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 › NOTICE PROCEDURES PRIOR TO TERMINATION › Section 56.91 - General notice provisions and contents of termination notice

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
(a) Prior to terminating service for grounds
						authorized by §
												56.81 (relating to authorized
						termination of service), a public utility shall provide written notice of the
						termination to the customer at least 10 days prior to the date of the proposed
						termination. The termination notice shall remain effective for 60 days. In the
						event of a user without contract as defined in §
												56.2 (relating to definitions),
						the public utility shall comply with §
												§
												56.93-56.97, but need not provide notice
						10 days prior to termination.
(b) A
						notice of termination must include, in conspicuous print, clearly and fully the
						following information when applicable:
(1)
						The reason for the proposed termination.
(2) An itemized statement of amounts
						currently due, including any required deposit.
(3) A statement that a reconnection fee will
						be required to have service restored after it has been terminated if a
						reconnection fee is a part of the tariff of the public utility on file with the
						Commission. The statement must include the maximum possible dollar amount of
						the reconnection fee that may apply.
(4) The date on or after which service will
						be terminated unless one of the following occurs:
(i) Payment in full is received.
(ii) The grounds for termination are
						otherwise eliminated.
(iii) A
						payment arrangement is established.
(iv) Enrollment is made in a customer
						assistance program or its equivalent, if the customer is eligible for the
						program.
(v) A dispute is filed
						with the Public Utility or the Commission.
(vi) Payment in full of amounts past due on
						the most recent payment arrangement is received.
(5) A statement that specifies that the
						notice is valid for 60 days.
(6) A
						statement that the customer should immediately contact the public utility to
						attempt to resolve the matter. The statement must include the address and
						telephone number where questions may be asked, how payment arrangements may be
						negotiated and entered into with the public utility, and where applications can
						be found and submitted for enrollment into the public utility's universal
						service programs, if these programs are offered by the public
						utility.
(7) The following
						statement: "If you have questions or need more information, contact us as soon
						as possible at (public utility phone number). After you talk to us, if you are
						not satisfied, you may file a complaint with the Public Utility Commission. The
						Public Utility Commission may delay the shut off if you file the complaint
						before the shut off date. To contact them, call 1 (800) 692-7380 or write to
						the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, P.O. Box 3265, Harrisburg,
						Pennsylvania 17105-3265."
(8) A
						medical certificate notice in compliance with the form in Appendix A (relating
						to medical emergency notice) except that, for the purpose of §
													56.96 (relating to
						post-termination notice), the notice must comply with the form in Appendix B
						(relating to medical emergency notice).
(9) If the public utility has universal
						service programs, information indicating that special assistance programs may
						be available and how to contact the public utility for information and
						enrollment, and that enrollment in the program may be a method of avoiding the
						termination of service.
(10)
						Notices sent by electric and gas utilities threatening termination in the
						months of December, January, February and March must include information on the
						Federal poverty guidelines by household size, the protections available to
						customers at or below 250% of the Federal poverty level and the required
						documentation or information the customer shall supply to avoid
						termination.
(11) Information
						indicating that special protections are available for victims under a
						protection from abuse order or a court order issued by a court of competent
						jurisdiction in this Commonwealth which provides clear evidence of domestic
						violence and how to contact the public utility to obtain more information on
						these protections.
(12) Information
						indicating that special protections are available for tenants if the landlord
						is responsible for paying the public utility bill and how to contact the public
						utility to obtain more information on these protections.
(13) Information indicating that all adult
						occupants of the premise whose names appear on the mortgage, deed or lease are
						considered "customers" and are responsible for payment of the bill.
(14) Information indicating that if service
						is shut off, an adult occupant who has been living at the premise may have to
						pay all or portions of the bill that accrued while the adult occupant lived
						there to have service turned back on.
(15) Information indicating that if service
						is shut off, the customer may be required to pay more than the amount listed on
						the notice to have service turned back on.
(16) Information indicating that if service
						is shut off, the customer shall contact the public utility after payment has
						been made to arrange reconnection of the service and that it may take up to 7
						days to have the service turned back on.
(17) Information in Spanish directing
						Spanish-speaking customers to the numbers to call for information and
						translation assistance. Similar information shall be included in other
						languages when census data indicates that 5% or more of the residents of the
						public utility's service territory are using that language.
(18) Contact information for customers with
						disabilities that need assistance.