Pennsylvania Code › Title 52 - PUBLIC UTILITIES › Part I - Public Utility Commission › Subpart C - Fixed Service Utilities › Chapter 56 - STANDARDS AND BILLING PRACTICES FOR RESIDENTIAL PUBLIC UTILITY SERVICE › Subchapter E - TERMINATION OF SERVICE › GROUNDS FOR TERMINATION › Section 56.83 - Unauthorized termination of service

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
Unless expressly and specifically authorized by the
						  Commission, service may not be terminated nor will a termination notice be sent
						  for any of the following reasons:
(1)
						Nonpayment for concurrent service of the same class received at a separate
						dwelling. This does not include concurrent service periods of 90 days or less
						accrued during the transfer of service from one location to another.
(2) Nonpayment for a different class of
						service received at the same or a different location. Service may be
						terminated, however, when, under the tariff of the public utility, a change in
						classification is necessitated upon the completion of construction work
						previously billed at a different rate applicable during construction.
(3) Nonpayment, in whole or in part, of
						nonbasic charges for leased or purchased merchandise, appliances or special
						services including, but not limited to, merchandise and appliance installation
						fees, rental and repair costs; meter testing fees; special construction
						charges; and other nonrecurring or recurring charges that are not essential to
						delivery or metering of service, except as provided in this chapter.
(4) Nonpayment of bills for delinquent
						accounts of the prior customer at the same address unless the public utility
						has, under §
												56.35 (relating to payment of
						outstanding balance), established that the applicant or customer was an adult
						occupant at the same address during the time period the delinquent amount
						accrued.
(5) Nonpayment of a
						deposit which is based, in whole or in part, on a delinquent account arising
						out of a make-up bill as defined in §
												56.14 (relating to previously
						unbilled public utility service) and the customer has complied with §
												56.41(1)(ii)(A) or (B)
						 (relating to general rule).
(6) Noncompliance with a payment arrangement
						prior to the due date of the bill which forms the basis of the
						agreement.
(7) Nonpayment of
						charges for public utility service for which the public utility ceased billing
						more than 4 years prior to the date the bill is rendered.
(8) Nonpayment for residential service
						already furnished in the names of persons other than the customer unless a
						court, district justice or administrative agency has determined that the
						customer is legally obligated to pay for the service previously furnished or
						unless the public utility has, under §
												56.35, established that the
						applicant or customer was an occupant at the same address during the time
						period the delinquent amount accrued. This paragraph does not affect the
						creditor rights and remedies of a public utility otherwise permitted by
						law.
(9) Nonpayment of charges
						calculated on the basis of estimated billings, unless the estimated bill was
						required because public utility personnel were unable to gain access to the
						affected premises to obtain an actual meter reading on two occasions and have
						made a reasonable effort to schedule a meter reading at a time convenient to
						the customer or occupant, or a subsequent actual reading has been obtained as a
						verification of the estimate prior to the initiation of termination
						procedures.
(10) Nonpayment of
						delinquent accounts which accrued over two billing periods or more, which
						remain unpaid in whole or in part for 6 months or less, and which amount to a
						total delinquency of less than $25.
The provisions of this §
														56.83 amended under the Public
							 Utility Code,
							 66 Pa.C.S. §
															§
															331,
							 501,
							 504,
							 1301,
							 1305,
							 1401-1419,
							 1501,
							 1504 and
							 1509.
This section cited in 52 Pa. Code §
														56.13 (relating to billings for
							 merchandise; appliances and nonrecurring and recurring services); 52 Pa. Code
							 §
														56.118 (relating to right of
							 public utility to petition the Commission); and 52 Pa. Code §
														65.9 (relating to adjustment of
							 bills for meter error).