The Government of British Columbia and BC Hydro are extending the opportunity for companies to defer electricity bill payments.
As part of the BC Hydro COVID-19 Relief Program announced on April 1st, eligible industrial customers were given the opportunity to defer 50 per cent of their electricity bill payments for the March to May billing period.
That timeframe is being extended another three months through to August.
“Extending the deferral of BC Hydro payments builds on other measures – such as the deferral of stumpage fees – we’ve taken to address the specific COVID-19 related challenges industry has raised in our discussions,” said Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development.
“Extending the deferral of BC Hydro payments may allow some companies to resume operations sooner rather than later when we get through the situation we’re in now, or it may keep others running without disruption.”
According to the province, 26 industrial customers have taken advantage of the new bill deferral opportunity so far including mines, pulp mills, sawmills and pellet plants – deferring more than $25 million in electricity payments from March through May.
