Fortis bills Kelowna resident for months after house burned down

A Kelowna man whose elegant log home burned to the ground last winter is angry that he's still receiving massive monthly electricity bills for a property that no longer exists.

Gary Fong said Fortis has continued to bill him nearly $2,000 a month even though his 5,000-square-foot home was destroyed by fire last January.

 "There is no way you can have no house on an empty lot and have a $2,000 bill, you know," Fong said.

He was out of the country last winter when the luxurious log home, which doubled as an upscale guest ranch, burned to the ground. Fong, a renowned photographer, said the blaze began while contractors were working on the home.

Even though the property was levelled, Fortis continued to send bills. Fortis — a natural gas provider in much of the province — is also the electricity provider in Kelowna.

Fong's accountant complained, but the utility said the bill was correct and demanded payment.

"The house is gone. It's been gone for a long time, Fong said. "I'm not going to pay it."

Frustrated, Fong posted his outstanding $4,582.43 bill on Facebook. The response was overwhelming. Many people contacted Fong to lend support.

Fortis spokesman Michael Allison says the company has been automatically issuing a bill based on his previous power consumption.

"Our customer service team has been working to get in touch with the customer and we will continue to do so in order to resolve this situation," Allison said.

But Fong said Friday that no one from Fortis had contacted him.

He said the large bills angered him because he wondered if the power company has overcharged others

"I thought 'Wow, I don't think I'm alone and this is a really big error.' "