Nova Scotia Power billed customer $500 for cottage that had power shut off for a year

Nova Scotia Power billed a customer nearly $500 for a cottage that's had the power switched off for about a year, according to the owner.

Eric Orde, 89, has owned the cottage outside of Annapolis Royal for 35 years. Each year, he turns all the power off through the electrical panel when it's not being used.

He said his bill is typically $50 when the cottage isn't in use, and anywhere between $120 and $150 when he stays there for several months in the summer.

But in late October, he received a bill for $488.25 — even though the cottage has been empty since November 2024.

“I called them a bunch of thieves,” Orde told CBC News on Thursday from his home in Granville Ferry, N.S.

Orde decided to speak out after Nova Scotia’s energy board agreed last week to look at inaccurate billing and other aspects of the fallout from a cybersecurity breach at Nova Scotia Power earlier this year.

The utility has previously acknowledged that some customers are receiving inflated bills as a result of the breach.

Orde said he's never had a problem with his power bills until he received the latest statement in the mail.

By the time he received the bill, he said the money had already been taken out of his bank account because he has automatic withdrawals set up.

Orde said Nova Scotia Power initially offered him a $49 credit, then eventually gave him $200 back. He said that’s still not enough.

“I can't see that's fair because [the cottage has] never been used,” he said. “They just gave me about half the money.”

‘Not impressed’ with utility’s response

Orde said he’s not impressed with the service or the answers he’s received from Nova Scotia Power. He said he spent hours on the phone trying to get in touch with someone who could give him an explanation.

“Finally I had to give up, but I did that two or three different days,” he said. “I'm not very impressed.”

He said when he finally did connect with someone from Nova Scotia Power days later, they told him they would have to call him back.

Nova Scotia Power declined an interview request, but after CBC News reached out about Orde’s situation, a spokesperson said in a statement that a customer service representative spoke to him on Friday and addressed his concerns.

Orde told CBC News after that conversation that he's still not entirely satisfied with the outcome and feels he's being charged more than he used to be.

The utility is hosting community sessions across the province this month to “meet with customers to answer questions about their bills and help them understand the options to manage them,” according to Nova Scotia Power’s website.

A spokesperson said more sessions will be scheduled in the new year.

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