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 P - TERMINATION OF SERVICE › NOTICE PROCEDURES PRIOR TO TERMINATION › Section 56.333 - Personal contact

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
(a) Except when
						authorized under §
												56.311, §
												56.312 or §
												56.338 (relating to interruption
						of service; discontinuance of service; and exception for terminations based on
						occurrences harmful to person or property), a public utility may not interrupt,
						discontinue or terminate service without personally contacting the customer or
						a responsible adult occupant in person, by telephone or electronically with the
						customer's consent to provide notice of the proposed termination at least 3
						days prior to the interruption, discontinuance or termination, in addition to
						providing other notice as specified by the properly filed tariff of the public
						utility or as required under this chapter or other Commission
						directive.
(b) For purposes of this
						section, "personal contact" means:
(1)
						Contacting the customer or responsible adult occupant in person or by
						telephone. Phone contact shall be deemed complete upon attempted calls on 2
						separate days to the residence between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. if the calls were made
						at various times each day, with the various times of the day being daytime
						before 5 p.m. and evening after 5 p.m. and at least 2 hours apart. Calls made
						to contact telephone numbers provided by the customer shall be deemed to be
						calls to the residence.
(2) If
						contact is attempted in person by a home visit, only one attempt is required.
						The public utility shall conspicuously post a written termination notice at the
						residence if it is unsuccessful in attempting to personally contact a
						responsible adult occupant during the home visit.
(3) Contact by e-mail, text message or other
						electronic messaging format consistent with the Commission's privacy guidelines
						and approved by Commission order. The electronic notification option is
						voluntary and shall only be used if the customer has given prior consent
						approving the use of a specific electronic message format for the purpose of
						notification of a pending termination. Electronic contact shall be deemed
						complete if, after attempted transmittal, no message is received indicating
						that the transmittal was undeliverable or otherwise not received. If the public
						utility receives notification that the transmittal was undeliverable or
						otherwise not received, the public utility shall attempt to contact the
						customer either in person or by telephone, consistent with the requirements of
						this section.
(4) Contacting
						another person whom the customer has designated to receive a copy of a notice
						of termination, other than a member or employee of the Commission.
(5) If the customer has not made the
						designation noted in paragraph (4), contacting a community interest group or
						other entity, including a local police department, which previously shall have
						agreed to receive a copy of the notice of termination and to attempt to contact
						the customer.
(6) If the public
						utility is not successful in establishing personal contact and the customer has
						not made the designation noted in paragraph (4) and if there is no community
						interest group or other entity which previously has agreed to receive a copy of
						the notice of termination, contacting the Commission in writing.