From SDA regular, James MacMaster: “Leave it to the CBC to blame the big, bad, gas companies when it’s actually Trudeau’s carbon tax that’s the problem.”
It wasn’t the Christmas gift Karim Guirguis was hoping for. On Dec. 27, the Ajax, Ont., man woke up to a surprise bill from Enbridge Gas for more than $1,600.
The notice told him his billing for the previous eight months had been inaccurate. Enbridge had not checked his gas meter since April, and had instead been relying on estimates. It turns out, those estimates were way off — a discrepancy that landed Guirguis facing what he calls a “whopping bill.”
Guirguis is part of a growing number of Ontarians facing frustrations — or even financial hardship — over infrequent meter readings, and inaccurate estimates by Enbridge, the country’s largest natural gas distribution company.
Dear Leader also blames grocery companies when in fact the problem is HIS inflation and HIS carbon taxes.
When told that food inflation continues at a high rate (4.7% in December), the Dear Leader said he experiences it differently. While he was recently in Jamaica, for example, he and his family never once had to pay for food.
I am retired, live on a fixed income. My grocery bills have NOT increased substantially because I plan my menus, I eat seasonal foods (no lettuce or strawberries in January) and avoid shopping in the middle of the store. No cereals, cookies or much from the candy and junk food aisles (I still consider chocolate to be an essential food item!). As well, I only go out to restaurants twice per month NOT 3 times per week.
I am currently on a “financial diet” as my house and car insurances are due in March, I have a major car service appointment AND my 9 month dental check-up ALL happen!
I am “so tired” of whiners and grifters complaining. They always have money for fake finger nails (women), tattoos, beer, cigarettes, cannabis and other useless crap. It is all a matter of priorities.
Chocolate is okay for you, but beer for me is ‘useless crap’? Get a life.
Every day that I hear stories like this, makes me feel SOOOO Glad I left Ontario in 2010…after a 3 yr “suck the life outa ya” stint there in Barrie.
Car Insurance (2 times Ab. Rates)
No one owns there own Hot water Heater – ya gotta rent it.
Many folks appear to be just ignorant A-holes for the most part – try to strike up a conversation.?? and yer looked at like some disgusting Alien.
Left in 2010 just as those lovely Ontario Hydro Digital Meters were installed – at the same time that they introduced Variable rates. 7-9 AM Hi Rate, 9-3 Mid Day rate, 3-11 PM Hi Rate….11-7AM std Electricity rate.
Supposedly done so as to force folks to do laundry & Dishes at 3 in the morning. uhuh..
Surprised Enbridge never went the Digital Meter route..?
Best thing I ever did was return bk to Calgary.
Fk Ontario
They need to sue the gas company for failing to do their job properly. He paid as billed. I have always paid utilities based on consumption, no equal billing, if the utility is not doing their job properly then they should be the losers.
Or if there are enough similarly screwed-over Enbridge customers, find a law firm that will pursue the matter as a class action. In that way, there are no legal costs for the plaintiffs unless the suit is successful. In which case the legal fees are deducted from the amount Enbridge is forced to pay.
Cannot speak for Enbridge, as I live in Sask. But I get a monthly notice to read my own meter. I do that & email it back. If I don’t bother, they do an estimate.
Wrong estimates are then on my shoulders, and I am not paying to have some lackey driving around reading numbers.
Help me out – does Enbridge give customers the option of reading their own meters?
If so – this guy’s incorrect estimates are his fault, not the big bad gas company.
Yes, Enbridge sends a reminder each month to submit your reading. You have to sign up for the reminders, they now have a contest for meter reading submissions – 3 chances to win $1000 each month.
We moved to south central Ontario from BC a few years ago to be closer to grandchildren and I find it very friendly. My car insurance is half of what it was in BC but getting snow tires changed out and undercoating every year almost cancels out the savings.
I’m an Enbridge customer in Ontario and they read the meter. I’m on equal billing. Given that I’ve lived in the same house for 20 years they might only read the meter once a year. At the end of every year they even out the account and my bill that month tends to be smaller by a bit than the rest of the year. I have never had a problem with bills or service from Enbridge.
In a new house for two years of covid, Enbridge read the meter, I paid based on consumption, higher in the winter, very low in the summer when just heating water.
Unlike Hydro which has easy access to electricity and some method to transfer data, enbridge doesn’t really have that.
whopping , is that different from wopping? like when they pour cement ?
In the article it explains that the guy installed a new swimming pool, including gas fired heater, along with a new fence / locked gate that blocked access to the meter. Not informing the gas company of his increased usage and not providing readings to them is on him, although I’m surprised the gas company would let it go that long without asking him to provide a reading.
When it comes to utilities, as long as it looks kind of status quo, like the same as it’s always been, we just pay our bills and move on,” he said.
“You feel like you’re at fault somehow, like you’ve done something wrong.
— Ingrid Raudsepp, Enbridge customer
Last year, he and his wife added a pool in their backyard, along with a locked gate to the yard as required by local bylaws. Throughout the summer and fall, he says his Enbridge bills were consistent with previous years — averaging about $60 to $80 dollars a month. ”
This doesn’t compute at all. How did they expect the status quo after they installed a swimming pool?
Enbridge states on every bill whether the usage is actual or estimated. They even provide the means by which a user can submit an accurate reading so the billing can be readjusted. Estimated bills can go on for months if there’s an issue accessing the meter. We have dogs in the backyard, where the meter is located, and we usually keep the gate locked …so I usually go several months on an estimate. After that time, they’ll reach out and ask me to provide a meter reading.
Sucks to be stupid, I suppose.
Leave it to CBC to print a non-story. It’s the equivalent to running an article about the plight of a single mother on welfare with a photo of empty pizza boxes and two-fours piled behind her and blaming Molson and Domino’s.
In Saskatoon, my meters (gas, electric, water) are all have remote reading. I ensured that the electric meter does not allow remote shutdown. My bills are all accurate to the month and any surprises are quickly discovered…such as: one cannot drown out ant nests in the lawn by plunging a copper pipe connected to the hose down into the nest without incurring an extremely large water bill (so I am back to cheaper insecticides)…
Out here in the buck brush I get gas from one of the most obtuse forms of ‘business’, a gas coop. You are required to read their metre every 30 days. Twice a year they come around and audit the metre to make sure your not cheating. If you go 60 days without a read they fine you $50. 2nd offence $100.
At times during the year I’m away for stretches of more than 60 days so I have incurred the wrath of the gas coop and had the fines levied. I pled my case but they just tell you to FO.
I gave them a credit card to bill and they do so each month. I am never in arrears and even tho they have never had a licks problem with my account I still get a fine. Now there’s a business model!