More than 57,000 residential customers have applied for a break on their bills since BC Hydro began accepting applications for it COVID-19 Relief Fund, the utility said Thursday.
Households who have lost employment or income due to the pandemic can receive a one-time credit of three times their average monthly bill amount through the fund.
The applications submitted so far represent about $16 million in credits.
Hydro said it has also received applications from more than 3,000 small businesses since it began accepting them on Wednesday.
That portion of the fund is open to small businesses that have closed as a result of the pandemic and they can have their electricity costs waived for up to three months.
Applications for both streams are accepted online at bchydro.com/covid19relief.
For customers that do not meet the eligibility requirements for the the COVID-19 Relief Fund or the Customer Crisis Fund, BC Hydro offers payment deferrals and payment plans through its COVID-19 Customer Assistance Program. Customers can call BC Hydro's customer team at 1 800 BCHYDRO (1 800 224 9376) to discuss their options.
To apply for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, customers can visit bchydro.com/covid19relief.
