Section 56.93. Personal contact

(a) Except when authorized under § 56.71, § 56.72 or § 56.98 (relating to interruption of service; discontinuance of service; and immediate termination for unauthorized use, fraud, tampering or tariff violations), a public utility may not interrupt, discontinue or terminate service without attempting to contact the customer or responsible adult occupant, either in person or by telephone, to provide notice of the proposed termination at least 3 days prior to the scheduled termination. If personal contact by one method is not possible, the public utility is obligated to attempt the other method.

(b) Phone contact shall be deemed complete upon attempted calls on 2 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, 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.

(c) 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.

(d) The content of the 3-day personal contact notice must include the earliest date at which termination may occur and 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.

(e) The public utility shall ask the customer or occupant if he has questions about the 10-day written notice the public utility previously sent.

The provisions of this § 56.93 adopted June 16, 1978, effective June 17, 1978, 8 Pa.B. 1655; amended July 17, 1998, effective August 17, 1998, 28 Pa.B. 3379; amended October 7, 2011, effective October 8, 2011, 41 Pa.B. 5473. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (297130) to (297131) and (246341).

Notation

Authority

The provisions of this § 56.93 amended under the Public Utility Code, 66 Pa.C.S. § § 501, 504—506, 1301, Chapter 14 and 1501.

Cross References

This section cited in 52 Pa. Code § 56.11 (relating to billing frequency); 52 Pa. Code § 56.16 (relating to transfer of accounts); 52 Pa. Code § 56.81 (relating to authorized termination of service); 52 Pa. Code § 56.91 (relating to general notice provisions and contents of termination notice); 52 Pa. Code § 56.94 (relating to procedures immediately prior to termination); 52 Pa. Code § 56.100 (relating to winter termination procedures); 52 Pa. Code § 56.101 (relating to limited notice upon noncompliance with report or order); 52 Pa. Code § 56.117 (relating to termination upon expiration of medical certification); 52 Pa. Code § 56.118 (relating to right of public utility to petition the Commission); 52 Pa. Code § 56.164 (relating to termination pending resolution of the dispute); and 52 Pa. Code Chapter 56 Appendix C (relating to defintions (§ 56.231)).