Power disconnection rules in the winter (Winter Rules)
During colder months, if you're having trouble paying your EPCOR power bill, the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) has measures to protect you.
The
Alberta's Electricity Utilities Act Distribution Tariff Amendment Regulation prohibits any utility provider in Alberta from shutting off power at residential sites or on sites that are vacant between October 15 and April 15, or any other time when the temperature is forecast to be below 0°C in a 24 hour period (known as Winter Rules). During either of these times, the Act allows utilities to apply a power limiter. A power limiter does exactly what its name says: it limits how much power you can use.
Power limiters
A power limiter is installed on residential meters for non-payment and may also be installed on sites where no one is billing for the electricity services. You'll have enough power to run heat, a few lights and a major appliance such as a fridge. If your use of power exceeds the load limit, the limiter shuts off your service. There are 2 main types of power limiters:
Restricted flow limiter
These types of limiters can be reset, and as long as you stay within the load limit you'll have electricity. The way to reset your limiter depends on which type you have.
Automated limiters
These types of power limiters provide 240 volts of power and allow for the use of 240 volt devices. The limiter provides 420 watt hours of energy consumption within a 15 minute period. If energy consumption limit is exceeded within the 15 minute period, the power will cycle off for 15 minutes.
Disconnecting power in the winter
If a customer would like to pursue a full disconnect of power when the above conditions are in effect, they must request a salvage to remove the meter at the residential site. For more information, please call
310-4300.
Reconnecting service before winter
Prior to Winter Rules going into effect in October, we work to connect with customers who have been disconnected. We will send letters to customers whose service is turned off for non-payment prior to Winter Rules and:
- Are still disconnected or;
- Have paid up their past-due, but haven't contacted us to reconnect service.
If you receive one of these letters, please contact us ASAP so we can work with you to reconnect service. If we don't hear from you, we'll also try contacting you by phone to arrange for payment and reconnection.
If we're unable to contact you by phone and your site is disconnected but you paid your past-due balance, we'll arrange for a visit to the site to verify if power needs to be restored. Letters will be left at these customer locations if there is no one present.
The end of Winter Rules
When Winter Rules end in mid-April (or later if cold temperatures persist), we work to contact customers who are on a power limiter. We will phone (we will leave a voicemail if no answer) or send a letter to customers whose power is limited for non-payment during Winter Rules, but haven’t contacted us to arrange for payment.
If you receive a phone call or a letter, please contact us ASAP so we can work with you to arrange for sufficient payment and reconnect service. If we're unable to connect with you to arrange payment, your site may be fully disconnected.
Vacant sites, or sites where services are not enrolled will be fully disconnected at the end of Winter Rules, and will not receive advance notice.
If you have a vacant site, and require power service, you
must contact us prior to April 15 to have the site enrolled for billing.