Topic:"Customer Service" in M12784

Nova Scotia Energy Board IN THE MATTER OF The Public Utilities Act, R.S.N.S. 1989, c.380, as amended 2025 Annual Performance Standards Report NS Power March 31, 2026 NON-CONFIDENTIAL 2025 Annual Performance Standards Report Non-Confidentia...

AI summary NS Power's 2025 Annual Performance Standards Report outlines its commitment to reliability under the Public Utilities Act. The document details performance metrics in customer service, outage notifications, and service connection times, contextualizing results within regulatory frameworks and potential improvements.

erse Weather Response Standards 33 14 Notification of an oncoming severe weather event 34 15 Percentage of Calls Answered within 45 Seconds 34 16 Polite Disconnect Rate 36 17 Estimated Restoration Time Updates 38 18 Percentage of Customers...

AI summary The document outlines performance standards and reliability metrics for a 2025 Annual Performance Standards Report, including severe weather response, customer service metrics, outage reporting, and reliability benchmarks like SAIDI/SAIFI. It references specific feeders (e.g., 57W-402, 91W-411) and transmission systems, emphasizing customer restoration times and infrastructure reliability.

e 3 of 115 2025 Annual Performance Standards Report Non-Confidential 1 LIST OF APPENDICES 2 Description Appendix 3 4 Regular Business Calls Answered Within 30 Seconds A 5 Customer Bills Estimated B 6 ETRs Communicated Without Delay and Out...

AI summary The document outlines the 2025 Annual Performance Standards Report, listing appendices covering metrics such as customer service response times, outage management, and service connection timelines. Filed on March 31, 2026, it details performance benchmarks across operational categories.

1 TABLE OF FIGURES 2 3 Figure 1 - Improvement in Outage Frequency (SAIFI) ................................................................ 12 4 Figure 2 - Improvement in Outage Duration (SAIDI) ................................................

AI summary The document presents a table of figures outlining performance metrics, service standards, and customer service data from a regulatory proceeding. Key themes include outage frequency and duration improvements, customer service response times, billing trends, system availability, and new connection standards.

f NS Power Customers Experiencing Multiple Interruptions - 4 and 5 29 (MED, EEDs and Planned excluded) .................................................................................... 87 DATE FILED: March 31, 2026 Page 6 of 115 2025 An...

AI summary The document references a 2025 Annual Performance Standards Report related to NS Power customers experiencing multiple service interruptions (excluding MED, EEDs, and planned outages). The report's non-confidential status and filing date (March 31, 2026) are noted.

1 2.0 2025 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS IN CONTEXT 2 3 In 2025, the Performance Standards for SAIFI and SAIDI continued to trend positively. Tree 4 contact outages showed further improvement, and equipment-related interruptions in 2025 5 were amo...

AI summary In 2025, NS Power improved SAIFI and SAIDI metrics but missed SAIDI targets due to a cyber incident in April 2025. The incident led to manual meter readings, customer outreach, and delayed billing. Call volume to customer service increased by 46%, prompting staff expansion. NS Power addressed impacts through forums and adjusted billing processes.

NS Power responded by increasing the number of agents available to take calls and 26 address customer concerns during this time. NS Power was able to train 40 additional staff 27 and return to meeting the metric of answering 70 percent of...

AI summary NS Power increased call center staff to meet customer service metrics, achieving 70% call resolution within 30 seconds. Performance standards exclude planned outages and major event days but include foreign interference events like vehicle accidents and dig-ins, which accounted for over 10% of 2025 SAIDI interruptions.

4.21 76V-301 Achieved: 2.93 57S-401 Achieved: 2.65 Adverse NS Power to notify Notification of customers of the Weather Target Met EOC Opening decision to open the Response EOC within 4 hours DATE FILED: March 31, 2026 Page 20 of 115 2025 A...

AI summary The 2025 Annual Performance Standards Report details NS Power's achievement of targets for outage call answer rates (85% within 45 seconds during severe outages), polite disconnects (3.6% annually), and ETR updates provided without delay. It also outlines procedures for notifying customers during adverse weather events and restoring power within 48 hours for significant events.

days for a SED December 19-20 EED/MED: Target Met Notify all customers Customer of an outage as soon Notification of as NS Power has Target Met Outages knowledge of an outage event. Service Installation 2.6 days No Pole: ≤ 3.0 days Service...

AI summary NS Power outlines service installation timelines and outage notification targets. Key metrics include 2.6 days for no-pole service installations, 4.2 days for pole/transformer installations, and 2.6 days for service response. Outage notification targets are met, with customers informed as soon as NS Power becomes aware of an outage.

Page 22 of 115 2025 Annual Performance Standards Report Non-Confidential 1 Figure 7 – 2025 Performance Standards Not Met Category Standard Target 2025 Result SAIDI ≤4.29 4.79 85S-401 CKAIDI 16.54 Not Achieved: 20.91 Reliability 57W-402 Not...

AI summary NSP's 2025 Annual Performance Standards Report shows missed targets for reliability metrics (SAIDI: 4.79 vs ≤4.29) and customer service (60.6% call answer rate vs 70% target, 37.8% estimated bills vs ≤2.0% target). Non-achievement is cited with references 85S-401, 57W-402, and 91W-411.

, 2026 Page 23 of 115 2025 Annual Performance Standards Report Non-Confidential 1 3.0 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS RESULTS 2 3 3.1 Customer Service Standards and Targets 4 5 In 2024, the NSUARB approved the following metrics associated with the c...

AI summary The 2025 Annual Performance Standards Report details how a cyber incident on April 25, 2025, disrupted NS Power's Advanced Meter Infrastructure (AMI), leading to missed customer service targets for estimated bills and call answer rates. The incident increased call volumes by ~46% and support requests by ~189%, prompting NS Power to hire additional staff and use manual meter readings to resume billing by June 2025.

ta was unavailable, customer bills were estimated using the 26 Company’s Customer Information System (CIS) estimation routine. 27 28 The 2025 results for each of these metrics are detailed below. DATE FILED: March 31, 2026 Page 24 of 115 2...

AI summary When the Customer Information System (CIS) was unavailable, customer bills were estimated using the CIS estimation routine. The 2025 Annual Performance Standards Report details 2025 results for metrics like the percentage of calls answered within 30 seconds.

Page 24 of 115 2025 Annual Performance Standards Report Non-Confidential 1 Percentage of calls answered within 30 seconds 2 3 The description of this standard and the applicable target are set out in Appendix O. The standard 4 requires NS...

AI summary The 2025 Annual Performance Standards Report details NS Power's failure to meet the 70% target for answering customer calls within 30 seconds, citing a cyber incident as the cause. The metric dropped to 60.64% annually, with supporting data in Appendix A. The NSUARB previously directed NS Power to explain deviations from performance targets in annual reports, applying to metrics like call response times and outage restoration.

severe weather event, percentage of calls answered within 45 seconds 23 during a severe outage event, and percentage of polite disconnects for all 24 outage calls. 1 25 26 NS Power met the service level prior to the cyber incident, with a...

AI summary NS Power met 78% of call-answer targets pre-cyber incident but dropped to 54% post-incident, missing 70% annual targets. Performance declined significantly after the cyber event, with only six of twelve months meeting the 30-second response goal in 2025.

ds did not meet the target for 2 2025, with six out of the twelve months meeting the target as shown in Figure 8. 3 4 Figure 8 - Monthly Percentage of Calls Answered within 30 Seconds

AI summary The target for 2025 was not met, with only six of twelve months achieving the goal. Figure 8 illustrates monthly performance metrics, showing the percentage of calls answered within 30 seconds.

Period Period Service Level (%) YTD Cumulative Total Interactions Service Level (%) Pre-Cyber Incident 78.23 275,930 January 82.83 82.83 85,883 February 73.11 78.41 71,690 March 75.74 77.60 67,988 April 1-23 81.02 78.23 50,369 Post-Cyber I...

AI summary The table shows a significant drop in service levels from 78.23% pre-cyber incident to 54.35% post-cyber incident, with monthly service levels fluctuating between 38.03% and 77.37%. Total interactions increased from 275,930 pre-incident to 1,048,510 year-to-date, indicating heightened customer engagement following the incident.

December 77.37 60.64 86,472 Year-to-Date 60.64 60.64 1,048,510 5 6 Figure 8 shows the monthly and cumulative results for calls answered within 30 seconds, along 7 with the total calls received. The Period Service Level column shows the mon...

AI summary The text discusses service level performance metrics for customer interactions in 2025, highlighting differences between January and November/December. January showed higher service levels due to more self-serve resolutions and shorter calls, while November/December had lower levels due to fewer self-serve options and more complex interactions, despite similar call volumes.

Page 26 of 115 2025 Annual Performance Standards Report Non-Confidential 1 NS Power’s Customer Care Centre received over one million calls from customers in 2025. 2 NS Power customer care representatives supported over 200,000 more custome...

AI summary NS Power's 2025 customer service handled over 1 million calls, a 200,000 increase from 2024, leading to longer call durations. Additional staff and third-party resources were deployed to manage volume, with service levels recovering by December through outreach and resource allocation.

Page 28 of 115 2025 Annual Performance Standards Report Non-Confidential 1 The Company responded to the loss of its primary billing process with back-up continuity 2 protocols, including implementing a manual meter reading program. NS Powe...

AI summary NS Power addressed a 2025 cyber incident disrupting billing systems by implementing manual meter reading, training staff, and restoring AMI connectivity. Over 90% of meter connectivity was restored by the report's filing, though the incident caused a surge in estimated bills (1.0% in 2024, 0.7% in 2023). Customer outreach included payment deferrals and community forums.

he outcome for this metric as outlined above. Previous results for annual estimated bills in recent 21 years were 1.0 percent in 2024 and 0.7 percent in 2023. 22 Customer Notifications of Outages 23 The description of this standard and app...

AI summary The text references annual estimated bill metrics (1.0% in 2024, 0.7% in 2023) and outlines NS Power's 2025 performance in customer outage notifications via live maps, HVCA systems, and social media, meeting Appendix O standards.

33 of 115 2025 Annual Performance Standards Report Non-Confidential 1 Notification of an oncoming severe weather event 2 3 The description of this standard and the applicable target are set out in Appendix O. NS Power 4 is required to noti...

AI summary NS Power met 2025 performance standards by notifying customers within four hours of opening the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) during two storm events and achieving an 85% call answer rate within 45 seconds at the Customer Care Centre. Supporting documentation is referenced in Appendix E and Appendix O.

6 Page 34 of 115 2025 Annual Performance Standards Report Non-Confidential 1 NS Power met or exceeded the 85 percent target for the percentage of calls answered within 45 2 seconds during both significant weather events: 3 4 (1) MED Decemb...

AI summary NS Power met or exceeded the 85% target for answering 85% of outage calls within 45 seconds during two significant weather events in 2025. The HVCA system and additional trained staff ensured high call handling capacity during severe storms.

t NS Power has the flexibility to ramp up staffing as 20 required to meet the needs of customers during storm events. 21 22 Figure 14 - Percentage of Outage Calls Answered within 45 Seconds Severe Weather Event Date(s) Date Target (%) Resu...

AI summary NS Power demonstrated effective call handling during severe weather events, meeting or exceeding targets (96.98% and 93.32%) for answering outage calls within 45 seconds. The polite disconnect rate for 2025 was 3.64%, well below the 10% threshold, with performance data detailed in appendices.

rovince. The FLISR Implementation 13 project includes work on Wreck Cove Feeder 85S-401 and is filed with the NSEB under matter 14 M12417 and is detailed below. 15 Reliability Engagement 16 The Reliability team has focused on supporting st...

AI summary The FLISR Implementation project on Wreck Cove Feeder 85S-401 is filed under NSEB matter M12417. NS Power's Reliability team engages stakeholders, including community leaders, through reliability updates, customer support, and regional Reliability Advisors across four provincial regions. Figure 31 lists 84 reliability engagements completed in 2025.

Date Type Date Type January-25 Elected Official Meeting July-25 Customer Support Roadshow - Millbrook January-25 Elected Official Meeting July-25 Customer Support Roadshow - Lower Sackville January-25 Elected Official Meeting July-25 Custo...

AI summary The text lists a schedule of events including elected official meetings, customer support roadshows, and community reliability initiatives conducted by NS Power across Nova Scotia from January to August 2025, focusing on customer engagement and service delivery.

Elected Official Meeting May-25 Home Show/Conference August-25 Elected Official Meeting May-25 Community Reliability - Hammonds Plains/Lucasville August-25 Elected Official Meeting May-25 Community Reliability - Queens County August-25 Cha...

AI summary The document outlines a schedule of meetings and events, including elected official meetings, community reliability initiatives, customer support roadshows, and stakeholder engagement activities across Nova Scotia from May to November. Events focus on customer service, community outreach, and infrastructure reliability.

October-25 Media Panel June-25 Customer Support Roadshow - Barrington Passage November-25 Community Event June-25 Customer Support Roadshow - Chester Grant November-25 Home Show/Conference June-25 Customer Support Roadshow - New Waterford...

AI summary The document lists a series of customer support roadshows and community events scheduled across Nova Scotia in 2025, along with the filing of the 2025 Annual Performance Standards Report. Events include public outreach initiatives and meetings with elected officials.

Restored 5000 0 West Metro Northeast Cape Breton Provincial Customers 2 3 NS Power’s Customer Care Centre received 12,322 calls during the December 3, 2025 MED. 4 96.98 percent of calls were answered within the 45-second target. Over 81 pe...

AI summary NS Power's Customer Care Centre handled 12,322 calls during the December 3, 2025 MED, achieving 96.98% call answer rates within 45 seconds. 81.4% of customers were satisfied with HVCA self-service, while 3,203 opted for CSA assistance. Metrics highlight service efficiency during outage events.

2025 120000 Total Customers Out 100000 80000 60000 48 Hours Dec 21 15:25 40000 98.9% Restored 20000 0 West Metro Northeast Cape Breton Provincial Customers 2 3 NS Power’s Customer Care Centre received 56,401 calls during the December 19-20...

AI summary NS Power's Customer Care Centre handled 56,401 calls during the December 19-20, 2025 EED/MED, with 93.32% answered within 45 seconds. 79.7% of customers were satisfied with HVCA self-service, while 12,100 opted for CSA assistance. Figure 72 details these metrics.

ntial HVCA Satisfied (Self Service) 50,172 Agent Answered (Voice) 12,100 Percentage HVCA Satisfied 79.70% # of Polite Disconnects 7 Average Speed of Answer (in 104 second) Service Level (Percentage Answered 93.32% in 45 Seconds or Less) 1...

AI summary The document outlines NS Power's customer service performance (HVCA satisfaction, call handling metrics) and details mobilization of over 400 field personnel to restore power during the December 19-20, 2025 EED/MED event, referencing Figure 73 for crew deployment data.

within 48 hours Outage Report required for events impacting Outage Report greater than 30,000 customers. A minimum of 70% of calls shall be answered Regular Business Call Answer within 30 seconds at NS Power Customer Care Rate Centre No mo...

AI summary The document outlines NS Power's 2025 Annual Performance Standards, including outage reporting requirements for events affecting over 30,000 customers, customer service metrics (e.g., 70% of calls answered within 30 seconds), billing accuracy targets, outage notification protocols, and service installation timelines for various connection types.

2 The 2025 performance standards results demonstrate that NS Power’s plans to improve reliability, 3 customer experience and adverse weather response are working. Structuring the business to focus 4 on Reliability with the creation of a Re...

AI summary NS Power's 2025 performance shows improved reliability through vegetation management and equipment replacement, reducing outages by 20% from tree contacts and equipment failures. Adverse weather standards were met, but a cyber event in April 2025 impacted customer service metrics, though core operations remained unaffected. NS Power remains on track to meet reliability targets while balancing cost efficiency.

March 31, 2026 Page 115 of 115 2025 Performance Standards Report Appendix A Page 1 of 1 Appendix A Regular Business Call Answer Response Supporting Documentation

AI summary Supporting documentation for the 2025 Performance Standards Report Appendix A, focusing on Regular Business Call Answer Response metrics. The text references performance standards but does not provide detailed analysis or data.

NS Power 2025 Results for Regular Business Calls Answered within 30 Seconds Period Period Service Level (%) YTD Cumulative Total Interactions Service Level (%) Pre-Cyber Incident 78.23 275,930 January 82.83 82.83 85,883 February 73.11 78.4...

AI summary NS Power's 2025 data shows a significant drop in service levels (from 78.23% pre-cyber incident to 54.35% post-incident), with recovery efforts evident in December (77.37%). Total interactions increased year-to-date to 1,048,510, but service levels remained below pre-incident benchmarks.

77.37 60.64 86,472 Year-to-Date 60.64 60.64 1,048,510 2025 Performance Standards Report Appendix B Page 1 of 1 Appendix B Customer Bills Estimated Supporting Documentation NS Power 2025 Results for Customer Bills Estimated Percentage Month...

AI summary Appendix B presents NS Power's 2025 monthly data on customer bills produced versus estimated, with YTD estimates at 37.8%. Appendix C discusses outage communication system uptime for 2025, focusing on ETRS (Estimated Time of Restoration) delivery and operational system availability.

2025 Performance Standards Report Appendix E Page 4 of 5 3. NS Power Website – December 19, 2025 4. Social Media – December 19, 2025 Twitter Facebook 2025 Performance Standards Report Appendix E Page 5 of 5 2025 Performance Standards Repor...

AI summary The 2025 Performance Standards Report includes data on outage call handling during Major Event Days (MED), with 93.32% of calls answered within 45 seconds during Dec 19-20, 2025. Data sources are CISCO Unified Intelligence Center (CUIC) and High-Volume Call Answer (HVCA) systems, excluding regular business and abandoned calls.

pendix G Page 1 of 1 Appendix G Polite Disconnection Rate Supporting Documentation NS Power 2025 Results for Polite Disconnection Rate Total Polite % Polite Disconnects Disconnects January 15 0.23% February 29 0.46% March 201 4.14% April 2...

AI summary NS Power's 2025 Polite Disconnection Rate data shows monthly disconnects ranging from 0.04% to 16.38%, with a YTD rate of 3.64%. Appendix H references SAIDI/SAIFI documentation, indicating focus on system reliability metrics. Data sources include IVR production databases.

ieved 76V-301: 2.93 Achieved 57S-401: 2.65 Achieved 2. Customer Service Response Standards 2025 Results Standard Target 2025 Result Outcome A minimum of 70 % of calls shall be answered within 30 60.6% Not Achieved Regular Business Call sec...

AI summary NSP's 2025 Customer Service Response Standards report shows mixed results: call answer rates (60.6%) and estimated bill percentages (37.8%) fell below targets, while outage notifications met targets. Service installation times for new connections were achieved within specified thresholds.

2.3 days Achieved ≤3.2 days. 2025 Performance Standards Report Appendix M Page 2 of 2 Standard Target 2025 Result Outcome Service Installation Line Extension <10 Poles: ≤6.2 5.1 days Achieved days. Service Installation Line Extension ≥ 10...

AI summary The 2025 Performance Standards Report details NS Power's achievements in service installation and adverse weather response. Service installation targets for line extensions were met, with results below the target days. Adverse weather response included timely EOC notifications and high call answer rates during outages, both meeting their respective targets.

dards (vi) Outage Report for adverse weather events impacting ≥ 30,000 customers. Compliance: NS Power’s compliance across all adverse weather response metrics will be assessed on an annual basis. Standard 5 – Customer notification of an o...

AI summary NS Power must report outages from adverse weather events affecting ≥30,000 customers annually and notify all customers of severe weather within 4 hours of opening its Emergency Operations Centre. Call centre performance is measured by the percentage of calls answered within 45 seconds by representatives.

mation of the metric if a customer chooses to speak to a customer representative. Alternatively, if a customer chooses an automated system, those calls are included in the calculation of this metric. 1 MEDs and EEDs are defined using the I...

AI summary The document outlines performance standards for NS Power's customer service during outages, including benchmarks for call answering rates during severe events (MEDs/EEDs), polite disconnect rates, and ETR updates. Metrics exclude Hurricane Dorian data per NSUARB Decision M10279, using IEEE 1366-2012 methodologies.

estore (ETR) updates Metric: The performance standard around estimated restoration times shall aim to promptly provide customers with accurate information based on information available with NS Power. Benchmark: NS Power shall provide ETR...

AI summary NS Power is required to provide accurate Estimated Time of Restoration (ETR) updates without delay. Performance benchmarks for customer restoration within 48 hours of severe weather events are set using historical data (2017–2025) minus one standard deviation, with separate targets for Major Event Days (MEDs), Extreme Event Days (EEDs), and Significant Event Days (SEDs).

SEDs 2017-2025 Average 96.71 85.45 96.19 Standard Deviation 6.13 14.47 5.65 3 For the Board to assess whether ETR updates were provided to customers without delay, as part of its annual reports, NS Power shall submit a compliance statement...

AI summary The document outlines performance standards for outage restoration, customer service metrics, and regulatory reporting requirements. Key metrics include SEDs, MEDs, and EEDs with specific customer restoration targets and CHI thresholds. NS Power must submit compliance statements and outage reports for major events, referencing Matter M09524.

ndards: (i) Percentage of calls answered within 30 seconds (ii) Percentage of customer bills that can be estimated (iii) Customer notification of outages (iv) New service connection times Compliance: NS Power’s compliance across all custom...

AI summary NS Power must meet customer service standards, including answering 70% of calls within 30 seconds (excluding severe weather) and estimating bills when meters are inaccessible. Compliance is evaluated annually, with adjustments made once meter access is restored.

ill for the customer or facility whose meter they could not access. When NS Power crews can access the meters, the customer’s bill is then adjusted retrospectively to reflect the actual meter reading. Benchmark: As a percentage of total bi...

AI summary NS Power must limit estimated bills to 2% of total bills annually, notify customers of outages promptly via multiple channels, and meet new service connection time targets based on a 5-year rolling average. Metrics exclude major/extreme event days, with a two-day service delivery floor.

Metric 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 5 Notification of Met Met Met Met Met Met Met Met Met EOC Opening 6 Outage Call ≥85% ≥85% ≥85% ≥85% ≥85% ≥85% ≥85% ≥85% ≥85% Answer Rate 96.0 96.3 (01/4-6) 91.57 (07/21) 97.90 n/a 97.76 (...

AI summary The table presents performance metrics from 2017 to 2025, showing EOC Opening compliance as 'Met' annually and Outage Call Answer Rate targets (≥85% within 45 seconds). Specific call answer rates and dates are noted, including a reference to 'Dorian' (likely Hurricane Dorian in 2019).

Metric 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 10 Regular Calls ≥70% ≥70% ≥70% ≥70% ≥70% ≥70% ≥70% ≥70% ≥70% Answer Rate In 30 72.0 73.0 66.67 72.76 75.1 71.1 76.30 81.3% 60.64% Seconds 11 Percentage of ≤2% ≤2% ≤2% ≤2% ≤2% ≤2% ≤2% ≤2%...

AI summary The table presents performance metrics from 2017 to 2025, including call answer rates, bill estimation accuracy, outage notifications, and service connection timelines. Metrics show fluctuations in customer service efficiency, billing accuracy, and service reliability over time, with targets and thresholds indicated for each year.

2025 Annual Performance Standards Report (NSEB M12784) NSPI Responses to Consumer Advocate Information Requests NON-CONFIDENTIAL 1 Request IR-2: 2 3 Reference: Customer service standards and targets. 4 5 On page 27, line 12 to 13, the Repo...

AI summary Nova Scotia Power Inc. (NSPI) attributes its 2025 service level shortfall (60.6% vs. target) to a 40% year-over-year increase in workload due to higher call volume and handle times between May-December 2025. NSPI claims this increase, compared to 2024 baseline metrics, caused a ~23% service level impact.

2025 Annual Performance Standards Report (NSEB M12784) NSPI Responses to Nova Scotia Energy Board Information Requests NON-CONFIDENTIAL 1 (e) A breakdown of total substations, including primary and secondary voltage level, 2 number of cust...

AI summary NSPI provides data on substation performance, outage causes, reliability projects, and customer satisfaction metrics in response to NSEB's information requests. The response includes customer numbers by region (2021-2025), outage cause percentages, reliability project expenditures, and references to attachments and the Annual Power Line Technician Report.

73 65 Provincial 83 74 66 72 72 15 16 Business Customer Satisfaction: Ability to Restore Power Quickly Region 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 West 88 83 81 84 83 Metro 78 75 71 76 80 Northeast 88 84 74 75 81 Cape Breton 85 82 70 74 72 Provincial...

AI summary The text presents tables showing provincial and regional business customer satisfaction metrics for power restoration speed (2021-2025) and distribution line lengths by voltage class (2025). Data highlights regional performance variations and infrastructure metrics, part of a 2025 Annual Performance Standards Report submitted to the Nova Scotia Energy Board (NSEB).

2025 Annual Performance Standards Report (NSEB M12784) NSPI Responses to Nova Scotia Energy Board Information Requests NON-CONFIDENTIAL 1 Request IR-23: 2 3 Page 25 of the report and Appendix A and Appendix B 4 5 (a) Please confirm, or exp...

AI summary NSPI confirms a correlation between reduced service levels (June 2025) and increased billing concerns starting May 2025. The cyber incident significantly impacted customer service complexity, requiring manual resolution due to system outages. Billing confusion and estimate inaccuracies drove elevated call volumes, with 2023-2024 baselines referenced for comparison.

(c) Customer concerns with the billing experience represented a significant component of call 30 volume to the customer care centre. Relative to the average baseline in 2023-2024, Billing Date Filed: May 29, 2026 NSPI (NSEB) IR-23 Page 1 o...

AI summary Customer concerns with billing accuracy and understanding estimated bills led to a 46% increase in call volume at NSPI's customer care centre in 2025 following a cyber incident, according to NSPI's responses to NSEB information requests in Matter M12784.

2025 Annual Performance Standards Report (NSEB M12784) NSPI Responses to Nova Scotia Energy Board Information Requests NON-CONFIDENTIAL 1 Request IR-24: 2 3 Page 27 of the report states: 4 5 “Approximately 40 additional customer care repre...

AI summary NSPI responds to NSEB's inquiry about recruitment efforts for customer care representatives post-cybersecurity breach in 2025, providing details on four requisitions with posting dates, applicant numbers, and hires. The report highlights 40 new hires across multiple recruitment drives, though only 13-16 were ultimately selected per requisition.

NSPI (NSEB) IR-24 Page 1 of 1 2025 Annual Performance Standards Report (NSEB M12784) NSPI Responses to Nova Scotia Energy Board Information Requests NON-CONFIDENTIAL 1 Request IR-25: 2 3 Figure 10 of the report on page 30 shows system avai...

AI summary NSPI responds to NSEB's IR-25 request regarding 2025 data network availability (66.58% uptime). The Outage Map remained functional during downtime via contingency plans, with 33.42% of time covered by these plans. The downtime was attributed to cyber incident impacts and containment efforts.

1 Request IR-1: 2 3 Refer to M12784, Exhibit N-1, Nova Scotia Power Incorporated ("NS Power") 2025 Annual 4 Performance Standards Report Non-Confidential (the "2025 PSR Report"), Section 3.1 5 Customer Service Standards and Targets, Figure...

AI summary The document contains a request (IR-1) asking NS Power about customer engagement in community forums, billing practices related to delayed payments, impacts on credit ratings, status of 2025 bills affected by a cyber event, and the timeline for restoring billing systems. NS Power's response indicates that customer attendance at forums was not classified by customer class and that many attendees were residential customers with billing concerns.

1 Request IR-2: 2 3 Refer to M12784, Exhibit N-1, the 2025 PSR Report, Section 4.0 Customer Level Reliability 4 Data, page 89 of 115, at lines 6-10 and Figure 60 Summary of Customer Level Reliability 5 Metric Use by Electric Canada Utiliti...

AI summary The request focuses on the preparation and use of Figure 60, which summarizes customer-level reliability metrics from an Electricity Canada survey, and how NS Power plans to monitor and update these metrics. NS Power explains that the figure was created using the survey results and that the full report cannot be shared due to confidentiality agreements. They also mention their reliance on Electricity Canada for updates and that they plan to use Performance Standards reporting to monitor metrics.

Date Filed: May 7, 2026 CA (NSPI) Page 1 of 3 1 Request IR-1: 2 3 Reference: Reduction in outages caused by tree strikes. 4 5 Please explain the extent to which the reduction in outages caused by tree strikes was: 6 7 a) The result of vege...

AI summary The document contains three information requests directed at Nova Scotia Power (NSP) regarding outage reduction methods, customer service performance metrics, and weather response protocols. It seeks clarification on the factors contributing to outage reductions, evidence for customer service claims, and details about NSP's weather forecasting and emergency operations.

inclusion/exclusion criteria, changes in 13 restoration practices, and/or major-event impacts) and provide the 14 underlying annual totals used for Figure 30. 15 (c) Please confirm whether the reductions in outages in 2025 are at least 16...

AI summary The text includes requests for clarification on outage reduction factors, reliability plan impacts, and customer-level reliability data. It asks NSPI to explain whether improved weather or reliability investments caused 2025 outage reductions, assess chronic feeder status, and clarify the role of CEMI/CELID metrics in reliability standards.

Document: 330133 Date Filed: May 7, 2026 Page 3 1 e) A breakdown of total substations, including primary and secondary voltage level, number 2 of customers served, number of outages experienced, and total customer hours of 3 interruptions....

AI summary The document requests detailed information on NSP's substation performance, outage causes, reliability projects, and customer satisfaction metrics. It specifically asks to confirm whether reported outage reductions exclude outages linked to MEDs and EEDs, requesting underlying data and annual outage counts for tree contact and equipment failure incidents.

Document: 330133 Date Filed: May 7, 2026 Page 9 1 Request IR-22: 2 Regarding s. 3.1 of the report, on page 24, NS Power says: 3 Billing inquiries increased following the cyber incident, driving an increase in overall call 4 volumes (~+46 p...

AI summary The document includes regulatory requests addressing NS Power's handling of customer service post-cyber incident, including call volume increases, service level changes, recruitment efforts, and customer understanding of billing estimates. Requests seek details on historical data, correlation with bill estimates, customer interaction complexity, and recruitment timelines.

ecurity breach. 26 b) Please provide the posting and closing dates of all recruitment efforts for customer care 27 representatives in 2025 after the cybersecurity breach. 28 c) How many people applied for the positions, out of which only 4...

AI summary The document contains two information requests: (1) details about recruitment for customer care roles post-2025 cybersecurity breach, including application numbers and selection criteria; (2) inquiries about customer notification services' reliance on data networks with 66.58% availability in 2025 and how services remained operational during outages.

Page 1 of 4 1 Request IR-1: 2 Refer to M12784, Exhibit N-1, Nova Scotia Power Incorporated (“NS Power”) 2025 Annual 3 Performance Standards Report Non-Confidential (the “2025 PSR Report”), Section 3.1 Customer 4 Service Standards and Targe...

AI summary The document contains two information requests (IR-1 and IR-2) related to Nova Scotia Power's (NSP) 2025 Performance Standards Report. IR-1 asks about customer participation in forums, delayed bill payments, credit rating impacts, and cyber event effects on billing. IR-2 inquires about the preparation of reliability data figures and their sources. Topics include customer service, billing procedures, cybersecurity, and system reliability.

ines 1-3, inclusive of footnote 8. 25 26 a) Who prepared Figure 60, NS Power or Electricity Canada and when was it prepared? 27 b) If NS Power, or its consultants, prepared Figure 60, please describe the process followed 28 to prepare it,...

AI summary The text contains regulatory inquiries directed at Nova Scotia Power (NSP) regarding data sources, methodology for figures, compliance with IEEE standards, monitoring of reliability metrics, and customer complaints about service reliability. Questions focus on transparency, accountability, and adherence to regulatory requirements.

Impact of the April 2025 Cyber Incident - The two remaining standards that were not achieved relate to customer service performance. These - results were directly affected by the cyber incident identified in April 2025. - Prior to the inci...

AI summary The April 2025 cyber incident impacted customer service performance metrics, particularly metering and billing systems, leading to increased call volumes and estimated billing. NS Power implemented measures such as additional resources, customer outreach, and customer protection actions. By March 31, 2026, systems were restored, and performance has returned to expected levels.

Regular Business Call Answer Rate In Appendix A of the Report1 , NS Power provided the monthly breakdown for its call response times. The breakdown shows that in the months prior to the cyber-security incident NS Power achieved above the 7...

AI summary The document discusses NS Power's call response times, noting a drop in performance following a cyber-security incident. While NS Power added 40 customer care representatives, the increase in staff was minimal, raising questions about the service level degradation. The SBA acknowledges the increased complexity of calls but highlights the inconsistency in NS Power's response.

Percentage of Bills Estimated Given the impact of the cyber-security incident on NS Power's ability to access customer usage information through AMI and to process bills using its software system 8 , it is not surprising that the Percentag...

AI summary The cyber-security incident impacted NS Power's ability to access customer usage data and process bills, leading to a significant number of estimated bills. The SBA suggests that the resulting impacts on customers should be addressed through ongoing matters before the Board examining the incident. NS Power provided reasonable explanations for the increase in estimated bills and noted that credit implications would only arise once data batches resumed.

3.0 SMALL BUSINESS ADVOCATE'S COMMENTS The SBA provided comments about the five standards which NS Power failed to achieve in 2025. 3.1 Customer Service The SBA reviewed the results for both the regular business call response rate and the...

AI summary The Small Business Advocate (SBA) comments on NS Power's failure to meet five standards in 2025, specifically highlighting concerns about customer service and the percentage of estimated bills. The SBA acknowledges the impact of a cybersecurity incident but raises concerns about NS Power's response to increased call volume and the low service level percentages, particularly in November 2025. The SBA suggests that the impacts of estimated bills may be better addressed through ongoing Board matters examining the cybersecurity incident.

bills were estimated, customers were encouraged to pay the estimated bills, but that there were no negative credit implications experienced by those customers who 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 failed to pay their estimated bills. NS Power further noted th...

AI summary The text discusses NS Power's handling of estimated bills and the potential credit implications for customers who failed to pay them. It notes that no negative credit implications were experienced during the period when data batches were suspended, but emphasizes the importance of informing customers about potential consequences once billing resumes. NS Power also highlights that customer service standards were affected by a one-time cyber incident in April 2025, but systems were restored by March 31, 2026.