Dear Editor,

Terasen Gas (which Kinder Morgan recently sold to Fortis Inc.) wants to spend $155 million on a new computerized customer service system, so you can press 7 for English.

But instead of absorbing it into the cost of doing business, they want to pass the cost onto their 930,000 customers.

Give me a break!

Once, your bill was your bill. Nowadays, many utility, banks, and service providers somehow get away with charging customers not only a basic charge, whether you use the service or not, but have also added usage charges, rate riders depending of time of day, night, or full moon, clean energy fund levy, transit levy... and all are subject to PST and GST.

All of those interim rates are subject to BC Utilities Commission approval, which takes months, and if not approved, you get a credit on your statement.

No other business can get away with that sort of practise.

It seems the push is for "online services," as they all want us to reduce paper.

Following is a list of the amount of minimum pages included in my monthly statements, even when I am paying online or direct withdrawl/deposit: Telus Home, two; Telus Mobility, three; Shaw, two; Tersaen, three; Vancity, three.

The winner, with the thickest envelope, is BC Hydro's minimum of five pages - who print on the outside of that envelope, "Paperless billing saves trees and electricity. Turn off your paper bill and go paperless."

All of the above info could be nicely printed on one two-sided page.

This customer would prefer all to stop sending me advertisements from other companies in the mail, or spam emails for junk I do not need nor want.

I, personally, would like to talk to a live operator, in Canada, when I need directory assistance. And I can't watch all of the 157 channels I currently have.

So in closing, I would also like to take this opportunity to offer all of the above a free colon-cleanse coupon.

Hey! Why did my lights go out?

Catfish Potesta,

Langley