Even with the supports in place to protect the vulnerable, amid the pandemic, a local senior had his power shut off for two days and was forced to live with friends until he could rectify the situation.
Alalito Castillo lives and operates his business, Great Music Box, out of a property on 3rd Avenue in Downtown Drumheller. As a performer and a music teacher, the pandemic has hit his business hard, and he fell behind on his electricity bill.
He made payment arrangements with Direct Energy to keep his power connected and to rectify his bill, and made progress. Last week ATCO Electric came with an order to shut his power off.
He went back and forth with ATCO Electricity and Direct Energy on the phone to understand what happened. He was also under the impression that under The Alberta Distribution Tariff Regulation, which is part of the Electric Utilities Act, electricity cannot be disconnected between October 15 and April 15.
“I spoke to Direct Energy, and they said the only way to turn on my power was for me to pay the rest. How can I pay the rest? I made an arrangement,” he said. “My business is shut down and there are no jobs. I have a music store, but there are no music lessons. I can sell the musical instruments, but no one is buying. I am an entertainer, but there is no entertainment. So I am living off my $600 pension.”
There is an Alberta Government program that supports seniors who are facing disconnection, but because his electricity bill is in the name of his landlord, he was not able to access this support.
Castillo went to live with a friend for two days and borrowed funds to rectify his bill. His power was restored but he had a reconnection fee added to the bill. He is grateful this was reduced by half.
The Mail reached out to Direct Energy, and a spokesperson noted the issue had been resolved and a refund has been posted to the customer’s account. Direct Energy also noted this was a small business account. It appears this may be why it was eligible for disconnections and not protected under the Electric Utilities Act.