Ontario couple shocked by nearly $43,000 gas bill for 3 months service

An Orillia, Ont. couple was shocked to receive an eye-popping gas bill of nearly $43,000 for three months of service.

"My heart just started the thump," says Candace Shaw. "My stomach, I just felt sick, and I just thought there's no way."

"We haven't got that kind of money," says Bob Shaw.

Candace and Bob Shaw say they hadn't received an Enbridge Gas bill since September, when they were only billed $26.25, compared to the typical $80. Candace says she called the gas company after the unusually low bill.

She says the company sent someone to read the gas meter when they didn't receive a bill for October or November, and she was told they would get a bill in January.

Candace says she's had sleepless nights and heart palpitations after finally getting their bill for mid-September to mid-January for $42,625.24.

The Canadian Gas Association says that in 2019, the average home used roughly 2,400 cubic metres of gas for the year. The Shaws were billed for nearly 100,000 cubic metres in three months - that's 41 years worth of gas.

"Something's gone screwy," Bob says.

The couple, who are in their 70s, says that in the colder months, the gas bill could hit as high as $200, a far cry from the thousands they were billed.

In an email to CTV News, Enbridge says the amount is incorrect and that it could be related to issues with a new billing system.

"We introduced a new billing system in July 2020, and we have encountered some instances where data from the previous billing system did not transfer over correctly. That may be the case here."

The company says it will wipe the bill from the Shaws account and understands they would like this experience behind them as soon as possible and offered an apology for the inconvenience.

With files from CTV's Siobhan Morris