A10 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, April 4, 200] PNG to issue credits owing to faulty billing By JEFF NAGEL PACIFIC NORTHERN Gas officials say they will credit all customers who have been overcharged be- cause of faulty estimates of their gas usage. A computer error with the customer billing soft- ware PNG uses is believed responsible for the glitch. Gas companies routine- ly take actual meter read- ings every two months, and estimate the months in between. But estimates for the month of January were far too low, says Ron Vander- lee, PNG’s customer care manager, That shifted some of the gas consumed in January into the February tally. Normally that wouldn’t have been a problem be- cause the meter reading at the end of February would ensure an accurate count for the prior two months. But a rate increase took effect Feb. 1, resulting in some gas being billed at the higher February rate when it shoujd have been billed at January prices. “i don’t blame our cus- tomers for being upset,” Vanderlee says. “Everything will be fixed.” In. virtually all cases the amount homeowners have been overcharged is less than $10, Vanderlee said. He said the utility is checking all bills for the December to February per- iod to individually correct the estimation errors. Simply taking an aver- age of the problem and crediting that amount is not acceptable, he said. “Nobody’s going to be happy with an average,” he said. “We won’t be and’: neither will the customer.” Vanderlee said PNG ~ isn’t sure exactly why the « problem happened, except that it’s only having a sig- nificant effect because of idramatic price increases in recent months. He also noted it’s only affecting customers on PNG’s budget billing plan, which averages out the high and low consumption periads of the year to cre- ate a consistent monthly bill, PNG is eliminating es- timations from now until June and are instead going to read meters every month for those budget bil- ling customers. Vanderlee noted those customers haven’t actually had to pay anything yet and won't because the pro- blem will be fixed soon. That’s because the overcharges will be cor- rected before June when PNG reconciles the money customers have paid with consumption over the course of the year for those budget billed customers, “! don’t blame our customers for being upset. Everything will be fixed.” The ‘estimation glitches have hit a number of other. utilities in the Westcoast Energy group of campa- nies, Vanderlee said. Also affected are Union Gas in Ontario and Centra Gas in Manitoba and on Vancouver Island. But the timing of, the problem here — when cus- tomers are angry about the spike in gas commodity prices and PNG is im- mersed in financial diffi- , culties and is the focus of controversial rate increase applications - is an added problem PNG doesn’t need. “It’s unfortunate that ‘it’s happened, period,” said operations manager . Russell Wintersgill. “Now is even worse when you take into account we’re in the news all the time and rates are where they’re at.” The company did not Ron Vanderlee attempt to rip off its custo- mers, he and Vanderlee stress. “There's no advantage to us,” Wintersgill said, *“There’s too much agegra- vation in that.” He said the company continues to have difficul- ty making customers un- derstand it doesn’t control the commodity price — which has been the source of the bulk of recent price - increases. “We're just a trucking company,” says Winters- gill. How it worked One customer’s bill showed a meter reading of 1473 on Dec. 28, an esti- mate on Jan. 31st that the meter would by then read 1483 and then an actual meter reading on Feb. 23 of 1785. In fact, Vanderlee said, the estimate on Jan. 31 should have been 1658. That meant charges for vJanuary and the last few days of December should have been $244.88 but were actually $13.87. And February’s charges should have been around $185 but were instead $425.53, The result, in that case, is the customer was being charged $8. 7 too much. I MacKay’s Funeral Service Ltd. Terrace Crematorium - Funetal Sewke = Ph 635-2444 « -635- | one Fax 635-635-2160 Serving Terrace, Kitimat, Smithers & Prince Rupert | UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA The University of Northern British Columbia Social Work Program plans to offer its PART-TIME BACHELOR OF Monuments Bronze Plaques Concerned personal service in the Northwest since 1946 4626 Davis Street Terrace, B.C. 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(Chubb Security Systems Finally, a security system with the power fo protect in one easy step with the Chubb Quick Key ===> For a limited time Chubb is offering the security package for $24.95 per month/3 years No hidden charges *Localy Serviced *Locally Installed Chubb Security Systems 4443 Keith Avenue, Terrace | Tel: (250]638-8321 Fox: (250)638-1338 Your cost $00 VE Regular Price $699 sal Family Photos #103 4426 GREIC AVE., TERRACE, B.C. V8G 1MS Tel: 615-0033 Fax: 615-0438 Jon's Photo ts located across from the eld CO-OP, downstairs in the old medical bullding. - SOCIAL WORK in the Northwest Region beginning September 2001. General applications to UNBC are due May 15, 2001 and applications to the BSW program from qualified students are due JON'S PHOTOGRAPHBICS IS NOW OFFERING OUR NEW Engagements ONE HOUR May 30, 2001. Wedding , ; Anniversaries PORTRAIT Please call UNBC Northwest Regional Graduation STUDIO Office at 1-888-697-7388 or (250) 615-5578 *No Sitting Fee oa Staff Photos -Packages Avallatle for application packages. Sports Fick And Pay Only For What You Want New Borns “ee inngand oa . New ¢Custam Framing *Mat Cutting *Limited Time Offer JON'S PHOTOGRAPHICS Skeena Mall - Terrace April 28 . Come in and see Bonnie and Kelly Tine Bradley & Marco Demello MayI9 Danielle Parnell & Burt Wright May 19 Lori Myers & Bruce Neid y Tillie Pinlott & Shane Pearson May 26 Marsha Davis & Fred Wells Jr. July 14 Amanda Tucker & Peter De Sousa dinnerware a that’s coming in!" Flaster Sunday Brunch Residential School Survivors Workshop | Tuesday, April 10,2001 J9am.-3 p.m. Kermode Friendship Centre 33 13. Kalum Street - Terrace * Are you a survivor of Residential School? * Did your parents, grandparents, siblings attend a a Residential School? * Do you sometimes feel things aren’t right in your life and: ‘you don't understand why? + Does your family members seem disunited and you'd like to move toward improving family relationships? * Did you know the after affects of Residential School are multi-gneratobal . If you are curious about any of the above questions or have other’ questions of your own mn regarding Residential School effect, Jou a are v welcome f fo attend this toro Facilitator: - Louisa § Smit mee ae orthwest Band Social Workers Association and Kermode Fie Co- hosts: me N Cost: : Bree but pre: registration would be appreciated ” To Baier, tease call (250) 638-0744 or (250) 635-4906" ch wi will be be provided, We hope to see you a there : SCHEDULE OF FURTHER WORKSHOPS: April 6, 2001 “Multige nerati al Effects af the Residential School System to be held ‘Dze L K'ant Friendship entre, Smithers, B. C. Contact (250) 84 847. 211 to fo register o or for mote informa tion (250): $47-4973,. ee April 10, 2001 Follow-up - “Self Analysis of the generational Effects of the Residential School through Sharing/Healing Circle” at Kermode Friendship Society. Contact (250) 6380744 to register. Follow-up - “Self Analysis of the Generational Effects of the Residential | School through Sharing/Healing Circle” at the United Church of Lax Kw‘alaams, Contact Ted Ryan at (250) 625-3474 to register. . Follow-up - “Residential School History” at Movistowa Hal Contact Bo nie Danes at (250) 847-2133 to register, - , Follow-up - “Self Analysis of the Generational Bifects at tthe Residential School through Sharing/Healing Circle” at the Dze L H’ant Friendship Centre, Smithers, A C, Contact Ross Hoffman at (250) 847-5211 or (250) 847-4378 to register. ae May 28, 2001 “Residential School History” - Northwest Band Family Counsellin g Board Room, Suite 3, TAl dnd nd Avenue, West, Prince Rupert, B.C, Contact Lisa Bruce at (250) 627-8435 to register, Funded by: The Aboriginal Healing Foundation, May 3, 2001 May 8, 2001 May 9, 2001