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 56.340 - Winter termination procedures

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter, during
						  the period of December 1 through March 31, public utilities subject to this
						  subchapter shall conform to the provisions of this section. The covered public
						  utilities may not terminate service between December 1 and March 31 except as
						  provided in this section or §
												56.338 (relating to exception for
						  terminations based on occurrences harmful to person or property).
(1)
Termination notices
. The
						public utility shall comply with §
												§
												56.331-56.335 including personal contact,
						as defined in §
												56.333 (relating to personal
						contact), at the premises if occupied.
(2)
Request for permission to
						terminate service
. If at the conclusion of the notification process
						defined in §
												§
												56.331-56.335, a reasonable agreement
						cannot be reached between the public utility and the customer, the public
						utility shall register with the Commission, in writing, a request for
						permission to terminate service, accompanied by a public utility report as
						defined in §
												56.382 (relating to contents of
						the public utility company report). At the same time, the public utility shall
						serve the customer a copy of the written request registered with the
						Commission.
(3)
Informal
						complaints
. If the customer has filed an informal complaint or if the
						Commission has acted upon the public utility's written request, the matter
						shall proceed under §
												§
												56.391-56.394 (relating to informal
						complaint procedures). Nothing in this section may be construed to limit the
						right of a public utility or customer to appeal a decision by the Bureau of
						Consumer Services (BCS) under
						66 Pa.C.S. §
													701
						(relating to complaints) and §
												§ 56.401-56.403 and 56.441.
(4)
Survey of premises previously
						terminated
. For premises where heat related service has been
						terminated prior to December 1 of each year, covered public utilities shall,
						within 90 days prior to December 1, survey and attempt to make post-termination
						personal contact with the occupant or a responsible adult at the premises and
						in good faith attempt to reach an agreement regarding payment of any arrearages
						and restoration of service.
(5)
Reporting of survey results
. Public utilities subject to this
						subchapter shall file a brief report outlining their pre-December 1 survey and
						personal contact results with the BCS on or before December 15 of each year.
						Each public utility shall update the survey and report the results to the BCS
						on February 1 of each year to reflect any change in the status of the accounts
						subsequent to the December 15 filing including any accounts terminated in
						December. For the purposes of the February 1 update of survey results, the
						public utility shall attempt to contact by telephone, if available, a
						responsible adult person or occupant at each residence in a good faith attempt
						to reach an agreement regarding payment of any arrearages and restoration of
						service.
(6)
Landlord
						ratepayer accounts
. During the period of December 1 through March 31,
						a public utility subject to this subchapter may not terminate service to a
						premises when the account is in the name of a landlord ratepayer as defined at
						66 Pa.C.S. §
													1521
						(related to definitions) except for the grounds in § 56.338.
(7)
Reporting of deaths at locations
						where public utility service was previously terminated
. Throughout the
						year, public utilities subject to this subchapter shall report to the
						Commission when, in the normal course of business, they become aware of a
						household fire, incident of hypothermia or carbon monoxide poisoning or another
						event that resulted in a death and that the public utility service was off at
						the time of the incident. Within 1 working day of becoming aware of an
						incident, the public utility shall submit a telephone or electronic report to
						the Director of the BCS including, if available, the name, address and account
						number of the last customer of record, the date of the incident, a brief
						statement of the circumstances involved and, if available from an official
						source or the media, the initial findings as to the cause of the incident and
						the source of that information. The BCS or Commission may request additional
						information on the incident and the customer's account. Information submitted
						to the Commission in accordance with this paragraph shall be treated in
						accordance with
						66 Pa.C.S. §
													1508
						(relating to reports of accidents) and may not be open for public inspection
						except by order of the Commission, and may not be admitted into evidence for
						any purpose in any suit or action for damages growing out of any matter or
						thing mentioned in the report.
The provisions of this §
														56.340 amended under the Public
							 Utility Code,
							 66 Pa.C.S. §
															§
															501,
							 1301,
							 1401-1419,
							 1501 and
							 1509.