S-2DRO Decision d. March 10, 2026 (redacted)
13 passages
From: To: Customer Relations [email protected] Onto RE: DRO Final Written Decision re Jillian Coxhead Billing Disputing March 10, 2026 2:02:50 PM Mr. Farmer. NS Power has noted the DRO's Final Written Decision on the subject ac...
AI summary NS Power acknowledges a DRO Final Written Decision regarding Jillian Coxhead's billing dispute and confirms the existing $550/month budget settlement agreement remains active. The email outlines NS Power's response to the dispute resolution outcome.
Jillian Coxhead After review and consideration of all of the following and attached, my Final Written Decision in the matter follows. I will begin with my Role Statement as Dispute Resolution Officer (DRO) in matters of dispute between N.S...
AI summary Jillian Coxhead, as Dispute Resolution Officer (DRO), outlines her role in resolving disputes between Nova Scotia Power and customers. The customer disputes being overcharged, requests meter verification, and seeks a reduced budget. The customer also mentions involving MLA David Bowlby and a class-action lawyer, while asserting their right to appeal the DRO's decision.
Your choice of 1 or 2 ? You indicate I want my budget decreased to 300 a mth." My Decision (Either 1 or 2) will not arbitrarily revise your payment plan, but instead Instruct N.S.Power to review your Equal Billing Plan calculation for comp...
AI summary The customer requests a reduced budget of $300/month, prompting NSP to review billing compliance with Regulation 5.3 or establish a Payment Agreement under Regulation 6.5. NSP acknowledges past billing errors due to incorrect meter reads but maintains current billing is accurate, offering to replace an analog meter with a digital one, which the customer opposes.
Jillian In response to your following email, I will begin with my Role Statement as Dispute Resolution Officer (DRO) in matters of dispute between N.S.Power and their Customers : I am not an employee of Nova Scotia Power or the Nova Scotia...
AI summary Jillian, the Dispute Resolution Officer (DRO), clarifies her role in resolving disputes between Nova Scotia Power (NSP) and customers. She emphasizes her independence from NSP and the Nova Scotia Energy Board (NSEB), explains that her decisions are binding on NSP but not customers, and outlines the appeal process. The text also discusses how estimated meter readings may lead to billing discrepancies that are self-reconciling over time.
N.S.Power Please provide me with N.S.Power's position in the matter as well as copies of relevant account statements, meter reading information, and relevant computerized notes or notices. Don Farmer, P.Eng. Dispute Resolution Officer From...
AI summary Customer Jillian Atwell Coxhead disputes a bill citing a meter reading discrepancy, requesting a meter check, analog meter reinstatement, and a reduced budget. NSP explains a prior misread led to underbilling and provided a new bill. The customer involves MLA David Bowlby and a class-action lawyer, demanding investigation.
Subject: Disputing I am once again disputing my bill. This is outlandish. I have given permission to the MLA to discuss my bill because this is absolutey insane. First of all, my information was compromised in the breach. I have contacted...
AI summary Customer Jillian Atwell disputes her Nova Scotia Power (NSP) bill, alleging unauthorized changes to her equal billing, incorrect meter readings since February, and billing inaccuracies during a wildfire evacuation. She claims the $550/month charge is unjustified, demands a revert to the previously confirmed $350/month rate, and cites camera evidence to support her claims.
has been granted on subject account The first attachment is a copy of the account ledger for the subject account. The second attachment is a copy of the meter reads obtained for the subject account. NS Power has previously tested the meter...
AI summary NS Power is addressing a customer dispute over meter readings and billing, having tested meters in 2021-2022 and ordered new testing. A 2024 Budget Settlement Agreement was adjusted to $414/month in 2025. Jillian Coxhead (NS Power) communicates with the DRO, Don Farmer, regarding resolution steps.
Re B I will review N.S.Power's Equal Billing calculation related to your Account in the context of Board approved Regulsation5.3.
AI summary The text discusses the review of N.S.Power's Equal Billing calculation under Regulation 5.3 approved by the Board. The focus is on ensuring compliance with the regulation's requirements.
Jillian Coxhead; N.S.Power Customer Relations After receiving the Customers attached payment offer to settle an outstanding balance of $1421.85, and N.S Powers following acceptance of that offer, I am herby issuing my Final Written Decisio...
AI summary The DRO issues a Final Written Decision requiring N.S. Power to withhold disconnection of service for Jillian Coxhead, mandating monthly payments of $550 until arrears are cleared, followed by $450 until an Equal Billing review. The decision references Board Regulations 5.3, 6.4, and 6.5 and notes potential consolidation with a Part A consumption decision upon meter test results. The customer offers a revised payment plan, including meter replacement.
N.S.Power Customer Relations Reference attached email messages : A Please provide information requested by the Customer re meter testing schedule and B What is N.S.Power's position on the Customer settlement offer ? Don Farmer. P. Eng. Dis...
AI summary NSP confirms meter testing for a dispute, referencing prior tests in 2021-2022 and current testing of Meter #. A 2024 Budget Settlement Agreement ($489/month) was adjusted to $414/month in 2025 based on usage and arrears. The customer seeks clarification on meter schedules and NSP's stance on the settlement offer.
Re A : Your dispute is a "consumption dispute". A fundamental point I must make in such disputes is that N.S.Power's responsibility is to deliver power to the metering point. They have no role or responsibility with respect to how that ene...
AI summary The dispute centers on NSP's responsibility to deliver power to the meter, not on-premise consumption. Meter accuracy is critical for billing, with NSP conducting 'as found' tests and offering independent testing via Measurement Canada if requested.
Re B I will review N.S.Power's Equal Billing calculation related to your Account in the context of Board approved Regulsation5.3.
AI summary The text discusses the review of N.S.Power's Equal Billing calculation under Regulation 5.3 approved by the Board. The focus is on ensuring compliance with the regulation's requirements.
N.S.Power Please provide me with N.S.Power's position in the matter as well as copies of relevant account statements, meter reading information, and relevant computerized notes or notices. N.S.Power is herby Instructed to test the meter se...
AI summary A customer disputes a high electricity bill, citing affordability concerns and requesting meter accuracy testing. NSP is instructed to test the meter, and the customer mentions contacting the Utility and Review Board (UARB) and their MLA. The complaint highlights billing procedures and disconnection notices.
S-3NSPI Response to Appeal (redacted)
7 passages
PO Box 910 Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada B3J May 11, 2026 REDACTED Lisa Wallace Chief Clerk of the Board Nova Scotia Energy Board 1601 Lower Water Street, 3rd Floor Halifax, NS B3J 3S3 Re: M12804 – DRO Appeal – Jillian Coxhead Dear Ms. Walla...
AI summary Jillian Coxhead appeals a March 9, 2026 DRO decision. Nova Scotia Power Inc. (NS Power) must respond by May 11, 2026, providing the DRO file and supporting information. The appeal relates to a 2025 billing dispute involving service disconnection and equal billing review.
- June 9, 2025 The customer contacted NS Power regarding a payment not yet posted to the account; the representative advised that, due to the cyber incident, payments had not yet been posted and that posting may take time, reassured the cu...
AI summary The customer experienced billing delays due to a cyber incident, disputes over payment arrangements, and a corrected bill resulting from a meter reading error. NS Power and the DRO addressed these issues, with the DRO directing the customer to Customer Care for payment arrangements and NS Power issuing a revised bill after correcting an October 2025 meter reading error.
pages 2 to 3 of 19 in the DRO file attached as Confidential Attachment 1 . - March 4, 2026 The DRO responded to the customer and NS Power. He summarized his role and asked NS Power to provide its position in the matter as well as relevant...
AI summary The customer disputes NS Power's billing due to alleged incorrect meter readings, requesting meter verification and retention of the analog meter. NS Power responded by canceling an erroneous bill, conducting a true read, and rebilling based on actual usage, attributing the error to an underestimated October reading. The DRO facilitated communication between the parties.
on the ledger, the customer's October 16, 2025 bill was $798.76CR. This was due to the incorrect reading that was entered. NS Power apologizes for any inconvenience this may have caused the customer. NS Power can request to have the custom...
AI summary A customer disputes a billing error due to an incorrect meter reading in October 2025, resulting in a $798.76CR bill. NS Power asserts the billing was correct, while the DRO explains discrepancies are reconciled with true meter reads. The DRO issued a Final Written Decision supporting NS Power's position under Regulation 5.1.
fidential Attachment 1 . • March 9, 2026 – The DRO issued a Final Written Decision finding that, in accordance with Board-approved Regulation 5.1, NS Power had appropriately May 11, 2026 L. Wallace billed the customer following account adj...
AI summary The DRO ruled on March 9, 2026, that NS Power appropriately billed Ms. Coxhead, directing a review of her Equal Billing Plan. NS Power confirmed adherence to a $550/month payment arrangement, while Ms. Coxhead disputed billing accuracy, citing meter misreading and planned appeals. NS Power agreed with the DRO’s decision, and the customer escalated the matter to the NSEB.
ded to escalate the matter to the NSEB. This is referenced on page 9 of 9 in Confidential Attachment 2 . NS Power agrees with the DRO's decision that NS Power has appropriately billed Ms. Coxhead. Following the cyber incident, NS Power was...
AI summary NS Power acknowledges a billing error caused by a manually misentered meter reading (69,748 vs. 79,748) during a post-cyber incident manual reading period. This led to an understated bill and a $929 credit, later corrected in March 2026. NS Power agrees with the DRO's decision that billing was appropriate after reconciling discrepancies.
er 2025 billing error resulting from the mis-entered meter read. This error was corrected in the March 2026 rebilling, which contributed to a higher bill reflecting previously underbilled consumption. NS Power acknowledges that this error...
AI summary NS Power acknowledges a 2025 billing error corrected in March 2026, causing a higher bill. They apologize, offer a 24-month payment plan at $550/month, and assert customer usage depends on factors beyond their control (e.g., weather, equipment). The letter is confidential and addressed to Ms. Jillian Coxhead.
S-4NSPI (NSEB) RIR-1 to RIR-3 (redacted)
5 passages
REDACTED 1 Request IR-1: 2 3 On May 11, 2026, NS Power provided Ms. Coxhead's Account Usage Info in Attachment 1 4 that showed the meter reads reaching as far back as February 21, 2021. 5 6 (a) Please confirm when NS Power started Ms. Coxh...
AI summary The document contains a series of information requests related to NS Power's handling of Ms. Coxhead's account, including the installation and testing of her analog meter, the reasons for discontinuing analog meters, and whether NS Power discussed switching to a digital meter with her during disputes and appeals.
REDACTED 1 (ii) If no, why not? 2 3 Response IR-1: 4 5 (a) NS Power started service for Ms. Coxhead at on August 27, 2020. 6 7 (b) An analog meter # 1071472 was installed on June 21, 2022 at the property. 8 9 (c) No. The meter was not test...
AI summary NS Power provided details regarding the installation and handling of an analog meter for Ms. Coxhead. The meter was installed in 2022 without testing, which is not standard practice. NS Power no longer supports analog meters and plans to replace them with digital meters. The analog meter will be held for six months if Ms. Coxhead requests further testing.
CONFIDENTIAL (Attachment Only) 1 Request IR-2: 2 3 According to the copies of Ms. Coxhead's bills NS Power provided the Board on May 11, 4 2026, there were four estimated bills issued in June, August and December 2025, and 5 February 2026....
AI summary The document outlines an information request (IR-2) to NS Power regarding billing practices, specifically concerning estimated bills issued to Ms. Coxhead during periods affected by a wildfire and a cyber incident. It also asks for details on how consumption was estimated, whether special circumstances were considered, and actual consumption data if available.
6 Bill Date: 13 February 2026 7 8 This bill for usage from 12 December 2025 to 13 February 2026 was cancelled and rebilled on 9 the 3 March 2026 due to an input error of a read into the billing system from a picture read 10 obtained from t...
AI summary A billing error occurred between 12 December 2025 and 13 February 2026, leading to a cancelled and rebilled invoice on 3 March 2026. NS Power was unaware of the special circumstances during billing and lacks historical usage data prior to December 2025. The incident involved a regularly scheduled meter read, and a confidential attachment has been removed.
Coxhead DRO Appeal (NSEB M12804) NSPI Responses to NSEB Information Requests 1 Request IR-3: 17 Or, if Ms. Coxhead paid a total of $910 per month ($550 arrears plus $360 current 18 each month), that balance would be cleared in approximatel...
AI summary The text discusses Ms. Coxhead's arrears and the feasibility of her proposed payment plans, noting that a monthly payment of $300 would not clear her arrears and would increase them over time. It also mentions that NS Power has not yet announced a return to normal billing practices, including interest and late fees.
103287Board Decision (redacted)
5 passages
ESTIMATED METER READING If the Company is unable to obtain a meter reading due to circumstances beyond its control ... then the amount of power and energy used by the Customer shall be estimated by the Company using the best available data...
AI summary The document outlines procedures for estimating meter readings when actual readings cannot be obtained. Adjustments will be made if actual readings are later obtained.
According to NS Power's response to the Board's IR-2, it estimated your usage during the service period when an actual meter read was not available by calculating the average daily usage from bills issued the previous year with the same se...
AI summary NS Power estimated customer usage during periods without actual meter reads by using historical data from previous bills. The Board found this method compliant with Regulation 5.1. However, the estimates overestimated usage, leading to an overcharge that was later reconciled with a credit. The customer was evacuated due to a wildfire, which may explain the low usage in the October 2025 bill. The account balance remains over $1,700.
87 kWh usage during this billing period appears to reflect that. However, since your payments have not caught up to the monthly Equal Billing amount, your account balance was over $1,700 in this bill. For the December 2025 bill, NS Power u...
AI summary The customer's account balance was over $1,700 due to unpaid bills. NS Power calculated the December 2025 bill based on historical average usage from previous bills, estimating 1,025 kWh for the billing period.
NS Power explained that it cancelled the estimated bill dated February 13, 2026, because of an input error and replaced it with the bill dated March 3, 2026, with a true meter read. The actual meter read of 94,087 kWh on March 2, 2026, was...
AI summary NS Power corrected an estimated bill due to an input error, resulting in a higher March 2026 bill. The customer expressed frustration with billing inaccuracies and requested a digital meter. The Board acknowledges the confusion but accepts the meter's accuracy and the calculated charges.
Your Equal Billing Plan On March 9, 2026, the DRO instructed NS Power to review its calculation for your Equal Billing Plan or to establish a Payment Agreement. NS Power informed the DRO the next day that your $550 monthly payment remains....
AI summary The DRO instructed NS Power to review the Equal Billing Plan or establish a payment agreement. NS Power maintains a $550/month payment plan to retire arrears, while the customer requested a lower payment of $400/month. NS Power argues that paying $400/month would not cover usage or arrears and could increase the balance.