsible for keeping their accounts up to date,” said Hydro Ottawa spokesperson.
Toronto Hydro, serving 710,000 residential customers, reported 300,000 people are still on paper bills.
Although the company has introduced additional payment options for customers who wish to pay by cheque, such as droboxes at two Toronto locations, late fees will still apply if payments are not made on time.
Since the start of the strike, they have recorded 15,000 new registers for paperless billing.
Hydro Ottawa shared similar sentiments, stating that they “have seen an increase in online billing requests, which demonstrates that customers are adapting to the situation,” Hydro Ottawa.
For those unable to transition to digital payment methods, the utility companies suggest contacting them directly to discuss payment options or late fee waivers.
Ottawa asking labour board to intervene
Friday marks day 29 of the Canada Post strike, and with Christmas fast approaching, there is still no apparent movement at the bargaining table.
Federal labour minister Steve MacKinnon has rebuffed calls for government intervention, saying it’s up to the two sides to work out a deal.
However, MacKinnon announced Friday he is asking the Canada Industrial Relations Board to send those employees back to work.
He said if the board agrees the two sides are at an “impasse,” which he said he believes is the case, union members will be told to return to work until May, while an inquiry is launched to determine why the two sides cannot come to an agreement.
Though MacKinnon said he believes the dispute is at an impasse, this week did see resolution on one thing: a labour practice complaint from the Canadian Union of Postal Workers over layoffs during the strike.
The key issues in the strike by more than 55,000 workers include wages, job security and how to staff a proposed expansion into weekend delivery.
— with files from Aaron D’Andrea and The Canadian Press
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