Enbridge billed eatery for $4,000 worth of gas it didn't use during COVID-19 shutdown, owner says

An owner of one of Toronto's most iconic downtown restaurants says Enbridge Gas billed him for thousands of dollars worth of gas his eatery didn't use while it was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Andre Rosenbaum says the Queen Mother Cafe was forced to close its doors on March 15 and it didn't reopen until the middle of last month. But he calculates the difference between what Enbridge charged for and the gas the restaurant actually used is $4,000. 

"We were struggling, we had zero income during that period, and it was a really, really tough challenge," Rosenbaum told CBC News. Enbridge says it's been forced to estimate its customers' gas usage during the pandemic and is willing to adjust the bill if "we have overestimated" it.

But that doesn't satisfy Rosenbaum.

"I feel they're taking us for a ride. I think it's cruel, I think it's unfair, unsympathetic. It's adding a burden to small businesses that need every spare penny now and I'm just completely and utterly offended," he said.

The well-known spot, which has been a fixture on Queen Street West near University Avenue since 1978, reopened for takeout and delivery on June 17. 

The restaurant started serving diners on its patio a week later. But because of physical distancing restrictions that are still in place, the Queen Mum can seat only about 20 people — a far cry from its normal capacity of approximately 150 customers.

Some suppliers were compassionate and made arrangements to defer or reduce payments.

Enbridge did allow the restaurant to consolidate its bills, but when Rosenbaum started paying them he says he noticed they were high, even for the period they'd been closed. So he called customer service.

"They said because of COVID we can't send out technicians to check the meters, so we have to estimate." 

 He says he was told if he provided an accurate meter reading, his bill will be adjusted. 

"Why are they charging people huge estimated readings based on January, February and March when there was heating going on, and they also know that after that many of us were shuttered? It's absolutely crazy," he said.

"They are just taking money that they must realize it's very, very difficult for us to be paying for and they have not earned."

Happy to 'rectify the issue,' Enbridge says

In a statement to CBC Toronto, a senior communications adviser with Enbridge Gas confirms that the company is following the latest guidance provided by public health officials and government authorities. 

"Our meter readers are taking extra precautions to keep the public safe. We have suspended reading meters located inside homes and businesses, and outside meters are only read once every other month," Leanne McNaughton wrote.

She says Enbridge uses customers' gas-use history, expected gas rates and weather forecasts to estimate monthly billings.

"If we have overestimated, we are happy to work with this customer to rectify the issue," said McNaughton, adding that customers are also welcome to submit their meter readings online.

The company also postponed its regular quarterly rate adjustment for July, so rates did not increase.

But Ryan Mallough, the director of provincial affairs for Ontario at the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, says this is kind of thing that small businesses do not need as they struggle to recover.

"On the face of it, it's pretty silly," he said.

"We all know that most of the businesses across Ontario have been shut down for three months and that their gas usage has been very little at best."

And while it's nice that Enbridge will help correct the bills by allowing small businesses to send in their gas readings, it's "just an added piece of stress," he says.

"It shows a lack of understanding about what businesses in this province are going through."