Arnprior homeowner claims unfair compensation from Hydro One
A new homeowner in Arnprior is out nearly $2,000 after having to fix his furnace and replace the thermostat in his newly built home.
Joshua Larocque was one of dozens of Arnprior homeowners who had their appliances fried in an August 7 power outage and surge.
"For the furnace, our blower motor went. And the thermostat, when they came to replace the blower motor, was also diagnosed as also having been fried," Larocque tells CTV News.
At the time, the outage was labelled an act of god, but now Hydro One, the service provider for the town of Arnprior, is offering $1,000 to those residents affected as compensation.
Larocque says he had the repairs made, and sent the invoice to Hydro One as proof.
But Larocque still hasn't been compensated. The catch - homeowners were told to file their damages through their insurance providers.
"I didn't want to do that and risk my insurance premiums go up when I've been in the home less than 30 days at this point," he says.
"So I didn't want to claim something just so soon. But on the flip side I didn't necessarily think I'd be phased out or not considered."
In a statement to CTV News, Hydro One said, "Although our maintenance on this powerline was up-to-date, we continue to work with customers who have chosen to make a claim through their home insurance to cover the cost of the deductible."
In a statement to CTV News, Hydro One said, "Although our maintenance on this powerline was up-to-date, we continue to work with customers who have chosen to make a claim through their home insurance to cover the cost of the deductible."
"It stated that this was a "good will gesture" and that doesn't sit well with me," said Larocque.
"If you're going to do that then you should have it equitable amongst your entire client base."
Hydro One goes on to say that it continues to encourage affected customers to contact customer care.
"Whether we paid repairs or deductible shouldn't matter if I can prove that it's all related."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
LIVE AT 2:30 2-hour wildfire evacuation notice issued for some Fort McMurray neighbourhoods
A wildfire evacuation alert for some Fort McMurray residents has been updated to a two-hour evacuation notice.
Maximum payout for LifeLabs class-action drops from $150 estimate to $7.86
Canadian LifeLabs customers who filed an application for a class-action settlement began receiving their payments this week, though at a much lower amount than initially expected.
Alice Munro, Nobel literature winner revered as short story master, dead at 92
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world's most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honoured short story writers, has died at age 92.
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
American sought after 'So I raped you' Facebook message detained in France on 2021 warrant
An American accused of sexually assaulting a Pennsylvania college student in 2013 and later sending her a Facebook message that said, 'So I raped you,' has been detained in France after a three-year search.
Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
1 killed, 3 injured in head-on crash on Hwy. 417 in Ottawa
Ontario Provincial Police are responding to a fatal collision involving two vehicles on Highway 417 in Ottawa's west end on Tuesday morning.
Significant police presence as Israeli flag flies at Ottawa City Hall
The Israeli flag is flying at Ottawa City Hall today to mark the country's national day, with plans to hold a private ceremony to mark Israel's Independence Day. There is a significant police presence at City Hall, including security barriers outside the main doors.
8 dead, at least 40 injured as farmworkers' bus overturns in central Florida
A bus carrying farmworkers in central Florida overturned on Tuesday, killing eight people and injuring about 40 other passengers, authorities said.