Topic:"Billing Procedures" in M12846

Appeal - NS Power Dispute Resolution Officer (DRO ) Reference Number: 260506001 Submitted on: Wednesday, May 06 2026 at 08:46:38 AM (ADT) Contact Information Name on account: Lora Trachsel Account number: Business contact: Account address:...

AI summary The complainant, Lora Trachsel, is appealing a DRO decision that concluded Nova Scotia Power appropriately billed her account after a credit of $1,310.64 was applied for a 6,725 kWh adjustment. She is concerned about billing inaccuracies, repeated corrections, estimated readings, and administrative errors over an extended period.

Don Farmer, P. Eng., Dispute Resolution Officer (D.R.O.) Telephone {902} 428-6202, To/I-free 1-877-428-6202, Fax {902} 835-7744 [email protected] Laura Trachsel You should direct your wish to appeal to the Nova Scotia Energy B...

AI summary Laura Trachsel appeals a billing decision by Nova Scotia Power's Dispute Resolution Officer, citing persistent billing irregularities including estimated readings, administrative errors, and repeated corrections. She challenges the assumption that estimated billing errors are self-reconciling, arguing they reflect systemic issues in billing accuracy and administration.

g: Multiple refunds and billing corrections issued over the past several months Extended reliance on estimated readings An admitted administrative error related to the installation of the new meter A significant 6,725 kWh adjustment Concer...

AI summary The letter highlights concerns over billing inaccuracies, including repeated corrections, estimated readings, and an administrative error in meter installation. A 6,725 kWh adjustment is noted, with questions about full reconciliation of prior billing periods. The sender requests the Board review the accuracy of billing history and reconciliations.

ower but not on the Customer. Customers may appeal my Decisions (within 12 days of receipt of Final Written Decision) to the Board. Your Dispute in summary is: that you have service from N.S.Power at (Account # ); that you dispute your 17...

AI summary Customer disputes a high electricity bill due to a meter replacement error. N.S.Power initially estimated readings after installing a new meter, leading to an overcharge. The D.R.O. adjusted the bill after the customer provided a meter reading, applying a $1310.64 credit. The case references Board Regulations 5.1 and 6.4.

ained following estimated meter readings, all estimation error is reconciled (see more detailed explanation below). Board approved Regulations relevant to this matter are 5.1 and 6.4 - copy attached. Specific bills can be other than expect...

AI summary The text explains that estimated meter readings are reconciled with actual readings through a self-reconciling process, similar to a car odometer. Errors in estimated readings do not affect subsequent readings, ensuring accuracy. The Board approved Regulations 5.1 and 6.4, which govern this process.

error is made in reading a meter on one occasion, it will not affect the number displayed on a subsequent reading. If for example a reading of 1000 is reported as 100, the next time a reading is taken it will still be something in excess o...

AI summary The text explains that meter reading errors do not affect cumulative billing over time, as subsequent readings correct discrepancies. A DRO decision credits $1310.64 to a customer's account, concluding N.S.Power appropriately billed them. The customer may appeal to the NSEB, and Efficiency N S is referenced for on-premise energy use discussions.

There was a decision made by DRO in Nov of 2025 which resulted in my meter being taken and read. Resulted in a refund again. However after new meter was replaced NS power did not even start taking reading dec jan / feb March/ NO APRIL ......

AI summary Customer reports NS Power failed to properly read meters after a DRO decision in 2025, leading to estimated readings and refunds. Claims original meter was off by 6000 kwts, requesting full account audit due to distrust in NS Power's billing accuracy.

Lora Trachsel As I indicated earlier "Vor dispute has two dimensions - A Impact of estimated meter readings on your bill, and~ Meter accuracy With respect to A, as stated in the Final Decision dispute summary : "that your 16 Oct 2025 bill,...

AI summary The dispute involves billing based on estimated meter readings and meter accuracy. The DRO concluded that the meter is accurate and billing was appropriate under regulations. The customer may appeal to the NSEB within 12 days.

Add tag Customer... 2025-11-20 to nspdisputeresolu... ~ Mr. Farmer, The first attachment is a copy of the tests results on the meter that previously serviced the subject premises, Meter #2283287. The second attachment is a letter to the cu...

AI summary NS Power asserts that the customer's account was billed correctly, citing meter test results and a letter to the customer. The next bill will reconcile usage to the meter reading of 207,878.

- November 3, 2025 The customer contacted the DRO regarding their billing and subsequently provided consent for the DRO to review the matter. NS Power suspended further collection activity pending the DRO's decision. This is referenced on...

AI summary A customer disputed NS Power's billing accuracy, leading to a DRO investigation. The DRO ruled in NS Power's favor, but the customer later escalated concerns over estimated vs. actual meter readings (14,980 kWh vs. 21,843 kWh). NS Power requested a complete meter image, and the customer sought a full account audit.

From: Lora Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2026 1:51 PM To: Carley Freeman Cc: Sofia Reiner ; Forsey, Lisa ; Murray, Kathleen ; Ross, Jennifer Subject: Re: M12846 - NSPI to NSEB Lora Trachsel ORO Appeal \ \ Exercise Caution - This is an external...

AI summary Lora appeals an ORO decision, arguing that NS Power's response to her complaint focused narrowly on meter accuracy and limited billing periods, rather than conducting a comprehensive audit of her account history. She highlights issues including a cyber incident, estimated billing, administrative errors, and delayed billing, and asserts that discrepancies were only addressed after she submitted her own documentation.

REDACTED 1 Request IR-1: 2 3 On May 20, 2026, NS Power provided Ms. Trachsel's Account Usage Info in Attachment 1 4 that shows the first bill dated October 15, 2020, for while her Statement of 5 Account in the same Attachment 1 only went b...

AI summary The document outlines information requests related to Ms. Trachsel's account with NS Power, including the start date of her account, meter details, installation dates, and testing history. It also references a DRO appeal (NSEB M12846) and NSPI's responses to information requests.

NON-CONFIDENTIAL 1 Request IR-2: 2 3 According to the copies of Ms. Trachsel's bills NS Power provided the Board on May 20, 4 2026, there were three estimated bills issued in 2025 and one in 2026. 5 6 The December 2025 bill covers the serv...

AI summary The document outlines a series of information requests related to billing discrepancies and meter readings for Ms. Trachsel, including inquiries about estimation methods, access to usage data, meter reading methods, billing gaps, and requests for historical and current billing information.

NON-CONFIDENTIAL 1 Response IR-2: 2 3 Consumption was estimated by looking at the usage in the previous year (2024) for the same 4 period(s) divided by the number of days. See the details below for each bill. 5

AI summary The response estimates consumption by dividing the usage from the previous year (2024) for the same period(s) by the number of days, with detailed information provided for each bill.

10 Bill date: 15 August 2025 Bill Date Revenue Year/Mth Current Read Date Days Estimate d Usage Avg Usage per Day 8/15/2025 2025/08 6/13/2025 8/15/2025 63 6,290 99.84 11

AI summary The document contains a table with billing information for a customer, including the bill date, revenue year/month, current read date, days, estimated usage, and average daily usage. The data reflects a billing cycle ending on August 15, 2025.

3 Bill Date: 16 October 2025 Previous Avg Revenue Read Current Estimate Usage Bill Date Year/Mth Date Read Date Days d Usage per Day 10/16/2025 2025/10 8/15/2025 10/16/2025 62 5,267 84.95 4 Prior Revenue Meter Prior Year Usage Per Day w/Mu...

AI summary The document contains a table with billing information, including revenue, usage, and dates related to a customer's energy consumption. It outlines prior and current usage metrics, as well as average daily usage calculations.

\ \ EXTERNAL EMAIL / COURRIEL EXTERNE \ \ Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking on links / Faites preuve de prudence si vous ouvrez une pièce jointe ou cliquez sur un lien I am also providing my current Nova Scotia Power bi...

AI summary The customer is providing their current Nova Scotia Power bill and a photo of their meter, noting a discrepancy between the recorded and actual readings. They request that NSP personnel inspect the meter during their visit to resolve billing concerns.

CONFIDENTIAL (ATTACHMENT ONLY) 1 The meter read was not done over the air because the customer had opted out of the smart 2 meter program and the Radio Frequency (RF) was turned off for this meter, eliminating 3 the wireless communication...

AI summary The document discusses a situation where a meter read was not done remotely due to the customer opting out of the smart meter program. It also mentions safety concerns related to unsecured dogs preventing meter readers from accessing the property. A new bill was generated based on a meter read taken on August 26, 2026.

331049 Page 1 of 3 1 Request IR-1: 2 On May 20, 2026, NS Power provided Ms. Trachsel's Account Usage Info in Attachment 1 that 3 shows the first bill dated October 15, 2020, for while her Statement of Account 4 in the same Attachment 1 onl...

AI summary The document outlines requests for information regarding billing errors and meter testing for Ms. Trachsel's account. It includes details about the timeline of billing, meter installation, and testing, as well as discrepancies in billing periods and the reasons for estimated bills.

331049 Page 2 of 3 - (a) Please explain in detail how NS Power estimated the consumption in the June, August and October 2025 bills? - (b) If NS Power now has access to usage data that was not available during the cyber incident, please pr...

AI summary The text consists of a series of questions directed at NS Power regarding billing practices, meter reading methods, and the accuracy of estimated bills for Ms. Trachsel. The questions focus on how consumption was estimated during specific periods and whether actual usage data was available.

Request IR-4: - NS Power said that, on March 16, 2026, Ms. Trachsel requested copies of her previous three bills - and wanted to be removed from paperless billing, and that NS Power fulfilled her request on April - 17, 2026. - Ms. Trachsel...

AI summary NS Power fulfilled Ms. Trachsel's request to access her previous bills and remove herself from paperless billing. Her April 2026 bill includes a usage adjustment of -$1,248.23 and related GST and Provincial Rebate adjustments. The request seeks clarification on whether she had prior issues accessing bills online and the calculation of the adjustments.

Request IR-5: - The Board's IR-1(g) asked about NS Power's system error that resulted in Ms. Trachsel's - February 2026 bill not including any energy charges. NS Power did not explain the error in its - response. - In responding to the Boa...

AI summary The document outlines a series of questions raised by the Board regarding NS Power's billing errors and meter reading issues affecting Ms. Trachsel's account. These include system errors, estimated bills due to meter read failures, and concerns about the inability to perform wireless meter reads despite system restoration.

September 2, 2026 Loralinde Trachsel Dear Loralinde Trachsel, Re: Account No. Meter No. We are writing to confirm the results of the recently requested meter test. This test was conducted following your inquiry regarding electrical usage a...

AI summary Nova Scotia Power confirms the results of a meter test conducted at the request of Loralinde Trachsel, indicating the meter operates within prescribed accuracy limits. The letter outlines options for further testing by Measurement Canada and mentions customer service contact details and energy-saving programs.

METER READING When reasonably possible, meters shall be read bi-monthly; however, the Company may read meters on a monthly basis. . . .

AI summary The document outlines the requirement for meter readings to be taken bi-monthly when reasonably possible, though the Company may opt for monthly readings.

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 the process for estimating meter readings when actual readings cannot be obtained and specifies that adjustments will be made once actual readings are available. It also references account usage summaries based on information before the Board.

3 you the option to change to a 55W LED as it could no longer repair or replace High Pressure Sodium lights. You accepted this option. According to NS Power's response to the Board's IR-2, it estimated your usage during periods when actual...

AI summary The document details how NS Power estimated electricity usage during periods when actual meter reads were unavailable by using historical data. The Board found that this method complied with Regulation 5.1. The December 2025 bill corrected overcharged amounts from previous bills and included charges based on actual meter reads from November 2025 and April 2025.

he June 2025 bill (5,777 kWh), August 2025 bill (6,290 kWh) and October 2025 bill (5,267 kWh); and - charged you for the 16,691 kWh (207,878 kWh read in November 2025 191,187 kWh read in April 2025). This bill, therefore, fully and correct...

AI summary The document discusses discrepancies in billing due to meter replacement errors, noting that energy charges were not issued for a period in late 2025 and were incorrectly calculated in February 2026. The Board accepts the reconciled energy charges based on actual meter reads.

Table 4: 2026 Bill date Reading Usage Daily usage Account balance Service period February 13, 2026 0 $3,393.30 December 12, 2025 – February 13, 2026 April 17, 2026 21843 estimated 21843 136.5 $7,722.10 November 7, 2025 – April 16, 2026 (16...

AI summary The document includes a table showing billing details for a customer in 2026, including estimated usage and account balances. NS Power explained that an estimated bill was issued due to the customer opting out of over-the-air meter reading and the lack of time to read the meter in person.

The bill dated April 22, 2026, was issued after you provided the DRO with the picture of the meter that showed a 15,118 kWh read. Compared to the 21,843 kWh estimated usage in the bill dated April 17, 2026, NS Power issued an adjustment fo...

AI summary The customer received an adjustment credit for overbilling in April 2026 due to a meter reading discrepancy. The June 2026 bill was estimated due to meter reading difficulties, but the August 2026 bill used actual meter readings. Meters were tested and found accurate, and the Board accepts their accuracy.