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
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Train derailed in Sarnia after colliding with a truck
Police are investigating after a transport truck collided with a train in Sarnia.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Fewer medical students going into family medicine contributing to doctor shortage
As some family doctors are retiring and others are moving away from family medicine, there are fewer medical students to take their place.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.