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 › GROUNDS FOR TERMINATION › Section 56.323 - 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.
(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 §
												56.264 (relating to previously
						unbilled public utility service) and the customer has complied with §
												56.291(1)(ii)(A) or (B)
						 (relating to general rule).
(6) Noncompliance with a payment agreement
						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. 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.
(11) Nonpayment of delinquent accounts when
						the amount of the deposit presently held by the public utility is within $25 of
						account balance.
The provisions of this §
														56.323 amended under the Public
							 Utility Code,
							 66 Pa.C.S. §
															§
															501,
							 1301,
							 1401-1419,
							 1501 and
							 1509.
This section cited in 52 Pa. Code §
														56.263 (relating to billings for
							 merchandise, appliances and nonrecurring and recurring services); and 52 Pa.
							 Code §
														56.358 (relating to right of
							 public utility to petition the
							 Commission).