Hydro One is seeking permission to offer pre-paid services to its customers.
The request would need to be granted by the Ontario Energy Board.
The NDP is opposed to the idea and is calling on the Liberal government to put a stop to it. "Everywhere that pre-payment metres have been used they've hurt struggling families," NDP MPP Peter Tabuns says.
Hydro One argues it may be the perfect option for customers that have trouble paying their bill. "We're trying to find more and more options to put in our repertoire of customer offerings and changes to our policies," says Ferio Pugliese.
He vows no customer would ever be forced to take the pre-paid option. "We will not do that and we can't do that. That's not even the way we choose to operate. That will not be forced on any customer, it's a choice they'll make."
If a customer's pre-paid card runs out they will not have their electricity turned off immediately. In fact, Hydro One will follow policy and send out eight notices before service is disconnected.
The NDP has also suggested that Hydro One is just looking to work around its Winter moratorium and will shut off customers power during the season if credits run out. "The fact is that is absolutely incorrect and highly speculative. I can tell you firsthand it is not being used as a tool to get around Winter moratorium and Winter relief. We genuinely went out with Winter relief and the Winter moratorium to keep people out of the cold, keep people in the light, and keep people warm through the Winter," Pugliese states.
A date for the OEB hearing hasn't been set. Pugliese says if the request is approved it could still take one year before the pre-paid option is available.