

     § 2206.  Consumer protections and customer service.
        (a)  Quality.--A natural gas distribution company shall be
     responsible for customer service functions consistent with the
     orders and regulations of the commission, including, but not
     limited to, meter reading, installation, testing and maintenance
     and emergency response for all customers, and complaint
     resolution and collections related to the service provided by
     the natural gas distribution company. Customer service and
     consumer protections and policies for retail gas customers
     shall, at a minimum, be maintained at the same level of quality
     under retail competition as in existence on the effective date
     of this chapter.
        (b)  Change of suppliers.--The commission shall, by order or
     regulation, establish procedures to ensure that a natural gas
     distribution company does not change a retail gas customer's
     natural gas supplier without direct oral confirmation from the
     customer of record or written evidence of the customer's consent
     to a change of supplier.
        (c)  Customer information.--The commission shall, by order or
     regulation, establish requirements that each natural gas
     distribution company and natural gas supplier provide adequate,
     accurate customer information to enable retail gas customers to
     make informed choices regarding the purchase of all natural gas
     services offered by that provider. Information shall be provided
     to retail gas customers in an understandable format that enables
     retail gas customers to compare prices and services on a uniform
     basis.
        (d)  Consumer education.--Prior to the implementation of any
     restructuring plan under section 2204 (relating to
     implementation), each natural gas distribution company, in
     conjunction with the commission and consistent with the
     guidelines established by the commission, shall implement a
     consumer education program to inform customers of the changes in
     the natural gas utility industry. The program shall provide
     retail gas customers with information necessary to help them
     make appropriate choices as to their natural gas service. The
     education program shall be subject to approval by the
     commission. The consumer education program shall include goals,
     objectives and an action plan that is designed to be objective,
     easily understood, utilizes a uniform measurement as established
     by the commission for the cost of gas, be available in languages
     that the commission requires to meet the needs of a service
     territory and be separate and distinct from marketing.
        (e)  Consumer education cost recovery.--The consumer
     education program shall be subject to approval by the commission
     and shall be funded in each natural gas distribution service
     territory by a nonbypassable, competitively neutral cost-
     recovery mechanism that fully recovers the reasonable cost of
     such program. To the extent that the industrial customer class
     is not currently assigned such costs on the effective date of
     this chapter, it shall not be assigned such costs in the future.
        (f)  Tenants' rights.--Nothing in this chapter shall be
     construed to restrict the rights of tenants pursuant to
     Subchapter B of Chapter 15 (relating to discontinuance of
     service to leased premises).

        Cross References.  Section 2206 is referred to in section
     2211 of this title.

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Last modified: November 27, 2007