Pennsylvania Code
Title 52 - PUBLIC UTILITIES
Part I - Public Utility Commission
Subpart C - Fixed Service Utilities
Chapter 56 - STANDARDS AND BILLING PRACTICES FOR RESIDENTIAL PUBLIC UTILITY SERVICE
Subchapter M - BILLING AND PAYMENT STANDARDS
GENERAL
Section 56.261 - Billing frequency
Universal Citation: 52 PA Code ยง 56.261
Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 38, September 21, 2024
(a) A public utility shall render a bill once every billing period to every residential customer in accordance with approved rate schedules.
(b) A public utility may utilize electronic billing in lieu of mailed paper bills. Electronic billing programs must include the following:
(1) The electronic billing
option is voluntary and only with the prior consent of the customer. The
customer retains the right to revert to conventional paper billings upon
request. The customer shall provide the public utility with a one billing cycle
notice of a request to revert to paper billing.
(2) A customer shall receive the same
information that is included with a paper bill issued by the public
utility.
(3) The electronic bill
must include the same disclosures and educational messages that are required
for paper bills. The electronic transmission of termination notices may not be
permitted unless the customer has affirmatively consented to this method of
delivery. The electronic delivery of a termination notice does not relieve the
public utility of the obligation to provide termination notices as required
under §
§ 56.331-56.338.
(4) The electronic bill must include all
required bill inserts in an easily accessed and easily readable
format.
(5) The electronic bill
must include the option for the customer to contribute to the public utility's
hardship fund if the public utility is able to accept hardship fund
contributions by this method.
(6) A
customer may not be required to pay an additional fee to receive an electronic
bill.
(7) The public utility shall
maintain a system to deliver electronic bills if the bill is emailed to a
customer.
(8) The public utility
shall employ all reasonable measures to protect customer information from
unauthorized disclosure and prevent access to customer account records by
persons who are not properly authorized to have access.
The provisions of this §56.261 amended under the Public Utility Code, 66 Pa.C.S. § § 501, 1301, 1401-1419, 1501 and 1509.
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