NS Power expects all meters to be reconnected by end of March as billing concerns continue

Nova Scotia Power says all meters will be reconnected by the end of March.

Nova Scotia Power says 86 per cent of its customers are receiving actual usage bills as of January and it remains on track to have all meters reconnected by the end of March, one year after a cyberattack impacted hundreds of thousands of customers.

The utility says it has been steadily reconnecting meters after widespread disruptions to its advanced metering system through a cybersecurity breach last year, which forced the company to rely on estimated bills for much of the past 10 months.

The cyberattack, which is believed to have happened on or around March 19, 2025, was originally reported to have impacted roughly 277,000 customers, but a separate report last September revealed all customers may have been affected by the incident.

As meters come back online and actual data replace estimates, officials suggest some customers are seeing balances owing that reflect previously underestimated consumption.

This has contributed to confusion and frustration as some customers raise concerns about higher-than-expected bills following these estimated charges. Some customers received multiple estimated bills in a row, while others have only recently begun receiving true meter reads.

Part of the challenge for Nova Scotia Power has been accessing properties, learning new meter-reading routes and gaining entry to multi-unit buildings, which has contributed to delays. The utility’s legacy billing system has made it difficult to clearly display reconciled charges, adding to customer confusion.

In November, the utility received a higher volume of complaints after estimated bills increased as the weather system shifted from warm to cold. The estimated winter bills tend to be higher due to seasonal electricity use, particularly for customers who heat with electricity.

In recent months, customers who believed they received inaccurate bills were given the option to submit photos of their meters for review. During this time, the utility informed customers they were not required to pay estimated bills if they were uncomfortable doing so. Late fees and interest charges remain suspended.

Chris Lanteigne, Nova Scotia Power’s director of customer care, said the company recognizes the strain the billing issues have placed on customers.

“We know that we’ve been estimating bills a lot over the last 10 months, and we do know that that’s caused frustration for our customers. We acknowledge that,” Lanteigne said.

He said as more meters are read, more customers are seeing balances that reflect actual usage rather than estimates.

“What we’re hearing from customers is concerns that they do have balances that are owing,” Lanteigne said.

To help manage those balances, Lanteigne said Nova Scotia Power is allowing customers to roll amounts owing into an equal billing payment plan, which spreads payments out over time and remains interest free.

“That means they’ll have predictable payments every month moving forward to help take care of any outstanding balance,” he said.

Lanteigne said the utility is not seeing widespread cases where customers are owed refunds, adding that most situations involve customers owing months after underestimated bills are corrected.

“Once we’ve read the meter for a customer that usage is applied to the bill and that brings the account up to current. That is the reconciliation effort,” he explained.

He said customers who have questions about whether their bill was estimated or based on an actual read can find that information clearly marked on their statement and are encouraged to contact their customer care for help with their specific situation.

Nova Scotia Power said on average roughly four per cent of its customers do not pay their power bills in relation to financial constraints. Since providing estimated billing, eight per cent of the utility’s customers have not paid.

“We have been telling customers to pay something,” said Lanteigne. “We understand it’s been frustrating, but their bills are also rising.”

Nova Scotia Power said it will let customers know before late fees or interest charges resume, but for now the focus remains on reconnecting meters and having customers transition back to regular billing.

In a report on the cyberattack last December, the utility said parts of the company aren’t expected to be fully restored until later this year, including MyAccount, which they said would be ready by September.

With files from CTV News Atlantic’s Sean Mott

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