Section 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 utility may not interrupt, discontinue or terminate service without personally contacting the customer or a responsible adult occupant 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 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 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) 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.

(4) If the customer has not made the designation noted in paragraph (3), 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.

(5) If the utility is not successful in establishing personal contact as noted in paragraphs (1) and (2) and the customer has not made the designation noted in paragraph (3) 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 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 utility and the Commission.

(4) The availability of the emergency medical procedures.

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

Notation

Cross References

This section cited in 52 Pa. Code § 56.252 (relating to definitions); 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 utility to petition the Commission); 52 Pa. Code § 56.358 (relating to right of utility to petition the Commission); and 52 Pa. Code § 56.393 (relating to termination pending resolution of the dispute).