§ 1406. Termination of utility service.
(a) Authorized termination.--A public utility may notify a customer and terminate service provided to a customer after notice as provided in subsection (b) for any of the following actions by the customer:
(1) Nonpayment of an undisputed delinquent account.
(2) Failure to comply with the material terms of a payment arrangement.
(3) Failure to complete payment of a deposit, provide a guarantee of payment or establish credit.
(4) Failure to permit access to meters, service connections or other property of the public utility for the purpose of replacement, maintenance, repair or meter reading.
(b) Notice of termination of service.--
(1) Prior to terminating service under subsection (a), a public utility:
(i) Shall provide written notice of the termination to the customer at least ten days prior to the date of the proposed termination. The termination notice shall remain effective for 60 days.
(ii) Shall attempt to contact the customer or occupant to provide notice of the proposed termination at least three days prior to the scheduled termination, using one or more of the following methods:
(A) in person;
(B) by telephone. Phone contact shall be deemed complete upon attempted calls on two separate days to the residence between the hours of 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. if the calls were made at various times each day; or
(C) by e-mail, text message or other electronic messaging format consistent with the commission's privacy guidelines and approved by commission order.
(D) In the case of electronic notification only, the customer must affirmatively consent to be contacted using a specific electronic messaging format for purpose of termination.
(iii) During the months of December through March, unless personal contact has been made with the customer or responsible adult by personally visiting the customer's residence, the public utility shall, within 48 hours of the scheduled date of termination, post a notice of the proposed termination at the service location.
(iv) After complying with paragraphs (ii) and (iii), the public utility shall attempt to make personal contact with the customer or responsible adult at the time service is terminated. Termination of service shall not be delayed for failure to make personal contact.
(2) The public utility shall not be required by the commission to take any additional actions prior to termination.
(c) Grounds for immediate termination.--
(1) A public utility may immediately terminate service for any of the following actions by the customer:
(i) Unauthorized use of the service delivered on or about the affected dwelling.
(ii) Fraud or material misrepresentation of the customer's identity for the purpose of obtaining service.
(iii) Tampering with meters or other public utility's equipment.
(iv) Violating tariff provisions on file with the commission so as to endanger the safety of a person or the integrity of the public utility's delivery system.
(v) Tendering payment for reconnection of service that is subsequently dishonored, revoked, canceled or otherwise not authorized under subsection (h) and which has not been cured or otherwise made full payment within three business days of the utility's notice to the customer, made in accordance with the notice provisions of subsection (b)(1)(ii), of the dishonored payment.
(2) Upon termination, the public utility shall make a good faith attempt to provide a post termination notice to the customer or a responsible person at the affected premises, and, in the case of a single meter, multiunit dwelling, the public utility shall conspicuously post the notice at the dwelling, including in common areas when possible.
(d) Timing of termination.--Notwithstanding the provisions of section 1503 (relating to discontinuance of service), a public utility may terminate service for the reasons set forth in subsection (a) from Monday through Thursday as long as the public utility can accept payment to restore service on the following day and can restore service consistent with section 1407 (relating to reconnection of service).
(e) Winter termination.--
(1) Unless otherwise authorized by the commission, after November 30 and before April 1, an electric distribution utility or natural gas distribution utility shall not terminate service to customers with household incomes at or below 250% of the Federal poverty level except for customers whose actions conform to subsection (c)(1). The commission shall not prohibit an electric distribution utility or natural gas distribution utility from terminating service in accordance with this section to customers with household incomes exceeding 250% of the Federal poverty level.
(2) In addition to the winter termination authority set forth in paragraph (1), a city natural gas distribution operation may terminate service to a customer whose household income exceeds 150% of the Federal poverty level but does not exceed 250% of the Federal poverty level, and starting January 1, has not paid at least 50% of his charges for each of the prior two months unless the customer has done one of the following:
(i) Has proven in accordance with commission rules that his household contains one or more persons who are 65 years of age or over.
(ii) Has proven in accordance with commission rules that his household contains one or more persons 12 years of age or younger.
(iii) Has obtained a medical certification in accordance with commission rules.
(iv) Has paid to the city natural gas distribution operation an amount representing at least 15% of the customer's monthly household income for each of the last two months.
(3) At the time that the notice of termination required by subsection (b)(1)(i) is provided to the customer, the city natural gas distribution operation shall provide notice to the commission. The commission shall not stay the termination of service unless the commission finds that the customer meets the criteria in paragraph (2)(i), (ii), (iii) or (iv).
(f) Medical certification.--A public utility shall not terminate service to a premises when a customer has submitted a medical certificate to the public utility. The customer shall obtain a medical certificate verifying the condition and shall promptly forward it to the public utility. The medical certification procedure shall be implemented in accordance with commission regulations.
(g) Qualification for LIHEAP.--A notice of termination to a customer of a public utility shall be sufficient proof of a crisis for a customer with the requisite income level to receive a LIHEAP Crisis Grant from the Department of Public Welfare or its designee as soon as practicable after the date of the notice. Termination of service is not necessary to demonstrate sufficient proof of crisis.
(h) Dishonorable tender of payment after receiving termination notice.--
(1) After a public utility has provided a written termination notice under subsection (b)(1)(i) and attempted telephone contact as provided in subsection (b)(1)(ii), termination of service may proceed without additional notice if:
(i) a customer tenders payment which is subsequently dishonored under 13 Pa.C.S. § 3502 (relating to dishonor);
(ii) a customer tenders payment with an access device, as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 4106(d) (relating to access device fraud), which is unauthorized, revoked or canceled; or
(iii) a customer tenders payment electronically that is subsequently dishonored, revoked, canceled or is otherwise not authorized and which has not been cured or otherwise made full payment within three business days of the utility's notice to the customer, made in accordance with the notice provisions of subsection (b)(1)(ii), of the dishonored payment.
(2) The public utility shall not be required by the commission to take any additional actions prior to the termination.
(Oct. 22, 2014, P.L.2545, No.155, eff. 60 days)
2014 Amendment. Act 155 amended subsecs. (a)(2), (b)(1)(ii), (d), (f), (g) and (h) and added subsec. (c)(1)(v).
References in Text. The Department of Public Welfare, referred to in this section, was redesignated as the Department of Human Services by Act 132 of 2014.
Cross References. Section 1406 is referred to in section 1407 of this title.
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