Utilities that provide heat to homes are taking their first steps toward shutting off nonpaying customers in midwinter, something they haven’t been able to do in most cases since 1978.
The warnings are out. Natural gas and electric companies are running newspaper ads and sending letters and bill inserts to explain Pennsylvania’s new Responsible Utility Customer Protection Act, which gives them more power to force customers who the utilities believe could pay, but don’t, to settle their accounts or set up payment plans.
Customers who do nothing about their overdue bills could wind up without heat, through a termination process that takes as little as 10 days.
Gas, electric and other utilities are training their field service and call center workers in the tougher collection procedures. Some say they could complete their first shutoffs as soon as mid-February.
The utilities are quick to point out that only customers with moderate or higher incomes can be shut off for nonpayment from December through March, and that the law is designed to stop customers who pay their bills on time from having to cover their electric or gas company’s millions of dollars in uncollected debt.
For this complete story, please visit Pennsylvania Utilities Prepare to Deal with Non-Paying Customers.
