VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 29, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On June 28, 2023, the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) completed its investigation into Wyse Meter Solutions Inc. (Wyse) and determined that it is operating as a public utility and is subject to the BCUC’s regulatory oversight, per Order G-168-23.
The BCUC launched an investigation in response to complaints that Wyse was operating as a public utility in British Columbia (BC). It is the role and responsibility of the BCUC to regulate public utilities in BC in accordance with the Utilities Commission Act (UCA).
One purpose of regulating public utilities is to protect consumers by ensuring they are charged fair, just, and reasonable prices and can bring complaints and disputes, that are not addressed adequately by the utility, to the BCUC.
Section 1 of the UCA defines a public utility, in part, as a person or entity that owns or operates in BC equipment or facilities that produce, store, transmit, sell, or deliver energy to the public for compensation. It does not include entities that provide this service only to their own employees or tenants.
Following an open and transparent public review process, the BCUC found that Wyse meets the definition of a public utility under the UCA. As a result, Wyse must file an application for interim and/or permanent rates, rate components for each customer group (tariff pages), and general terms and conditions of service, among other things, for the necessary BCUC approvals for its operations.
For more information about the BCUC proceeding or decision, please visit the proceeding page.
Background
Wyse is an Ontario based submetering provider that installs and operates submeters to measure electricity consumption in individual units of multi-residential buildings in the communities of Burnaby, West Vancouver, Victoria, West Kelowna, and Vernon. Other services provided by Wyse, such as its water submetering are outside of the BCUC’s jurisdiction and were not included in the scope of investigation.
About the BCUC
The BCUC is a regulatory agency responsible for the oversight of energy utilities and compulsory auto insurance in British Columbia. It is the BCUC’s role to balance the interests of customers with the interests of the businesses it regulates. The BCUC carries out fair and transparent reviews of matters within its jurisdiction and considers public input where public interest is impacted.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Krissy Van Loon
Manager, Communications
Phone: 604.660.4727
Email: Krissy.VanLoon@bcuc.com
