Still $2M owed from utility deferrals

By Medicine Hat News on December 3, 2020.

Local utility customers still owe about $2 million from a springtime bill deferral program that ended nearly six months ago, officials confirmed this week.

At its height, the City of Medicine Hat’s utility department was carrying unpaid accounts for about 6,900 home and small businesses as part of a provincial moratorium on gas and power bills that local officials extended to sewer, water and solid waste collection.

That grace period however, ended in mid-June, and this week, 3,900 accounts are still showing outstanding balances, according to officials with the city’s collections department.

The average balance is $510 related to the program, making for a grand total of just under $2 million.

This week, Medicine Hat officially filed paper work with utility regulators to “self-fund” costs carried because of the provincewide program.

In May, city council also provided a one-time $500,000 payment to the “Community Warmth” program that is operated by the Salvation Army and St. Vincent de Paul Society in conjunction with the utility.

The program can forward cash on a one-time basis to help clear up balances for those experiencing financial difficulty.

Officials have stressed the need for customers to address balances with a variety of payment options to avoid fees and potential disconnect.

Collections officials told the News on Wednesday that 95 accounts had been successfully handled through Community Warmth, with the related outlay totalling $136,000.

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