N.S. Power says meters are back online after last year’s hack broke communications

The new CEO of Nova Scotia’s private electric utility says the firm has hit key milestones in its recovery from last year’s cyberattack.

Vivek Sood says Nova Scotia Power is turning its attention to rebuilding trust with customers.

Sood told reporters today the utility has reconnected every smart meter in the province after a cyberattack disrupted communications last March.

The disruption had caused the utility to estimate power usage with many customers complaining their bills jumped significantly.

The company has also deleted all customer social insurance numbers it had on file, a commitment it made to the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

Sood says trust is earned, not given, and acknowledges the utility has a lot of work to do, including fixing those inflated bills.

The company is also in the middle of a rate increase process, with a final ruling expected in less than a month.