When a bill is hard to understand or seems too high: how to check and dispute electricity, gas, water, credit card and medical bills, parking tickets and debt collection

1. When you get a bill: do these five things first, then learn a few English terms

Do these five things first:

1. Open the full bill on the website or app you normally use, and save a PDF copy. Do not just look at the total in a text message or email.
2. Circle these on the bill: the service address, the billing period (which days this bill covers), the payment due date and the automatic payment date.
3. Find your previous bill, the original quote or contract, and your bank's payment records, and put them together.
4. Mark the line you do not understand or think is wrong, and write down the amount, the date and one sentence on why you think it is wrong.
5. Before the due date, contact the company that billed you. Ask how that line was worked out, whether you need to pay it first and how to pay, and finally ask for a reference number.

Common English terms on bills:

Example: FortisBC's bill explains that if your balance is a credit, the bill will show a "Do not pay" message.

2. Work out the bill yourself: compare the bill, the contract and your payment records

The bill tells you "what the company wants now", the contract or quote shows "how you originally agreed to be charged", and your payment records prove "how much you have already paid". Wherever these three do not match is what you need to ask about.

Step one: first check that it is your account. Look at the last few digits of the account number, the service address, the unit number, and the phone number or device number. Mix-ups happen most easily when you move, when a family shares one account, or when you have an old and a new account with the same company. Even if your bank shows the money has been taken, check the payee, the account number, the date and the bank's reference number; money being taken does not always mean it was credited to the right account.

Step two: work out the total yourself. The usual calculation is:

Unpaid from last period − payments received this period − credits or refunds + this period's charges and taxes = amount due this time

Example (made-up numbers):

The tax here is only an example and does not stand for any Canadian tax rate. If you think the $15 should not have been charged, ask the company to explain what that item is based on. If it was charged in error, ask them to correct both that item and the tax worked out on it; do not just let customer service verbally take $15 off while the tax is still worked out the old way.

Step three: work out what kind of difference it is.

• Different number of days: this period has a few extra days, or it crosses the date a price increase took effect.
• Different usage: you used more, and the unit price did not change.
• Different conditions: a promotion has ended, or a condition for something being free was not met.
• Different records: a payment was not recorded; a refund was only recorded as an account credit; the same amount was charged twice.
• Items you do not recognize: a new service, equipment fee or adjustment that you cannot find any record of agreeing to.

A promotion ending does not necessarily mean a billing error, and not understanding the name of a charge does not mean it should not be charged. Ask the company to show you which clause of the contract, which rate schedule, which period of service, or which time you agreed to it, and then decide whether to dispute it.

3. Electricity (BC Hydro): first check the number of days and your usage, then the price

Electricity bills in Victoria and all of Vancouver Island come from BC Hydro (BC Hydro's winter disconnection rules specifically mention Vancouver Island; see section 4). BC Hydro says the most common reason for a higher bill is the change of seasons: when it gets cold, you use the heating more and keep the lights on longer.

1. First check how many days this bill covers. Some BC Hydro accounts get a bill once a month and some every two months, depending on the type of home and whether you have changed rate plans. Meter reading dates are not fixed either, so each bill may cover a different number of days. The number of days is shown in the meter reading part of the bill.

2. Then check how much electricity you used, and the average per day. Electricity is measured in kilowatt hours (kWh). Your total usage divided by the number of days is your average daily use. Comparing this bill with the same season last year is more accurate than comparing it with the previous bill.

3. Check whether you are on the tiered rate. BC Hydro residential customers can choose the tiered rate, or the flat rate (one price per kWh no matter how much you use). On the tiered rate, electricity is charged in two steps:

• Each bill has a "Tier 1 threshold", worked out as the number of days on the bill × 22.1918 kWh. For a bill covering two months, that is about 1,350 kWh; for one month, about 675 kWh.
• Electricity up to the threshold is charged at the Tier 1 price, and anything above it at the higher Tier 2 price.
• Prices shown on BC Hydro's rates page on November 3: Tier 1 is 11.87 cents per kWh and Tier 2 is 14.08 cents per kWh, plus a Basic Charge of 23.44 cents per day. Rates change; go by what BC Hydro's rates page says at the time.

Example (made-up usage, using the prices above, not including GST or other items on the bill):

Usage went from 1,000 kWh to 1,800 kWh, 80% more, and the bill also went from about $133 to about $238. Of that, the 468.5 kWh above the threshold was charged at the Tier 2 price, which added only about $10 compared with charging it all at the Tier 1 price. So when "the electricity bill suddenly doubled", first check whether you have been running electric heaters in winter and using more electricity; the part above the Tier 1 threshold also costs a little over 2 cents more per kWh.

4. Check whether it is an estimate. When BC Hydro cannot read your meter, it estimates based on your past usage, and the bill will say "your bill shows an estimate". When the meter is next read, the bill is adjusted to your actual usage, up or down.

5. Check whether this is the yearly settlement on the Equal Payment Plan. The Equal Payment Plan spreads a year's electricity costs into equal monthly payments. BC Hydro works out the monthly payment by dividing your total electricity use over the past 12 months by 12. In the 12th month (the settlement date), it compares the money collected over the previous 11 months with the electricity you actually used during the year: if you used less, the difference goes back to you as a credit; if you used more, you pay the difference. So the bill for the settlement month can suddenly be much higher. Each bill shows your usage so far, the installments collected so far and the settlement date.

6. Check whether rates have gone up. BC Hydro says that when rates change, your bill goes up even if you use the same amount of electricity.

7. If you have just opened an account, check for a security deposit. BC Hydro may charge a security deposit to new customers, or to customers with a poor payment history, and collect it on the first bill. For monthly billing, it can be up to 2 times the estimated monthly bill; for billing every two months, up to 3 times. The deposit earns interest, which is credited to your account; after two full years of paying on time, the deposit is returned to your account as a credit. If you cannot pay the deposit, ask whether you can provide instead a letter from another utility (electricity, gas, telephone, cellphone or cable TV) showing 12 months in a row of on-time payments, or have a BC Hydro residential customer with two years of good payment history act as your guarantor.

8. If you have moved, check whether extra days were charged. BC Hydro says that once you move in, you pay for the electricity used from then on, even if you open your account a few days later. When you move out, remember to tell BC Hydro to close your account. For what to prepare when you open or close an account before a move, and BC Hydro's fee for new accounts and moves, see section 3 of Guide No. 48, Changing your address after a move.

If it still does not add up, ask BC Hydro for these: the readings for this period and the last period, the reading dates, and whether they were estimates; whether the meter number on the bill matches your address; which rate plan you were on this period, and the unit price; and, if there was an adjustment, which periods it covers and how it was worked out.

If you suspect the meter itself: BC Hydro's customer service rules list a charge of $262 when a meter is sent to Measurement Canada for testing and is found to be accurate. So first ask BC Hydro to check the readings and whether the bill was estimated, then ask whether a meter test is needed and what happens if the meter turns out to be inaccurate.

Do not open the meter or touch the wiring yourself. BC Hydro says only its own staff and contractors can connect or disconnect power.

On the phone, you could say:

BC Hydro customer service: 1-800-224-9376 (1 800 BCHYDRO), Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you log in to MyHydro, you can see your bills for the last three years and view your electricity use by month, week, day or hour.

4. If you cannot pay your electricity bill or get a disconnection notice: BC Hydro's payment arrangements and winter rules

Due date and late payment charges. BC Hydro says bills must be paid in full within 21 days of the bill date. If the unpaid balance is more than $30, a late payment charge of 1.5% a month (about 19.56% a year) is added on the whole amount owing; to allow time for payments to arrive, it only starts 30 days after the bill date.

When the power can be disconnected. If you have not paid by the due date, BC Hydro will remind you by letter or phone; if you still do not pay, it will send a "final notice of disconnection", after which your power can be disconnected at any time. BC Hydro only disconnects for unpaid bills when $70 or more is owing. If you have already paid, log in to MyHydro or call to report the payment right away, so that you are not disconnected while the money is still on its way.

On Vancouver Island in winter: no disconnection when it is below zero, not for the whole winter. BC Hydro's rule is that from November 1 to March 31 of the next year, residential customers on Vancouver Island (including the Sunshine Coast and the Gulf Islands) and in the Lower Mainland will not be disconnected for unpaid bills if the forecast average daily temperature for the next 24 hours is below 0°C. When the weather warms up, customers who still have not paid and have not agreed on a payment arrangement can be disconnected as usual. Residential customers elsewhere in B.C. are not disconnected for non-payment at all from November 1 to March 31; disconnections start again on April 1, and payment notices and late payment charges continue during this time. Late payment charges still apply during the period when there are no winter disconnections. After a disconnection, you must first pay the full amount owing before you can ask to be reconnected, a reconnection charge of $29.20 will be added to your next bill, and BC Hydro may also ask for a security deposit.

If you cannot pay, there are these options (for all of them, first call 1-800-224-9376, or apply in MyHydro):

• Defer a payment: if you cannot pay by the due date, you can ask to pay a few days later. Late payment charges may still apply.
• Catch-up payment plan (installment plan): pay what you owe in several installments; the bill will show the catch-up amount and this period's new charges separately. BC Hydro says no late payment charges apply once you have agreed on an installment plan; but if you miss a payment, the whole remaining balance is due right away, and late payment charges are worked out from the original due date. To apply for a payment arrangement, your account must be in good standing and you must have kept to any payment arrangements you agreed on before.
• Equal Payment Plan: spread high winter bills over the whole year (section 3).
• Customer Crisis Fund: a grant, which you do not pay back, for residential customers facing temporary financial hardship. The conditions are: you are the primary account holder and it is your principal residence; your bill is more than 21 days overdue or you are facing disconnection; in the past 12 months you have had something like a job loss, a loss of benefit income, unexpected medical costs or a death in the family; and you owe less than $1,000 and have tried to make payments before. The Crisis Fund page says the grant is up to $800 for homes heated with electricity and up to $700 for homes not heated with electricity (for example, heated with natural gas) (BC Hydro's "help paying your bill" page says "up to $600"; the two pages differ, so go by what BC Hydro tells you when you apply). Each account holder can receive it once a year. Once you apply, disconnection is put on hold until the application has been reviewed. Applying online is fastest; there is also a paper form. For general questions, you can call 2-1-1 (BC211, free and confidential).
• Life-sustaining medical equipment: if someone in your home uses electrically powered life-sustaining medical equipment, you can ask for an extra 20 days before disconnection. You need to call first to ask for this and agree on a payment arrangement, and BC Hydro may ask for proof.

BC Hydro's "help paying your bill" page is available in Simplified Chinese.

On the phone, you could say:

Related: if money is tight and you want to put your monthly spending and your debts in order of priority, see section 3 of Guide No. 15, Saving tax & investing; if you cannot pay the rent or utilities for now, the section "Two other kinds of rental help" in Guide No. 3, Housing, explains that you can ask your local BC Rent Bank (mainly interest-free loans that you pay back).

5. Natural gas (FortisBC): usage is measured in GJ, and some charges do not depend on how much you use

FortisBC's natural gas service area includes Vancouver Island, so if you use natural gas at home in Victoria, your bill usually comes from FortisBC. (FortisBC also has an electricity business, but electricity in Victoria comes from BC Hydro, so for electricity this guide only covers BC Hydro.)

Usage is in GJ, not kWh. GJ means gigajoules, a unit of heat energy. A gas bill takes this reading minus the last reading to get the volume of gas you used, then multiplies it by a conversion factor (based on the standard temperature and pressure where you live) to turn it into GJ. So you cannot just subtract the two numbers on the meter and treat that as the amount you are billed for.

What the charges on the bill are:

• Basic charge: a fixed amount every day. FortisBC says you pay it as long as you are connected to its system, whether or not you use any gas.
• Delivery charge: based on how much you use; this is the cost of bringing the gas to your home.
• Storage and transport, and Cost of gas: based on how much you use. FortisBC says it does not mark up these two charges: what it pays is what you pay. The cost of gas is reviewed with the BCUC every three months. Since July 1, 2026, for most customers 3.5% of the gas counts as renewable natural gas (RNG), and that is also included in this charge.
• Other taxes and fees: the B.C. clean energy levy is 0.4% of the purchase price of the gas; there are also GST and PST; some municipalities also have a "municipal operating fee", which FortisBC collects for them; ask your municipality about this fee.

Estimates and prorating. If the meter cannot be read, FortisBC estimates based on your past usage, and adjusts up or down at the next actual reading. For the period when you open or close an account, the time between two readings may be longer or shorter than usual, and the bill is prorated by the day.

If you have signed a contract with a gas marketer, take a closer look. FortisBC has a "Customer Choice" program, which also covers Vancouver Island: you can sign a fixed-term, fixed-price contract with an independent gas marketer instead of buying gas at FortisBC's variable rate. FortisBC says that even if you buy gas from a marketer, FortisBC still delivers it through its pipelines, reads your meter and provides 24-hour emergency service. If someone comes to your door or calls to sell you this kind of contract, first compare FortisBC's variable rate with the marketers' fixed prices on the FortisBC website before you sign. Contract disputes with a gas marketer can be registered on the FortisBC website, and the BCUC also has a separate complaint form for them (section 6).

If you cannot pay or are behind on payments. FortisBC says: if you do not pay on time, a late payment charge of 1.5% a month (19.56% a year) is added; to avoid having your gas disconnected, pay the overdue amount right away and pay this period's bill on time, and if you have just paid, let FortisBC know right away; if your gas has been disconnected, you have to pay the full amount owing, a security deposit and a reconnection charge before service is restored. If you are having trouble paying, call to discuss it; you may be able to set up a payment arrangement.

FortisBC customer service (residential and small business customers): 1-888-224-2710, Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you smell rotten eggs, gas may be leaking: first get outside, then call FortisBC's 24-hour emergency line at 1-800-663-9911 or call 911.

6. If you cannot agree with BC Hydro or FortisBC: go to the BCUC; if you think BC Hydro treated you unfairly, you can also go to the Ombudsperson

Who the BCUC is. The British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) regulates the utilities under its jurisdiction, such as BC Hydro and FortisBC.

Step one: start with the company itself. The BCUC asks you to contact the company first; many complaints are resolved at this step. Write these down: the date of each contact, who you spoke to, what happened, and copies of letters and bills.

Step two: complain to the BCUC. Fill in the "File a Utility Complaint" form on the BCUC website; for disputes with a gas marketer, use "File a Gas Marketer Complaint". BCUC phone: 604-660-4700, toll-free in B.C. 1-800-663-1385.

What the BCUC does after it receives your complaint. First it checks whether there is enough information, and may ask you for more; it may also send you the company's tariff (the binding rules between the company and its customers) to read. Then it checks whether the complaint is within its jurisdiction. If it is, it sends the complaint to the company and asks the company to respond; you can read the company's response and add your comments. If it still cannot be resolved, or staff are concerned that the company did not follow its tariff, the complaint can go to commissioners, who make a decision.

What the BCUC handles: whether rates and tariffs were applied correctly, billing problems, disconnection of electricity or gas, meter reading and meters, gas marketers, reliability of supply, and so on.

What the BCUC does not handle (as listed on its website): claims for compensation for losses; social assistance or financial aid; matters between landlords and tenants; a company's internal customer service policies; the wording on bills; complaints about water, sewer and telecommunications; and the installation of smart meters itself.

If you think BC Hydro treated you unfairly, you can also go to the Ombudsperson. The B.C. Ombudsperson investigates public bodies such as provincial government ministries, Crown corporations (companies owned by the government), health authorities and municipalities; for FortisBC matters, go to the BCUC. BC Hydro states in its customer service rules that the Office of the Ombudsperson is an independent office that looks into whether public bodies in the province (including BC Hydro) act fairly and reasonably. The Ombudsperson also covers municipalities and health authorities. Usually you need to have gone to the organization itself first. Phone: toll-free 1-800-567-3247 (1-800-567-FAIR), local in Victoria 250-387-5855, Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Wednesdays only until 12:30 p.m.), closed on statutory holidays; interpretation is available. The office is on the second floor of 947 Fort St. in Victoria; call before you go. You can also complain online. It does not handle the federal government, BC Ferries, the police or the courts.

7. City of Victoria water, sewer and garbage bills

How often you get a bill. The City of Victoria bills for garbage, sewer and water every 4 months. The city is divided into 4 groups, each with different billing dates: January 15, May 15 and September 15; February 15, June 15 and October 15; March 15, July 15 and November 15; April 15, August 15 and December 15. The stormwater charge is billed once a year, around mid-November.

How water is charged (rates from January 1, 2026):

• Metered water is charged by the "unit". 1 unit = 100 cubic feet = 2,832 litres. Each unit costs $5.49.
• There is also a fixed water service charge based on the size of the water pipe coming into your property, for example $34.57 for ½ inch and $39.23 for ¾ inch.
• Water meters are read every 4 months, three times a year. Bills are only estimated when bad weather makes it impossible to read the meter.

Sewer charges follow water use. The City of Victoria's sewer charge and the sewer charge of the CRD (Capital Regional District) are both the number of water units used multiplied by a unit price:

• City sewer charge: $2.05 per unit from June 1 to September 30, and $2.93 in other months;
• CRD sewer charge: $5.26 per unit from June 1 to September 30, and $7.51 in other months.
• The City says the summer prices are a little lower to allow for water used on gardens and lawns.

So each extra unit of water outside the summer months costs 5.49 + 2.93 + 7.51 = $15.93 more.

Example (made-up usage): You usually use 25 units every 4 months. This period it went up to 45 units, 20 more. At the non-summer prices, that is $109.80 more for water, $58.60 more for the City sewer charge and $150.20 more for the CRD sewer charge, $318.60 more in total. In this case, first check your home for leaks, such as a toilet that keeps running. The City says leaks between the water meter and the house, and inside the house, are the owner's responsibility, and the owner needs to hire a plumber to fix them; if the plumber digs and finds that the leak is on the City's side, call Public Works at 250-361-0400 right away.

Garbage charges. These are charged by the number of legal residential units in the property, not by how many bins you put out. 2026 prices: $83.30 every 4 months for an 80-litre grey bin, $95.93 for 120 litres, and $114.89 for 180 litres.

What happens if you do not pay. A late charge is added after the due date. On December 31, amounts billed before November that are still unpaid are moved to property taxes and become taxes owing on the property, with interest at the tax rate from January 1. Water bills are not charged GST.

If you rent, read this. The City says bills can be sent to tenants, property managers or owners, but the owner is ultimately responsible for any amount owing; a new tenant is not responsible for amounts owing from before they moved in, but that amount stays on the property's account and the owner has to pay it. If your landlord passes utility costs on to you to share, first ask for the original bill and how the shares were worked out.

Asking about your bill. City of Victoria Utility Billing: 250-361-0226, email utilities@victoria.ca. Contact them as well when you move, change the name on the account or change your mailing address; you can book a separate meter reading. If you log in to the City's MyCity, you can see your billing history and switch to e-billing. If you think the City handled something unfairly, you can go to the Ombudsperson (section 6). The BCUC does not handle water or sewer bills.

On the phone, you could say:

Related: for the basics of renting in B.C., such as leases and deposits, see Guide No. 3, Housing; if you cannot pay the rent or utilities for now, its section "Two other kinds of rental help" explains that you can ask your local BC Rent Bank (mainly interest-free loans that you pay back). For a leak at home: if you rent, tell your landlord in writing first; if you own your home, for how to check a plumber's credentials before you hire one, see sections 5 and 9 of Guide No. 44, Home repairs: who to call.

8. Cellphone and home Internet bills: go to your provider first, then the CCTS

Give your provider a chance first. The CCTS (Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services) says that before you come to it, you need to contact your provider and give it a chance to deal with the problem.

If you cannot agree, complain to the CCTS for free. The online complaint form takes about 15 minutes to fill in. The CCTS checks whether your complaint is within its mandate; if it is, it accepts the complaint and sends it to the provider, and the provider has 20 days to tell the CCTS whether the complaint has been resolved.

Once your complaint is accepted, you can hold off paying the amount in dispute. What the CCTS says comes down to this: if any part of the complaint is about an unpaid amount, the provider must stop trying to collect that amount until the complaint is closed; you still have to pay amounts not related to the complaint. Note that this is "once the complaint is accepted"; just submitting the form, before it is accepted, does not count. This is a CCTS rule; do not apply it to electricity, gas, loans or other businesses' bills.

What the CCTS can have the provider do. Explain or apologize; fix the problem, for example by correcting a billing error, restoring service or stopping collection; and compensate you for proven financial losses, up to $5,000. The CCTS does not impose fines; penalizing providers is the regulator's job.

You can also take a Starlink bill to the CCTS. Starlink is on the CCTS list of participating companies. Starlink bills are only provided each month in your online account; billing disputes are raised in the online account, and you keep paying the undisputed part as usual. Changing plans or cancelling must be done before 12 midnight UTC on your billing date, which is 5 p.m. B.C. time on the day before your billing date. See sections 7 and 12 of Guide No. 62.

→ No. 62 · Starlink: signing up and whether it is worth it

For what information to prepare for a complaint, what the CCTS can and cannot handle, and its phone number and hours, see section 12 of Guide No. 29, New rules for cellphones and home Internet; for the new rules from 2026 on activation and plan change fees, see section 3 of that guide; and for whether you have to pay to cancel a cellphone or home Internet, see sections 5 and 7. We do not repeat them here.

Related: Guide No. 29, New rules for cellphones and home Internet.

9. Pre-authorized debits (PADs) from your bank account: if one is wrong, go to your bank within 90 days

What a PAD is. PAD stands for pre-authorized debit: you sign an authorization that lets a company that bills you (for example BC Hydro, the City of Victoria or an insurance company) take money from your bank account itself when payment is due.

It is different from an "automatic payment": with an automatic payment, you set it up yourself in online banking to send money on schedule, and the other side has no authority to touch your account.

Once you sign a PAD, the rules the company must follow (from the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) and Payments Canada):

• The authorization must state how much will be taken (fixed or variable), how often, how to cancel, the company's contact information and your recourse rights.
• If the amount changes each time (for example an electricity bill based on usage), the company must tell you the amount in writing at least 10 days before the withdrawal, unless you have agreed to give up or shorten this notice.
• If withdrawals are not on a regular schedule, each one needs your agreement.
• If a withdrawal is returned because there was not enough money in your account, the company can try only once more, within 30 days, for exactly the same amount.

What to do if a withdrawal is wrong. In these situations, you can generally get the money back for a personal PAD: the date was wrong, the amount was wrong, you had already cancelled the authorization and it was still taken, or you never signed an authorization at all. First ask the company for the money; if you are not satisfied, ask your bank for a reimbursement within 90 calendar days of the day the money was taken (weekends and holidays count). The bank will ask you to sign a declaration saying why you want the money back. After 90 days, the bank no longer has to reimburse you. So act as soon as you notice; do not let the 90 days pass while you wait for the company to reply.

To cancel future withdrawals. Follow the method in your authorization: tell the company in writing and keep a copy. Payments Canada says the company must cancel within 30 days of receiving your notice. So if the next withdrawal is coming up soon, ask your bank at the same time whether it can stop that one payment first, and whether there is a fee. After cancelling, check your bank records to make sure it has really stopped.

Cancelling a PAD does not mean you no longer owe the money. Cancelling a PAD only means you no longer pay that way; the contract is still in place, and you still have to pay what you owe some other way. To stop the service, cancel the service separately under the contract.

Monthly automatic charges on a credit card are not PADs. Payments Canada says recurring charges on a credit card are not covered by its PAD rules, so the 90 days above do not apply; go to your card issuer (section 10).

On the phone, you could say:

10. Credit card statements: what to look for, and who to contact if there is a mistake

What a statement must include. The FCAC says credit cards issued by federally regulated banks (including federal credit unions) must come with a statement at least once a month, showing: the period it covers and the opening and closing balances; the annual interest rate applied each day and the interest charged in this period; your credit limit and how much is still available; the minimum payment and the due date; how much you must pay to get the interest-free grace period; a description, amount and posting date for every transaction; a customer service phone number you can reach; and your rights and responsibilities if there is an error on your statement. So if you find an error on your statement, first turn to the information section of the statement or to your credit card agreement to see within how many days you have to tell the bank.

Common "billing errors":

• the same purchase charged twice;
• you returned something but the refund has not come back, or the amount is wrong;
• the annual fee, foreign currency fee or interest does not match your agreement;
• you paid the full balance on time but were still charged interest; the payment may not have been posted on time.

Banks must tell you in advance when rates and fees change. The FCAC says a bank must tell you in writing at least 30 days before a change to your credit card terms or fees takes effect. Some changes do not need advance notice and can just be shown on your next statement: a lower credit limit, a longer grace period, a lower interest rate, lower fees other than interest, changes to information about optional services, and a change in the benchmark rate that a variable-rate card is tied to (so the interest rate changes with it). A higher credit limit needs your express consent.

Who to contact first.

1. If a merchant overcharged you, did not ship your order or did not give you a refund: go to the merchant first. If the merchant does not resolve it, then dispute the charge with your card issuer. Each bank's conditions and deadlines are different; for how it works using CIBC as an example, see section 10 of Guide No. 31, Card fraud and scam transfers. If something you bought online never arrived or was wrong, or the business will not refund you after you cancelled, B.C. law has its own rules: see Guide No. 45, Online shopping problems and returns (section 11 covers asking your credit card company to reverse the charge).
2. If the bank itself got it wrong, for example the interest or the annual fee: call the number on the back of your card and say clearly which statement and which charge.
3. If it was not you who used the card: that is fraud, not a billing error; handle it as fraud, see Guide No. 31, Card fraud and scam transfers.

If the bank will not correct it, make a formal complaint. The FCAC says that after a bank receives a complaint, it must give you a detailed written response within 56 calendar days of your first complaint; the FCAC does not resolve complaints for individuals. If you have not had a final response after 56 days, or you are not satisfied with the response, you can go to OBSI (the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments), an independent banking ombudsman, for free; after you receive the bank's final response, you must go to OBSI within 180 calendar days. For credit unions regulated by B.C., the time limit for handling complaints is 90 days. For how to write a complaint letter, how to take your complaint to OBSI and its phone numbers, see section 11 of Guide No. 31, Card fraud and scam transfers.

On the phone, you could say:

Related: Guide No. 31, Card fraud and scam transfers.

11. Medical bills: being charged by a doctor, and ambulance bills

For care covered by MSP, a doctor cannot charge you extra. The B.C. Ministry of Health says that under the Medicare Protection Act, for medical services paid for by the Medical Services Plan (MSP), a doctor cannot charge you anything more. This is called "extra billing", and it is prohibited.

• Doctors who are "opted-in" to MSP are paid by MSP directly and cannot charge you for services MSP covers.
• Doctors who are "opted-out" charge you first, and you then claim the money back from MSP; what they charge you cannot be more than the amount MSP sets.

Doctors cannot charge for these: disposable supplies used for an examination (gowns, tongue depressors, urine test strips); rental of the equipment the doctor uses; "tray fees"; and "facility fees".

Doctors can charge for these: drugs used for treatment (for example allergy shots or cortisone injections); appliances (for example crutches, splints, braces or tensor bandages); clearly more expensive upgraded materials (for example a fibreglass cast instead of a regular cast); and special dressings for large areas. For charges that are allowed, the doctor must tell you before the service, and can only charge what it costs, without making a profit.

Services MSP does not cover are yours to pay anyway. For example, cosmetic surgery, a medical exam for a driver's licence, sick notes for an employer or a summer camp, and doctor's letters.

Annual fees. Some clinics charge an annual fee or registration fee, usually a bundled payment for the small services over a year that you would otherwise pay for yourself. The Ministry of Health says: a doctor cannot refuse to see you because you do not pay the annual fee; the clinic must let you choose between paying the annual fee or paying separately each time you use one of those services; and a clinic that charges an annual fee must give you a record of what the fee includes.

If you think you were charged something you should not have been. Fill in the Ministry of Health's "Beneficiary Submission for Extra Billing Investigation" form to ask the Ministry to investigate. For general billing questions, ask Health Insurance BC: Lower Mainland 604-683-7151, elsewhere in B.C. 1-800-663-7100 (toll-free).

Ambulance bills. BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) says: ambulance service is not an MSP benefit; people with valid B.C. MSP coverage pay a government-subsidized rate, and people without MSP pay the full rate. Rates since April 1, 2020:

People without MSP include visitors to B.C., people who are not B.C. residents, and cases where another organization pays, such as work injuries (WorkSafeBC). Many private health insurance plans cover ambulance fees, but BCEHS says you still have to pay the bill yourself first, and then claim it from your insurer with the receipt.

Can ambulance fees be waived? BCEHS only waives them in a few situations, for example: people receiving B.C. income assistance or MSP Supplementary Benefits; and when BCEHS did not send the first bill within 12 months after the service and paying it would cause you financial hardship (adjusted net family income under $42,000, for residents of Canada only; BCEHS says new immigrants and visitors cannot apply on grounds of financial hardship). To apply on grounds of financial hardship, use BCEHS's "Application for Fee Remission Due to Financial Hardship" (EHS 2598) and mail it to BCEHS – Ambulance Billing, PO Box 9600 Stn Prov Govt, Victoria, BC V8W 9P7, or send it by fax or email (see the application page for the number and address). If you have concerns about the quality of ambulance service, contact the Patient Care Quality Office of the PHSA (Provincial Health Services Authority), toll-free 1-888-875-3256. For questions about an ambulance bill, call 1-800-665-7199 (local 250-356-0052), Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., or email billing@bcehs.ca. If you get a call or text saying you owe ambulance fees and you are not sure whether it is real, call this number yourself to ask, and do not pay through a link the other side sends you.

On the phone, you could say (before the service):

Related: for the overall path for seeing a doctor, emergency care and finding a family doctor, see Guide No. 5, Health care in Canada.

12. City of Victoria parking tickets: if you think one was issued in error, ask for a review first; do not pay first

ICBC does not handle parking tickets. For ordinary parking tickets and municipal bylaw tickets, go to the organization that issued the ticket; traffic violation tickets (for driving offences) follow a different process, see Guide No. 19, Traffic tickets, disputes and penalty points. The rest of this section is about parking tickets issued by the City of Victoria.

First ask for a review, in one of three ways:

1. Fill in the "Parking Ticket Review Form" online;
2. Email the ticket, your name, your contact information and your reasons for asking for a review to parkingservices@victoria.ca;
3. On weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., go to the Public Service Centre at City Hall (at Douglas Street and Pandora Avenue) and fill in the form in person.

You cannot ask for a review by phone. A ticket that has been paid will not be cancelled, so if you want to dispute it, ask for a review first; do not pay first.

If you email to ask for a review, you could write (replace the square brackets with your own details, and attach a photo of the ticket):

If you disagree with the review result, you can ask for adjudication. Email parkingservices@victoria.ca. Adjudication is a public hearing at City Hall before an independent adjudicator appointed by the province, and takes about 15 to 30 minutes; you can attend in person or by phone, or have someone else attend for you. The City will tell the vehicle owner the hearing date at least 14 days in advance. A few things to know first:

• The adjudicator only decides whether the Streets and Traffic Bylaw was broken, does not consider personal circumstances, and cannot reduce the fine;
• If the ticket is upheld, you pay an extra $25 on top of the full fine;
• If you do not show up, or cannot be reached in the way you chose (for example a phone hearing), the ticket is treated as upheld either way.
• Before the hearing, you can email Parking Services to ask for the evidence the City has prepared: a copy of the ticket, the officer's notes, photos taken, and so on.

If you are not disputing it, pay early. The City says the fine is reduced if you pay within two weeks. If you do not pay, a reminder letter is sent at 45 days and another at 60 days; after 6 months, the ticket is passed to a collection agency called ARO, which may contact you by text, phone or letter.

Watch out for fake parking ticket texts. The City of Victoria warns that there are fake text messages about parking fines. If you are not sure about one, call Parking Services at 250-361-0260 or email parkingservices@victoria.ca to ask before you pay.

Tickets from private parking lots. Tickets left by private parking lots, such as at malls or apartment buildings, are not issued by the City and do not go through the review and adjudication above. We did not check the official B.C. rules for these tickets this time, so this guide does not go into them; if you dispute one, first contact the company that issued it and ask for its reasons and basis in writing.

Related: Guide No. 19, Traffic tickets, disputes and penalty points.

13. Calls from a collection agency: ask for written information first, then decide what to do

Who regulates collection agencies. In B.C., collection agencies and collectors must be licensed by Consumer Protection BC, which regulates them. The rules are in Part 7 of B.C.'s Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act and in the Debt Collection and Repayment Regulation.

First check whether they are licensed. On the Consumer Protection BC website, use "Check a licensed business" to look up the company and "Check the licence of an individual" to look up the collector. Also ask whether the caller is the original creditor or a collection agency (collector).

Before a collection agency starts collecting, it must first tell you these things in writing (section 115 of the Act):

• who the original creditor is, and who the debt is now owed to;
• how much was owed at first and how much is owed now, with a breakdown if the current amount is different from the original;
• who is collecting, and on what basis they are collecting for the creditor.

The law also says that for 5 days after the collector sends this written notice, the collector cannot start a phone call or an in-person conversation with you about the debt; a collector can call first only to ask for your address or email so that the notice can be sent. Consumer Protection BC also explains that if a debt has been bought by someone else, the buyer becomes the creditor and can call you directly without sending a written notice first.

What collectors cannot do (as listed by Consumer Protection BC):

• On Sundays, they can only call between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.;
• On weekdays and Saturdays, they cannot call before 7 a.m. or after 9 p.m.;
• On statutory holidays, they cannot call you, your family or your friends at any time;
• Without your consent, they cannot tell anyone else the details of your debt (they can contact your family and friends, but only to ask for your contact information);
• They cannot contact you in a way that costs you money;
• Apart from reporting to a credit bureau, they cannot publish or threaten to publish your debt;
• They cannot use threatening, abusive or intimidating language, or put excessive pressure on you;
• They cannot say they will sue you if they are not really going to;
• They cannot collect more than you owe or add their own interest and fees; interest can only be charged at the rate in your original loan agreement.

Four things you can ask for. Consumer Protection BC provides forms (printable ones and online ones; the online forms only work if you have the collection agency's email address). The online form is called the "Debt form". Under "What are you requesting?", choose one: disputing the debt, telling the agency you are not the debtor, asking for contact in writing only, asking for all contact through your lawyer, or asking for written notice of the debt. When you submit it, an email is sent directly to the collection agency with your request, and you get an email on how to follow up. If you dispute the debt, you must also notify the original creditor separately. Send them all in a way that gives you proof of delivery, such as registered mail, fax or email, keep a copy for yourself, and give the other side 3 to 5 business days to deal with it:

1. Written information about the debt: if you have not received a written notice, you can ask them to send it to you in writing.
2. Contact only in writing, or only through your lawyer: once you tell them in writing and include your mailing address (if only through your lawyer, include your lawyer's address), they can only write to you, or only contact your lawyer. Saying it on the phone is not enough; you have to tell them in writing.
3. They have the wrong person: tell them in writing that you are not the person who owes the money.
4. You do not accept the debt: if you have already paid it, or you believe you do not owe it, you can dispute it. You must tell the collection agency and the original creditor in writing at the same time (use Consumer Protection BC's printable form to tell the creditor). Disputing a debt means: you do not accept the debt and are asking the creditor to settle it in court. Under the law, once you have told them this way, the collector can no longer contact you.

If the calls still have not stopped after a few days, keep a record of the calls (call records from your phone company or screenshots of your caller ID are fine), and then contact Consumer Protection BC.

The calls stopping does not mean the debt is gone. Consumer Protection BC is very clear: if you ask for contact only in writing, or you dispute the debt, the money you owe does not go away because of that; a collection agency may also still contact you even if the debt no longer appears on your credit report, or the creditor can no longer sue you.

Complaining to Consumer Protection BC. Submit a complaint online. Its phone number is 1-888-564-9963; press 1 to leave a message. No one answers live; it calls you back within a few days. It says it does not handle complaints about poor customer service, and does not handle scams; if you are not sure whether the caller is a scammer, check the licence first, and do not give them money or your banking information. For what to do about scams, see Guide No. 31, Card fraud and scam transfers.

On the phone, you could say:

If you have more debt than you can pay back. Consumer Protection BC suggests going to a reliable debt management professional. Debt repayment agents in B.C. must also be licensed by it; check them on the same licence lookup page above.

Related: for when a debt shows up on your credit report, and how to fix errors on your report, see section 8 of Guide No. 34, Protecting your credit.

14. Do you still have to pay a debt that is several years old? B.C.'s Limitation Act, and being taken to the Civil Resolution Tribunal

What a limitation period is. A limitation period is the time limit a creditor has to sue you in court for the money. After that time, the creditor can no longer sue over the matter. The current rules in B.C.'s Limitation Act:

• Usually 2 years (section 6): a lawsuit must be started within 2 years from the day the claim is "discovered". The law has specific rules on which day counts as "discovery", and they differ from case to case.
• At most 15 years (section 21): no matter when the claim was discovered, a lawsuit cannot be started more than 15 years after the day the events happened.
• A court judgment can be enforced for 10 years (section 7): if a court has already ordered you to pay, the judgment can be enforced within 10 years from the day it takes effect.

Be careful: acknowledging a debt can restart the clock (section 24). If you acknowledge the debt before the limitation period runs out, the period starts again from the day you acknowledge it. The law says the acknowledgment must be in writing, signed, and made to the creditor or the creditor's agent; in addition, paying part of the debt also counts as acknowledging it, even if you did not say you would pay the rest. So for an old debt from a few years ago, if a collection agency asks you to "just pay a little to show good faith", first get the full story of the debt, and if you are not sure, ask a lawyer first.

After the limitation period, the debt does not disappear either. Consumer Protection BC says a collection agency may still contact you after the creditor can no longer sue you; on its credit reporting page, Consumer Protection BC also says you cannot ask to have a debt you really owe removed from your credit report, but you can add a statement of up to 100 words in English (for how to check your credit report and fix errors, see Guide No. 34, Protecting your credit).

Small claims: the Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT). B.C.'s Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT) handles most small claims disputes of up to $5,000, such as purchases, contracts and money lent. You do not need a lawyer, and it is done online.

• First use its "Solution Explorer", which is free and does not ask for your name: it asks you a few questions and gives you legal information and letter templates;
• Application fees: for claims up to $3,000, $75 online ($100 by mail or email); for $3,001 and up, $125 online ($150 by mail or email); for cases whose numbers start with CS, SC or ST, the application fee can be refunded if the case is settled through negotiation;
• Process: application → the parties negotiate online → a case manager helps you try to reach an agreement → if that fails, an independent tribunal member makes a decision, which can be enforced like a court order;
• The CRT says that because it has many cases, reviewing an application and issuing the "Dispute Notice" may take several months.

If someone takes you to the CRT. If you receive a CRT Dispute Notice, you must respond within 14 calendar days (30 days if you received it outside B.C.). Responding online is free; responding by mail or email costs a fee. If you need more time, contact the CRT to ask for an extension. If you do not respond, the case does not go away on its own: you may lose by default (a default decision), and that can also be enforced like a court order.

If you receive documents from the CRT or a court, or any other formal legal documents, follow the deadlines in the documents; do not just wait for customer service to call you back. If you want to hire a lawyer, first check the Law Society of British Columbia's directory to see whether they are licensed to practise.

15. How to raise a dispute on the phone and in writing: some phrases and a letter

First put the problem into four sentences: which bill, which item, why it is wrong, and how you would like it resolved.

If you just do not understand it yet, ask for an explanation first; once you have evidence that it is wrong, then say clearly "I am disputing this charge". This works better than just saying "These charges are wrong, give me my money back". Keep paying the parts that are not in dispute; do not say you "do not accept the whole bill".

On the phone, make sure you ask all of these:

• Which part of my contract, or which authorization, is this charge based on?
• Could you send me the calculation and the outcome in writing?
• Will the refund go back to my original payment method, or will it only be a credit on my account?
• While this is under review, how should I pay? Will interest or late fees apply, and will my automatic payment still go through?
• What is the reference number, when can I expect an answer, and who do I contact if I don't hear back?

After the call, write down the date, the person's name or employee number, the reference number, what they promised and the date you will next follow up. If you only got a verbal promise, send a short written summary through the email address or online message channel the company gave you, and ask them to confirm it. The reply date you set yourself is just your own follow-up plan; it is not a legal deadline.

Put together an evidence package:

Do not change the originals; make a separate copy to mark up. Screenshots should show the date and what comes before and after. When you send things to an organization, use the method it specifies, and only send material related to this matter; do not put your full card number, passwords or verification codes in an ordinary email.

Letter template (short version; replace the square brackets with your own details):

This letter is an example of how to write one. It does not guarantee you will get money back, and it cannot replace a complaint form an organization requires. For a charge that has not been looked into yet, state the facts first; do not jump to conclusions about the other side.

Related: for how to prepare before calling a government office and what to do when you cannot get through, see Guide No. 7, Phone directory.

16. When the company says "it's been taken care of", check four more things, and keep a record sheet

Check these four things:

1. Does the correction notice say clearly which item was changed, by how much and for which period?
2. Is the credit going against your next bill, or back to the account you originally paid from?
3. Has the money really arrived in your bank or credit card account, and does the same charge show up again on the next bill?
4. Have any late fees, duplicate charges and account records caused by the error also been corrected?

Three common misunderstandings:

• "There is a credit on the bill" does not mean your bank has received a refund. First check which account it is recorded in and which period it is used against.
• "Cancelling the automatic payment" does not mean the service is cancelled. Confirm the payment authorization, the service contract and any remaining balance separately.
• "I have already complained" does not mean you can hold off paying everything for now. It depends on which process you are using and whether your complaint has been accepted; get any payment arrangement confirmed in writing.

Record sheet (one per account; one row for each disputed charge):

Keep two kinds of deadlines separately on your calendar: one kind is the deadlines set by a bill, a withdrawal or an organization's rules, such as 90 days for a PAD or 180 days for OBSI; the other kind is the deadline to respond set by a court, a tribunal or a formal notice, such as 14 days for the CRT. Going back and forth with customer service does not replace a formal complaint or response.

17. Checklist before you act

• You have saved the full bill as a PDF and circled the service address, billing period, due date and automatic payment date.
• You have found the previous bill, the contract or quote and your bank payment records, and worked out the total yourself.
• Electricity: you have checked the number of days, the usage, whether it is an estimate, whether you went over the Tier 1 threshold, whether it is the Equal Payment Plan settlement, and whether there is a security deposit for a new account.
• Gas: you can tell the basic charge (fixed each day) apart from the charges based on usage.
• City of Victoria water: you have checked the number of water units; if water use suddenly went up, first check your home for leaks.
• If you cannot pay: call before the due date to discuss a payment arrangement; with BC Hydro, you can ask about deferring a payment, a catch-up payment plan and the Customer Crisis Fund; on Vancouver Island in winter, the no-disconnection rule only applies when it is below zero.
• If an automatic withdrawal was wrong: go to your bank within 90 calendar days; to cancel an authorization, tell the company in writing and keep a copy.
• Credit card: check the information section of your statement or your credit card agreement for how long you have to report an error; for disputes with a merchant, go to the merchant first.
• If a doctor charged you for something MSP should pay for: fill in the Ministry of Health's extra billing investigation form.
• To dispute a parking ticket: ask for a review first; do not pay first.
• Collection calls: first ask whether it is the creditor or a collection agency, check the licence and ask for written information; to dispute a debt, tell both the collection agency and the original creditor; for an old debt, do not rush to "pay a little".
• If you receive a CRT Dispute Notice: respond within 14 calendar days.
• Get a reference number every time you make contact, and write down the date and what the other side promised.

Related guides

• → No. 29 · New rules for cellphones and home Internet
  Activation and plan change fees, mostly not allowed since June 12, 2026 (section 3); whether you have to pay to cancel a cellphone or home Internet (sections 5 and 7); if your bill is wrong, going to your provider first and then the CCTS, and what to prepare for a complaint (section 12).
• → No. 31 · Card fraud and scam transfers
  If something you bought never arrived or a refund was not paid, that is a merchant dispute: how to dispute it with your card issuer, using CIBC as an example (section 10); if the bank will not pay, how to complain step by step, and the 56-day and 180-day time limits for OBSI (section 11); whether money lost to card fraud or scam transfers can be recovered.
• → No. 34 · Protecting your credit
  Checking your two credit reports for free and adding a fraud alert; how to fix errors on your report, including a debt you have paid that still shows on it (section 8); free credit freezes in B.C. from August 2027.
• → No. 48 · Changing your address after a move
  Opening and closing electricity, gas, water and Internet accounts in the two weeks before a move: BC Hydro's fee for new accounts and moves, and booking a special meter reading for City of Victoria water (section 3).
• → No. 15 · Saving tax & investing
  How to set priorities for your money: first list your essential monthly spending, high-interest debt and emergency savings (section 3); the tax rules of five accounts: the TFSA, RRSP, FHSA, RESP and RDSP.
• → No. 3 · Housing
  When you rent in B.C.: the usual limit on deposits, which shared living arrangements may not be covered by the Residential Tenancy Act, and asking the RTB first if there is a dispute; if you cannot pay the rent or utilities, asking your local BC Rent Bank.
• → No. 44 · Home repairs: who to call
  For a leak at home, renters make a written repair request first (section 5); homeowners check the licence or credentials of gas, electrical and plumbing tradespeople before hiring them (section 9).
• → No. 45 · Online shopping problems and returns
  What B.C. law says when something you bought online never arrived or was wrong, or the business will not refund you after you cancelled; asking your credit card company to reverse the charge (section 11).
• → No. 5 · Health care in Canada
  Getting MSP first in B.C. and knowing your health number; registering if you do not have a family doctor; choosing between a clinic, an urgent care centre and a hospital emergency department, and how 811 can help.
• → No. 19 · Traffic tickets, disputes and penalty points
  How to pay or dispute a B.C. traffic violation ticket, and why ICBC sends another bill after your points go up; ICBC does not handle ordinary parking tickets.
• → No. 7 · Phone directory
  What to prepare before calling a government office and what to do if you cannot get through; phone numbers for federal departments, the CCTS, OBSI and the FCAC.
• → No. 62 · Starlink: signing up and whether it is worth it
  Starlink bills and charges: how equipment, shipping and tax add up, when billing for the first month starts, where to see your bills in your online account, why billing cycles run on UTC, returning the equipment within 30 days, and going to the CCTS if you cannot agree.

Main official links in this guide

These are all the official pages used in this guide; the end of each section also lists the ones for that section. The pages of BC Hydro, FortisBC, the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC), the Ombudsperson, the City of Victoria, the CCTS, the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC), Payments Canada, OBSI, the B.C. Ministry of Health, BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS), Consumer Protection BC, the original text of the laws on the B.C. Laws website, the Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT) and others were all opened and read on November 3, 2026. There are a few things we could not check, so this guide does not cover them: how soon ambulance bills are usually sent; whether there is a deadline to ask for a review of a City of Victoria parking ticket (the City's page does not say); and how many times a collector may call within a given period (we did not find this in the Act or the regulation).