This is now the second winter that utility companies are banned from cutting electricity off to customers who are behind in bill payments, but there is still a penalty for those who don't pay.
From November 15th until April 30th, its illegal for hydro companies to cut off power to customers for not paying their bills.
However, officials with Greater Sudbury Utilities want people to know that it isn't just a free pass to not pay your hydro bill.
“We will not be able to send disconnection notices or to actually disconnect people, but come May 1st if you have amassed a huge balance, then we will start disconnecting people." said Wendy Watson, of GSU.
She also says that at the end of the day, rates will go up if the utility company has significant losses because of people not paying their bills and it will be the responsible people, who end up being penalized.
"Our only recourse, since we don't have any tool of disconnection, is to give it to a collections agency. And that costs us 35% on whatever the unpaid balance is." said Watson.
Officials say, there are people who do have financial challenges, and hydro does work with them.
Public Health Sudbury and Districts say 13% of individuals currently live in poverty and the income security issues will not go away with this moratorium.
“The moratorium on hydro disconnections will provide, obviously, an important reprieve for individuals and families over the cold winter months, but I think it's important to focus on the bigger issue of income security for those who will still be stuck paying those bills in May." said Dana Wilson, of Sudbury public health.
For those people who are struggling to pay a bill, there are many programs out there, such as the Ontario Electricity Support Program.
