Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:25/07/2025

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I’ve had an account with power stream for five years in October 2024.I moved residences and through a mix-up I was not aware that my billing services had changed and there was no more automatic withdrawal from my account. Due to this, my account was not paid for seven months. I never got a letter or an email or a phone call to let me know that my account was over due. when they decided to turn off my power, they sent me a letter to my door stating that my power had been turned off I immediately played the outstanding balance that I had no idea about my power was shut off for over 24 hours ***** *** * **** ******* *** ** ** * *** **** **** ******* ******** **** ***. I’ve tried speaking to a manager. I’ve tried speaking to regular agents, and nobody is willing to help me. I never had a late payment prior to this and truly had no idea that I had an outstanding balance. I’ve been charged hundreds of dollars in interest fees, as well as disconnecting and reconnecting my services when this could simply have been avoided with a simple email or a letter stating that I have not been paying my bills. I’ve kindly asked power stream to reverse these charges as it was truly a misunderstanding. Power stream did not use any proper channels to inform me of nonpayment. They did charge me $45 to deliver a letter to let me know that they had turned off my power. Had They charged me to let me know that I have not been paying my bill that would have been understandable and saved me a lot of hassle and a lot of unnecessary fees. ** ****** **** **** * ********* **** *** *** ** ** ********* ** ***** ******** **** **** ** ** ************ *** ** ** *********. Charging me activation fees when my account had already been active and deactivation fees are completely unreasonable I have been a loyal customer and a paying customer for five years with never having any type of late payments I would really appreciate a reimbursement for ** ******* ********* *** *** the charges that were not warranted

  Business Response

  Date: 28/07/2025

  Dear *******,

  Thank you for reaching out and taking the time to share your concerns regarding your account. We understand how frustrating your recent experience has been and appreciate the opportunity to provide clarification.
  
  We have thoroughly reviewed your account history and would like to first acknowledge your five years of prior service with PowerStream Energy Services. We recognize that this situation has caused you inconvenience and regret any disruption it may have brought to your daily routine.
  
  When your account was originally closed at your previous residence and a new one was opened at ** ***** **** ***, our representative informed you during the enrollment call that pre-authorized payment (PAP) details do not transfer between accounts.  At that time, you were advised that new payment information would need to be provided, but we note that the relevant section of the form was left blank.  As a result, no automatic withdrawals were set up for your new account.
  
  From December 2024 through May 2025, six L1 notices were issued and mailed to your new address, clearly identifying the overdue status of the account. These notices were sent on:
  
  December 31
  January 27
  February 24
  March 25
  April 23
  May 21
  
  In addition, on May 22, a collection notice was hand-delivered to your residence, and an automated phone message was sent, which was confirmed to have been received by an answering machine. Despite these notifications, payment was not received, and your service was disconnected on June 2. You contacted our office the following day, June 3, and the matter was promptly addressed. We appreciate your immediate payment at that time and are pleased to note that you have since enrolled in PAP on your new account.
  As a gesture of goodwill, and despite adherence to our policies, we waived the $100 security deposit and the $56.50 account setup fee. However, the following charges remain applicable and have not been removed:
  $45.20 collection fee
  $105.00 reconnection fee
  $16.70 accrued interest
  
  These fees are standard across the industry and are outlined in our terms of service. Sub-metering companies rely on the account holder to ensure balances are paid in a timely manner, and to review account activity when automatic payments are not in place. We understand this was a frustrating situation, and while we do sympathize with the impact it had on your groceries and household, sub-metering providers are not typically responsible for losses incurred as a result of disconnection due to non-payment.
  
  Should you have any further questions, we remain available to assist. We value your business and thank you for continuing your service with us under the new PAP arrangement, which will help ensure future billing remains uninterrupted.

  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 28/07/2025

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  all of your evidence stating that you sent me letters and called me are not true. I never received a hand-delivered letter. I never received a phone call. I never received an email. I did however receive a letter at my door, informing me that my electricity has been turned off. Had you tried different venues to reach me I would have paid the bill right away. Also, the fees that you have waived were the fees that were supposed to be waived when I changed my address back in October, so if you really look at it, you’ve been charging me interest on sum that wasn’t even valid. I do not agree to these terms as you guys are a huge company and you could’ve done your due diligence and got a hold of me the way you did when you turned off my power… I’m one person, you had so many resources to get a hold of me, but you took the way to charge me more by charging me $45 to let me know that you have already turned off my power. A more efficient way of reaching your customers would have been a $45 charge to hand deliver a warning letter, not a termination of account letter. ** ** ********* *********** ** * **** **** * **** **** ******** *** **** ****** **** ** ***** ** **** *** *** ** * **************** * ** ***** ********** * **** **** **** *** **** **** ******* ** **** *** **** * *** ** ** *** ******* ********* ** * *** ** ** *** the fact that it took you guys 18 hours to turn my electricity back on instead of 12 like I was promised should also be noted and the fact that there were three rude agents that spoke to me and three agents that told me three different things should also be noted. This is a matter of how you treat your customers, leaving me without electricity whether or not you are saying you sent me warnings. I did not receive any kind of warning. This was a shock to me this diverted me for 24 hours and I think that there should be some sort of compensation for that and if you’re not willing to give me the compensation, then you should definitely reverse the charges that have been placed on my account due to miscommunications. also, as I understand it, I was supposed to receive a formal email from power stream letting me know that my accounts have been transferred. I did not receive an email like that or any emails after that date. I would like to see proof of phone call made to me as a warning as I do not have any phone calls from power stream. I would also like email proof as I do not have any of that I would also like letter proof as I do not have any of that either
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ****** ******

  Business Response

  Date: 29/07/2025

  *******,

  
  Thank you for your follow-up message.
  

  We have reviewed your concerns again in detail, and while we acknowledge your dissatisfaction, we must reiterate that PowerStream Energy Services has acted in accordance with standard industry practices and its regulatory obligations. All regulated utilities in Ontario follow similar procedures when it comes to payment collection and disconnection processes.  Standard notification methods across the industry include mailed notices to the service address listed on file.  In your case, six separate notices were issued via ****** **** to ** ***** **** *** between December 2024 and May 2025(********).  These notices clearly indicated that the account was overdue and subject to disconnection if unresolved.
  
  Additionally, an automated phone call was placed in May to the number we had on record. Our system confirms this call was answered by a machine.  ******* ** **** **** *** *** ********* **** *** ****** ****** 
  
  **** * ******** * ***** * ************************************ ********** ******** **************** ********** ******** * * ************** ******************************************* *********************************
  
  

   A hand-delivered notice was also issued on May 22 at 6:44 p.m., confirming the impending disconnection.  While we regret that you may not recall receiving these communications, we stand by the confirmation records from our systems and third-party delivery service.
  
  With respect to email, PowerStream Energy does not rely on email as an official channel for critical billing notices or disconnection warnings.  The industry standard is physical mail and phone calls.  It is the responsibility of the account holder to ensure they are regularly reviewing their mail, updating contact information when changes occur, and keeping their account in good standing.
  
  We also want to clarify that the $100 security deposit and $56.50 account setup fee were waived purely as a courtesy in response to this matter.  These were not previously waived during your account changeover in October, nor were they invalid charges.  Interest accrued only on unpaid balances over the course of several months and is in line with our standard terms of service.
  
  We understand your perspective, and we truly appreciate your long-standing history as a customer.  However, we must respectfully maintain our position that the remaining charges $45.20 (collection), $105.00 (reconnection), and $16.70 (interest) are valid and will not be reversed. These costs are directly related to the non-payment of the account over a seven-month period, and efforts were made throughout that time to notify you.
  
  We acknowledge your comments about the conduct of some of our call center agents, and we take that seriously.  Your feedback has been forwarded to our Customer Care leadership team for internal review and coaching purposes.
  
  We appreciate that $175 is a meaningful amount, and again, we regret that the situation unfolded in this way.  We encourage you to continue with the pre-authorized payment arrangement now in place, which will help avoid such issues going forward.

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/05/2025

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My HVAC Bill has spiked to absurdly high charges ($400) beginning in February of this year. Many other units in the building (*** ****** ******) are reporting the same issue.
  
  Powerstream sent a technician, only to claim the malfunction was not their responsibility as the HVAC actuators were faulty and charged me another $100 after charging the inflated $400 bill and another $250 bill.
  
  I have no context on HVAC systems, so I am at the mercy of Powerstream’s direction, which has been to call technician after technician. I am close to incurring over $1000 throughout this whole process. Clearly Powerstream is happy with a situation where they are unjustifiably gaining large amounts of money from the residents of *** ******.
  
  I cannot afford this. I have done nothing wrong, yet I am being charged for it. Please help me reach a resolution where I can be compensated fairly.

  Business Response

  Date: 20/05/2025

  We appreciate the opportunity to respond and acknowledge the concerns raised regarding elevated HVAC consumption in the building. We understand the frustration this has caused and are working collaboratively with the property management team to address the issue.

  Recent investigations, led by the property manager, have identified a technical issue involving certain valves within the fan coil units.  These components appear to be allowing heating and cooling energy to flow through the system even when not actively called upon by the thermostat.  It is important to note that the fan coil units are owned and maintained by individual suite owners, which introduces additional complexity to the resolution process.
  

  The property manager has taken steps to escalate the matter appropriately.  An independent energy consultant has been engaged to determine the cause of the valve malfunction and recommend corrective actions.  We understand that a remediation plan will be developed once the investigation is complete, addressing both current energy usage and any historical implications.
  

  As the metering service provider, our role is limited to reading the meters and billing customers accordingly, with collected funds remitted to the condominium corporation.  We do not have authority to issue billing credits based on issues caused by faulty building equipment.  These matters fall under the jurisdiction of the condominium board.  We encourage you to contact the property management team to ensure your unit is part of the ongoing investigation.
  

  It is also important to clarify that our company does not earn revenue based on energy consumption levels. Our service fees are fixed and included in the delivery portion of the charges. All commodity charges collected from residents are passed directly to the condominium corporation. Unfortunately, due to the billing concerns, many residents have ceased making payments, resulting in significant arrears.  As of now, we have remitted a substantial amount of funds, exceeding half a million dollars to the condominium corporation that remain unrecovered from residents.

  We remain committed to supporting the property manager and condominium corporation as they work toward a resolution, and we are happy to assist in any way within our scope of responsibility.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 20/05/2025

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  I have still been charged ludicrous fees (close to $1000) and no resolution has been provided. If Powerstream asserts that remitting the funds is not within their jurisdiction, then I would like this file forwarded to the Condo management staff and to hear their response. I have included their information below (note for Better Business Bureau, please contact me if submitting another case would be more appropriate).

  This matter was first reported in February and the root cause is still unknown which is ridiculous. Either Powerstream or Building Management has to take responsibility. Living in this building has become un affordable. The residents of this building deserve both the funds remitted, and a formal apology from both condo management and Powerstream.

  I had to leave groceries out of my basket this month. This cannot continue.

  Name: ******** 

  Email: *************@******.ca

  Address: *** ****** ******, Toronto, ON, *** ***

   

  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ******* *******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/11/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Since this time I have had erratic bills. Water sage has varied between 9cumetres and 46cumetres per month. This is when my problems began. I contacted Powerstream and complained. I was told that I likely had a ‘leaking toilet’. After further calls to complain I was told a new story that they were having difficulty getting meter readings so they estimated my usage and gave me makeup payments from time to time, but they refused to ever give me accurate readings, even when they say they were able to take exact readings.
  Lately I have also been receiving approximately a $30 HVAC charge on top of the delivery charge. My several complaints to them revealed that I must now pay for common areas HVAC regardless of my own consumption. I never agreed to pay for common areas, I feel this should be covered by my management fee which I pay monthly. This charge was never agreed upon and now only occurs after occupying the condo for more than 3 years.
  
  Lastly, especially since about April of this year, my bills have been erratic. They have ranged from -$730 to $525, and I have been billed as many as 3 times per month. Adding to that stress, I have had several notices that my account is PAST DUE. This variability is ridiculous and unacceptable. Every call I have made to complain has been treated with disrespect and nonchalance, and despite repeated requests I have never been given an accurate bill with detailed usage much less full and accurate account of my consumption. Demands to escalate the matter have been fruitless. I last called yesterday and explained that I would not consider pay additional bills because I have no faith that Powerstream has any real idea what my actual consumption has been.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:22/08/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  hello
  this complaint is against PowerStream Energy Services. My account no. is **********. My name is ***** ******* In the recent bill generated on the 16th, I saw an NSF fee of $40. for my previous statement, pre-authorized was set up for 9th August. However, the payment got returned due to a glitch in banking. As soon as I saw the amount returned, I immediately made a manual payment of $123.63 on 15th August. The bill was generated on 16th August and they charged me a $40 NSF fee. I already talked with the bank and they acknowledged that it was a glitch. However, I have called multiple times to PowerStream and they are asking me to get a "letter" from the bank stating it was a glitch. The Bank representative confirmed with me over the phone and they don't provide written confirmation of conversations over the emails.
  
  I need a waiver of the $40 NSF fee. As that cost is not justified and I had the funds they still charged me an NSF fee. I should not be charged for that at all.