Payment options for design projects
First, set up your BC Hydro payment account
To start your electrical service design project, you'll need to complete and submit an authorization form [PDF, 79 KB] for payment for each design project. The authorization form is used to set up your BC Hydro payment account for design and construction work. Our distribution design office needs to receive your completed form before any invoicing or payment.
It's your responsibility to inform us if there's any change during the work to the location of the project site listed on your authorization form. You'll also need to inform the distribution designer if there's a change in ownership of the property where the work's being performed, or a change to the invoicing and payment recipient.
A new authorization form [PDF, 79 KB] must be completed by the new account holder. We're not able to correct this information on invoices after they're issued.
Ways to pay for your design projects
You can use any of the following options to pay for design connection deposits and construction costs including design, material, and construction estimates. There's no pre-authorized payment option.
Any payment should reference your project account number. This number is noted on your invoice at the top and under "Total due". Please note this is different from the design number and the invoice number.
Select the sample invoice [JPG, 207 KB] to view it at a larger size.
If you have multiple projects with us, you'll receive a unique account number for each project.
Online banking
With your existing online banking access, select "BC Hydro" as a payee and use the project account number shown on your invoice as the account. Please note this is different from the design number and the invoice number.
If you don't currently have access to online banking, please contact your financial institution to set this up first.
Online banking offers many benefits:
- You'll have a more efficient and convenient way to pay for costs.
- Payments can be made at any time (day or night).
- Payments will be cleared faster.
- Payments can be easily tracked.
- You'll receive formal invoices.
- Automated receipts will be sent within three business days after your payment is processed.
Online banking payment limits vary and typically are determined with your bank when you set up your account.
You may be able to increase your limit, even temporarily to facilitate your payment(s). Alternately, you can bring the invoice(s) to your bank and pay directly from your account.
Remember, any payment should reference your project account number.
In person at your bank
You can pay in person through your financial institution. Set "BC Hydro" as the payee and use the project account number shown on your invoice as the account. Please note this is different from the design number and the invoice number.
By cheque
Payments by cheque may take up to 10 business days to process.
Payments should be made to BC Hydro. Please note that your local BC Hydro office won't accept payment for design projects. Payments must be mailed to the following address:
PO Box 9501 Station Terminal,
Vancouver, B.C., V6B 4N1
Include in the cheque's memo or description section your project account number. Please note this is different from the design number and the invoice number.
Cheques cannot be post-dated. Please allow enough time for us to receive your payment by the due date shown on the invoice.
Invoices & receipts
Your invoices and receipts will be emailed to you at the email address you include in your authorization form. The emails will be from nebnotifications@bchydro.com. This is a no-reply email address which you should add to your safe senders list to ensure you don't miss any messages.
Email allows you to receive your invoices faster and makes it easier for us to communicate with you directly regarding your project.
Without an email address, we'll mail your invoice(s) via Canada Post, which may result in project delays.
Design project invoices, payments and receipts will not be visible in your MyHydro account. These projects will be set up as accounts separate from your BC Hydro electrical account(s).
Please call us at 604 224 9376 or 1 800 224 9376 (toll-free) to request a copy.
Your invoices and receipts will be sent to you via email from nebnotifications@bchydro.com. Check your junk folder for a message from this sender, and add nebnotifications@bchydro.com to your safe senders list.
If you still can't find the invoice, please call us at 604 224 9376 or 1 800 224 9376 (toll-free) to request a copy.
Other payment questions
If you input an incorrect account number in your payment, you can email payments@bchydro.com to correct it.
To expedite the process, please use the subject line "Design Project Payment Trace" and include the following details:
- Payment date
- Payment amount
- Name of bank
- Payment method (online banking, in-person, or cheque)
- Incorrect account number used
- Correct account number that should be used
If the cheque was already cashed, you should provide the cashing date and include images of the front and back of the cheque, which can be downloaded from your bank account.
Each design will have a unique account number. If you have multiple invoices with the same account number, you can make one single payment for the total amount. If you have invoices for multiple projects with different account numbers, you'll need to make individual payments.
If you have any questions about making payments, please call 604 224 9376 or 1 800 224 9376 (toll-free).