An Ottawa woman was shocked to receive hydro bills worth more than $5,300 for her cottage in Quebec after what the utility claims was years of under-paying.
Jan Hodgins received a series of bills on September 22nd telling her she owes thousands of dollars in retroactive payments. Hydro Quebec had reviewed her electricity consumption dating back to 2014 and determined she was under charged.
"It affects your health because it's financial and I've been sick for the last two weeks because of this," said Hodgins. "It falls under my name and it's my cottage and it physically makes me sick."
Hydro Quebec blames her old analog meter for the large bills. The electricity company said technicians were unable to access the meter so her monthly consumption had to be estimated based on previous years with the company. But that usage, Hydro Quebec said, has gone up.
"She was on an estimate. We sent her bills based on her past consumption which was really low in the past, about 30 or 40 dollars a month ... but now that has gone up," said Marc-Antoine Pouliot with Hydro Quebec.
Hodgins said she shouldn't be penalized.
"It's not my fault they didn't come down every year to read my meter," she said.
Hydro Quebec has offered to stretch out the payments, but said is on the hook for the full amount. It is conducting an investigation to make sure her consumption is accurate and that nobody has been stealing her electricity.
As for what comes next, Hodgins said paying the bills will be a challenge on a fixed income but is desperate to keep her lights on at the cottage. She is hoping to get an answer as to why it will cost her hundreds of dollars a month to run a small cottage on weekends.
"I don't have that kind of money," she said. I am completely distraught I don't know what I'm going to do."
