Billing


Is there support for customers who can’t afford rising rates?

We know there are basic cost of living pressures on Nova Scotians right now, such as food, housing, and heating. 

We’re committed to having programs in place to support electricity costs for customers who live on a low or fixed income, such as our HEAT Fund and HomeWarming programs.

We also offer tools, such as Equal Billing and MyEnergy Insights, to help customers manage their power bills.

Other support resources available through the Nova Scotia Government are the Heating Assistance Rebate Program (HARP) and Efficiency Nova Scotia.

We're committed to working with low-income advocates to find more opportunities to help Nova Scotians.

Why do rates continue to increase?

This rate change is related specifically to fuel costs. We know a rate increase is never welcome news when the cost of everything has gone up. The increase goes directly towards paying for the fuel used to generate electricity. Fuel costs are managed separately from general rates so that customers pay the exact cost of fuel; no more, no less.

Over the past year, we have seen a huge increase in fuel costs due to global factors outside of Nova Scotia. Knowing the pressures already facing Nova Scotians, we worked with the province and they decided to assist with managing fuel costs, which helped to reduce the rate impact in 2024 for our customers. Like all costs, the cost of fuel to generate electricity is subject to rigorous oversight and is approved by the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board.

How do I set up paperless billing?

When you sign up for MyAccount you are automatically signed up to receive your bills electronically. If you need support registering please visit Create or Manage You Account.

What is equal billing?

Our Equal Billing Plan can help you manage your budget by spreading the cost of your annual electricity use over 12 equal monthly payments. To learn if equal billing is right for you or to sign-up using our on-line form, visit Consider Equal Billing

Do I have to stay on Equal Billing?

No. You can ask to be removed from the Equal Billing plan at any time. When you make the change, the balance owing on your account will need to be paid by the due-date shown on your last bill. This amount is shown as Total Amount Due on your bill.

How can I see if my Equal Billing payments are covering my usage?

Once you’re on the plan, keep an eye on the Total Amount Due. This is your actual amount owing (or credited to your account). It reflects the power you’ve used and the Equal Billing payments you’ve made. This number will fluctuate throughout the year, since power use changes, but your Equal Billing payments are the same for 12 months.

Mid-year is a good time to take a close look and see if Equal Billing is working for you. If your summer bill shows a Total Amount Due of more than 3 times your monthly payment amount, you may want to contact us to see if your monthly payment should be changed. As the end of the year approaches, your Total Amount Due should be getting closer to zero.

If at any time you’re concerned the Equal Billing amount may not be enough to cover your power use for the year, call us. We can discuss whether your monthly payment should change.

Why is there a mid-year review and adjustment of my account?

To ensure your monthly payment amount is on track with your most recent 12 months of usage, and you're closer to a zero balance at year-end. Learn more here.

Why is the Equal Billing anniversary in January?

Your Equal Billing amount is recalculated in January because any rate changes take effect at the same time. This helps ensure your Equal Billing amount doesn't change throughout the year.

Can I set the due date for my monthly Equal Billing?

Equal Billing customers who also sign up on our automatic payment plan can select the date their payment comes out of the bank. Please note this is a separate service from customers registered on MyAccount who set their own recurring payments.

Can I set my own Equal Billing payment?

You can't set the payment, which is based on your estimated power use for the year, divided into 12 equal monthly payments.

You can change your habits to use less power, reducing the amount of electricity your annual calculation is based upon.

Does the Equal Billing plan save me money?

No. Equal Billing can help you manage your budget by spreading the cost of your annual electricity use over 12 equal monthly payments.

Equal Billing customers pay the same energy rates as customers on the Bi-Monthly Billing Plan.

Can I pay using online banking?

Yes. Visit your bank's website and select Nova Scotia Power as a payee.

MyAccount


How do I set up paperless billing?

When you sign up for MyAccount you are automatically signed up to receive your bills electronically. If you need support registering please visit Create or Manage You Account.

I can’t pay the full amount on my bill. How can I contact you?

You can call us or request an arrangement online through our Make A Payment Arrangement form. 

How can I contact you?

Visit our Customer Service page to find all the ways you can contact us. 

What is equal billing?

Our Equal Billing Plan can help you manage your budget by spreading the cost of your annual electricity use over 12 equal monthly payments. To learn if equal billing is right for you or to sign-up using our on-line form, visit Consider Equal Billing

I'm moving. Can I transfer service in MyAccount?

Yes. Visit our Move Power form within MyAccount. Please give us 10 business days to move your connection, and please be advised that a security deposit may be required.

Some municipalities operate their own electric service. If you live in Antigonish, Berwick, Canso, Lunenburg, Mahone Bay or Riverport, please contact your local provider to request service. 

Can I pay using online banking?

Yes. Visit your bank's website and select Nova Scotia Power as a payee.

Smart Meters


Are smart meters safe?

More than 70% of Canadian homes and businesses currently use smart meter technology. Our supplier, Itron, has successfully installed more than 80 million CENTRON® meters in North America, including 20 million OpenWay® CENTRON meters without any safety issues. The smart meters installed in Nova Scotia are the latest generation meter in this line called the OpenWay® Riva CENTRON Meter.

Smart meters are tested in accordance with safety standards established by a number of industry standards bodies. Our meters meet or exceed all government regulations and safety standards set by Measurement Canada and Health Canada Safety Code 6.

Smart meters in Nova Scotia also meet Underwriters Laboratories safety standard 2735. This safety standard is a written document that outlines the process in which smart meters are tested to help mitigate risk, injury, or danger. Underwriters Laboratories is an internationally recognized standard-setting organization which combines extensive safety research, scientific expertise, and an uncompromising focus on quality. Our supplier was required to provide us with smart meters approved by Underwriters Laboratories. In October 2018, they received a notice of completion and authorization to apply the Underwriters Laboratories mark, indicating that our meters complied with their safety requirements.

Do smart meters cause higher bills?

No. Energy use, the weather, and the number of days between meter readings are factors that can increase bills. Like all meters, smart meters measure consumption, but do not affect energy use. Like analogue and digital meters, smart meters are regulated by Measurement Canada and undergo rigorous and regular quality testing to ensure power consumption calculations are accurate.

Learn more about Measurement Canada regulations:

If your bill seems higher than usual, please contact Customer Care at 1.800.428.6230 and they will be happy to assist.

How do I read my new smart meter?

With more that 95% of homes and business in Nova Scotia now having smart meters – we continue to build the network and transition the meters to remote billing, meaning that in most cases in-person meter reads for billing purposes will no longer be required every two months.

We know some customers like to read their meter occasionally. Here’s how to read your smart meter:

  • Smart meters cycle through several screens before they display the kilowatt hours (“kWh”) reading. These screens are normal.
  • For residential customers, the screen that shows the kWh usage will appear with a code “d1” to the left. This screen also displays the kWh used.

Not sure if you have a smart meter? As pictured below, smart meters have a digital display, are branded with the name OpenWay® Riva, and in most cases have a blue label. 


Need help? Our Customer Care centre will be happy to walk you through the process. You can call them at 1.800.428.6230.

I have a Time-of-Day meter. What will my smart meter upgrade look like, and will my rates change?

Your time-of-day rates will remain the same with a smart meter, plus you’ll have access to all the benefits of smart technology.

TOD customers with an Electric Thermal Storage (“ETS”) unit connected to their meter may require a timer be installed at the same time as their smart meter.

  • If you require a timer - you will be contacted by an ETS contractor in your area who will book an appointment at a time that’s convenient for you and arrange to visit your property. It will take the electrician about an hour to install the timer. Once complete, the contractor will notify us, and we’ll schedule your meter upgrade. The upgrade takes less than 15 minutes to complete and you’ll  experience a momentary loss of power.
  • If you do not require a timer - our technician will simply remove your current meter and replace it with a new smart meter. This takes less than 15 minutes to complete, and you’ll experience a momentary loss of power. No appointment needed.

The timer being installed is called the OMRON Digital Daily Time Switch (H5F). A detailed guide about the timer, including lifetime warranty information can be found here.


I have solar panels on my home/business. Will I be able to access all the benefits of smart meters?

Yes! You will require a bi-directional smart meter – one that collects energy use data going into both your premise, and the grid, while also retaining the ability to transmit this information to our data centre. 

What are radio frequency emissions and do smart meters emit them?

All devices that use wireless communication produce radio frequency (“RF”) emissions, also referred to as “RF energy”. This includes everyday use items such as cellular phones, computers and wi-fi routers.

Health Canada’s Safety Code 6 sets the safe exposure limits for RF energy from wireless devices. The code reflects an ongoing review of published scientific studies related to safe human exposure to RF energy, including non-thermal effects. The OpenWay® Riva CENTRON meters installed in Nova Scotia adhere to Safety Code 6. In third-party testing conducted in October of 2020, a single smart meter installed on a detached residential home tested at 100x less than the safe exposure limit set by Health Canada’s Safety Code 6.

Since RF energy exposure levels in smart meters are far below Canadian and international safety limits, Health Canada does not require any precautionary measures to be taken. In cases where multiple smart meters are installed together, as in high-rise buildings, the total exposure levels from multiple smart meters are still far below Health Canada's RF energy exposure limits.

For more information, please visit Government of Canada, Radio Frequency Energy and Safety. This Health Canada website also provides more information about RF energy emitted from smart meters and why they do not pose a health risk.

What are the benefits of smart meters?

Some of the benefits of smart technology starting in 2022 include:
 
DAILY ENERGY USE INFORMATION 
Your NS Power MyAccount will be enhanced with MyEnergy Insights – a digital tool that analysis your home or business’ energy use and offers easy-to-understand information to help you better control how you use your power and manage costs.
 
NOTIFICATIONS
Set-up personal energy use and billing notifications to help you control costs.
 
IMPROVED RESPONSE
Smart meters help us understand when and where outages happen, allowing for a faster, more efficient response.
 
FASTER CONNECTION
Connecting and disconnecting power can be faster and easier with on-site appointments not always needed.
 
REMOTE METER READING
In most cases, property visits will not be required to read meters and there will be fewer estimated bills due to meter access issues.

 

What if I don’t want a smart meter? Can I opt out?

There is an opt out option available if you decide smart meters are not for you. By opting out of a smart meter, you are choosing non-standard meter service from NS Power and could be charged a monthly fee for that service in the future. This fee would ensure that costs to manually read your meter and maintain older systems and processes are not passed onto smart meter customers.

The following is an estimate of the potential opt out fees, based on current information. Customers will not be charged these fees or experience a change in the number of times their meter is read annually until approval is received from the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board.

  • Customers whose meters are currently read every two months could pay a fee of approximately $4 per month. 
  • Customers whose meters are currently read every month could pay a fee of approximately $22 per month.

To opt out, you are required to review and submit an opt out acknowledgement form.

Complete the residential opt out form here.

Complete the business opt out form here.

Customers who opt out, can opt back in at anytime, at no cost.

What information do smart meters send?

Smart meters transmit energy use information, in an encrypted format, over a private and secure wireless network to our data centre. Smart meters do not transmit personal information. Our smart meters adhere to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Interagency Report 7628 that sets guidelines for smart grid cybersecurity.

We take the privacy of customer information very seriously. We do not sell personal information and only share it with third parties in limited circumstances to provide services to customers.

The steps we take to protect customer information is outlined in our privacy policy.