[COVID-19] BC Hydro giving away up to $600 to customers affected by COVID-19

March 30, 2020April 2, 2020 admin 0 Comments apartment, bc hydro, condo, construction, house, renovation, toronto, vancouver

BC Hydro doing their part

As homeowners, energy cost is always at the back of our minds. We put insulation in our walls to reduce heat loss and buy EnergyStar appliances to keep the running cost low, most of us even make sure that we turn off the light every time we leave a room. During this COVID-19 outbreak, most of us either have to self-isolate or work from home which drives up our energy bill. If we are unlucky, we may not even have income and have to rely on the government’s welfare system. BC Hydro is doing its part to help, by introducing the Customer Assistance Program to help customers experiencing financial hardship during the Coronavirus outbreak.

Customer Assistance Program for bill deferral

The COVID-19 Customer Assistance Program provides customers the option to defer bill payments or arrange for flexible payment plans with no penalty. Please keep in mind that this is only options to defer bill payment and you still have to pay the full amount regardless. BC Hydro encourages residence to call their number, 1-800-224-9376 to discuss payment options. That being said, if any customer is facing financial hardship due to job loss, illness or loss of a family member may be eligible for BC Hydro’s Customer Crisis Fund to receive up to $600 grant to pay for the bill.

BC Hydro’s Customer Crisis Fund (CFF)

Eligibility for Customer Crisis Fund is based on these following criteria:

You need to be the residential account holder.
Only your primary residence is eligible.
Your account must have overdue payments and be facing disconnection. Your current bill isn’t eligible for a CCF grant if it is not overdue or if there are credits on the account.
You must have experienced a life event, within the last 12 months, that caused a temporary financial crisis.
To apply for a grant, you need to have an outstanding balance of $1,000 or less, and should have demonstrated some attempt to make payments towards your bill.
You may receive one CCF grant per account-holder annually (one per year). If a grant application is denied and your circumstances change, you can apply again in the same year.

How to apply for Customer Crisis Fund

The application for Customer Crisis Fund can be done online by following this link https://app.bchydro.com/ccf-application to fill out an online application. Simply fill in your first and last name, with BC Hydro account number and your postal code