§ 56.333. Personal contact.
(a) Except when authorized under § 56.311, § 56.312 or § 56.338 (relating to interruption of service; discontinuance of service; and exception for terminations based on occurrences harmful to person or property), a public utility may not interrupt, discontinue or terminate service without personally contacting the customer or a responsible adult occupant in person, by telephone or electronically with the customer’s consent to provide notice of the proposed termination at least 3 days prior to the interruption, discontinuance or termination, in addition to providing other notice as specified by the properly filed tariff of the public utility or as required under this chapter or other Commission directive.
(b) For purposes of this section, ‘‘personal contact’’ means:
(1) Contacting the customer or responsible adult occupant in person or by telephone. Phone contact shall be deemed complete upon attempted calls on 2 separate days to the residence between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. if the calls were made at various times each day, with the various times of the day being daytime before 5 p.m. and evening after 5 p.m. and at least 2 hours apart. Calls made to contact telephone numbers provided by the customer shall be deemed to be calls to the residence.
(2) If contact is attempted in person by a home visit, only one attempt is required. The public utility shall conspicuously post a written termination notice at the residence if it is unsuccessful in attempting to personally contact a responsible adult occupant during the home visit.
(3) Contact by e-mail, text message or other electronic messaging format consistent with the Commission’s privacy guidelines and approved by Commission order. The electronic notification option is voluntary and shall only be used if the customer has given prior consent approving the use of a specific electronic message format for the purpose of notification of a pending termination. Electronic contact shall be deemed complete if, after attempted transmittal, no message is received indicating that the transmittal was undeliverable or otherwise not received. If the public utility receives notification that the transmittal was undeliverable or otherwise not received, the public utility shall attempt to contact the customer either in person or by telephone, consistent with the requirements of this section.
(4) Contacting another person whom the customer has designated to receive a copy of a notice of termination, other than a member or employee of the Commission.
(5) If the customer has not made the designation noted in paragraph (4), contacting a community interest group or other entity, including a local police department, which previously shall have agreed to receive a copy of the notice of termination and to attempt to contact the customer.
(6) If the public utility is not successful in establishing personal contact and the customer has not made the designation noted in paragraph (4) and if there is no community interest group or other entity which previously has agreed to receive a copy of the notice of termination, contacting the Commission in writing.
(c) The content of the 3-day personal contact notice must include the earliest date at which termination may occur and all of the following information:
(1) The date and grounds of the termination.
(2) What is needed to avoid the termination of service.
(3) How to contact the public utility and the Commission.
(4) The availability of the emergency medical procedures.
(d) The public utility shall ask if the customer or occupant has questions about the 10-day written notice the public utility previously sent.
Authority The provisions of this § 56.333 amended under the Public Utility Code, 66 Pa.C.S. § § 501, 1301, 1401—1419, 1501 and 1509.
Source The provisions of this § 56.333 amended May 31, 2019, effective June 1, 2019, 49 Pa.B. 2815. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (359047) to (359048).
Cross References This section cited in 52 Pa. Code § 56.261 (relating to billing frequency); 52 Pa. Code § 56.266 (relating to transfer of accounts); 52 Pa. Code § 56.331 (relating to general notice provisions and contents of termination notice); 52 Pa. Code § 56.340 (relating to winter termination procedures); 52 Pa. Code § 56.357 (relating to termination upon expiration of medical certification); 52 Pa. Code § 56.358 (relating to right of public utility to petition the Commission); and 52 Pa. Code § 56.393 (relating to termination pending resolution of the dispute).
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