The United Way of Bruce and Grey is asking for more money and more compassion after several Westario Power customers saw their power disconnected this past winter.
The company will reportedly review their disconnect policy at their meeting in June after a number of customers, including 14 in Brockton, saw their power cut off from January to March of this year.
United Way Executive Director Francesca Dobbyn spoke to Brockton council Monday night about their Utility Assistance Program.
According to United Way officials, the program spent $303,053 in 2014, which is up from $168,854 in 2013.
Dobbyn told council the average annual income of clients who use the service is $16,849.
“They could be more generous with time and understanding our clients, we’re not asking for a blanket no-disconnect policy like Hydro One or Union Gas has,” Dobbyn told CKNX News after the meeting. “What we’re looking for is when we have a client and they are deemed to low income, we get more time, more compassion, and more room to negotiate.”
The current Westario policy allows low-income customers 21 days to pay for an outstanding bill, until a 48-hour disconnection notification is given.
Meantime, Westario CEO Lisa Milne also on-hand at Brockton council, delivering her annual report. According to Westario’s numbers, 14 customers were disconnected between January and March in Brockton.
“Two of those properties were vacant services,” Milne said. “Approximately half of the rest had already vacated the property either before we were there for disconnection or at that time. So that left us with about five residents, that we were able to reconnect them within 48 hours.”
Milne told council that they’ve donated $150,000 to the United way over the past 10 years, which included over $16,000 in January of 2015. She urged anyone who has trouble paying their bill to contact the company as soon as possible.
Councillor Steve Adams asked Milne if the privately-owned company has brought up Brockton’s request to review their disconnect policy, which council asked the company to do in April.
Milne said Westario’s board will discuss the matter at their next meeting on June 17th.
Brockton owns 12.6 per cent of the regional power corporation, which is also co-owned by eight other area municipalities.
To read presentations from Westario and the United Way, click here.
