• To learn about how you can file a complaint with the Board, please view this video.


• Pour en apprendre davantage sur le dépôt d’une plainte auprès de la Commission, veuillez cliquer sur cette vidéo.


• After your written complaint is filed with the Clerk of the Board, the Clerk will acknowledge receipt of your complaint and will provide a copy of it to your utility. At that point, the matter will be assigned to a Board Member for its review. The Board Member will be assisted in its review by an advisory staff member who may be in contact with you about your complaint.


• The Board Member will review the file and obtain any additional information required from you or from your utility. This request for information will normally be in the form of written questions (called Information Requests or IRs) sent by Board staff to you or to the utility. Written responses to these IRs are necessary in order to proceed with the complaint.


• The Board Member will then review the material and, based on the information provided, determine whether further investigation is warranted. If the Board decides no further investigation is warranted, a letter is sent to both parties stating the reasons for this determination.


• If, after reviewing the file material, the Board Member determines that further investigation is warranted, it shall conduct a more detailed investigation. After reviewing the results of the further investigation, the Board will determine whether a hearing is warranted and advise you and the utility by letter in advance of the hearing. Both you and the utility will be given an opportunity to file any further information which is relevant to the matter, according to deadlines set by the Board.


• In most cases, your matter will be considered by way of a paper hearing (an exchange of letters, emails, documents). In rare cases, your matter may be considered in a hearing held in person at the Board offices, or outside of Halifax, in your local town or municipality. Upon review of the information after the paper hearing or in person hearing, the Board will issue its written decision about your complaint.


• If the Board finds that you are successful in your complaint, the Board will issue an Order directing the utility to comply with the Board’s directions to remedy the matter.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on electricity and water complaints.