Pennsylvania Code
Title 52 - PUBLIC UTILITIES
Part I - Public Utility Commission
Subpart C - Fixed Service Utilities
Chapter 62 - NATURAL GAS SUPPLY CUSTOMER CHOICE
Subchapter C - CUSTOMER INFORMATION DISCLOSURE
Section 62.81 - Notice of contract expiration or change in terms for residential and small business customers
Universal Citation: 52 PA Code ยง 62.81
Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 38, September 21, 2024
(a) An NGS shall provide the following notices to customers prior to the expiration of a fixed duration contract or prior to a change in contract terms:
(1) An initial notice shall be provided to
each affected customer 60 to 75 days prior to the expiration date of the fixed
duration contract or the effective date of the proposed change in terms. For a
customer who has elected to receive electronic communications from the NGS, the
notice shall be transmitted in the manner chosen by the customer. The initial
notice must include:
(i) A general
description of the proposed change in terms of service.
(ii) The date a change shall be effective or
when the fixed duration contract is to expire.
(iii) An explanation of why a change in
contract terms is necessary.
(iv) A
statement indicating when a follow-up options notice shall be issued with
details regarding the proposed change.
(v) A statement explaining that the options
notice must discuss the customer's options to the proposed change in terms of
service or expiring fixed duration contract.
(vi) A statement indicating whether the
existing fixed duration contract has a cancellation fee and an explanation of
the fee amount and how to avoid the cancellation fee, including notice of the
date when the customer can choose a different product from the customer's
existing NGS, choose an alternative NGS or return to the supplier of last
resort.
(2) An options
notice shall be provided after the initial notice to each affected customer at
least 45 days prior to the expiration date of the fixed duration contract or
the effective date of the proposed change in terms. The notice shall be
provided by first class mail unless the customer has affirmatively elected to
receive electronic communications from the NGS. The options notice must
include:
(i) A statement advising the
customer of the specific changes being proposed by the NGS and informing the
customer of how to exercise the customer's options, including the customer's
ability to accept the proposed changes, to choose another product offering from
the customer's existing NGS, to select another NGS or to return to the supplier
of last resort, and what will occur if the customer fails to respond to the
notice. If the NGS intends to discontinue service to the customer at the end of
the contract, the options notice must include a statement that the NGS will no
longer serve the customer at the end of the contract and that the customer will
be returned to the supplier of last resort if the customer does not select
another NGS.
(ii) Information
regarding the new billed price or renewal billed price, including the price to
be charged for the first billing cycle of commodity service:
(A) If a customer fails to respond to the
options notice and is converted to a month-to-month contract, the NGS shall
provide a disclosure statement under §
62.75 (relating to disclosure
statement for residential and small business customers).
(I) Notice of a subsequent change in billed
price shall be provided to the customer at least 30 days prior to the new price
being charged.
(II) For a customer
who has elected to receive electronic communications from the NGS, notice of
the change in billed price shall be transmitted in the manner chosen by the
customer. For other customers, notice shall be provided by first class
mail.
(B) If a customer
fails to respond to the options notice and is entered into a new fixed duration
contract, the NGS shall provide the billed price to be charged and the length
of the contract.
(iii)
The telephone numbers and Internet addresses, as applicable, for the Office of
Consumer Advocate, the Commission and PaGasSwitch.com.
(iv) Language clearly visible on the front of
the envelope used to provide the options notice stating that it contains
important information regarding the expiration or changes in terms of the
customer's natural gas supply contract.
(b) When a customer fails to respond to the initial notice and the options notice, the following apply:
(1) A fixed duration contract shall be
converted to one of the following:
(i) A
month-to-month contract, either at the same terms and conditions or at revised
terms and conditions, as long as the contract does not contain cancellation
fees.
(ii) Another fixed duration
contract, as long as the new contract includes a customer-initiated
cancellation provision that allows the customer to cancel at any time, for any
reason, and does not contain cancellation fees.
(2) The converted contracts must remain in
place until the customer chooses one of the following options:
(i) Selects another product offering from the
existing NGS.
(ii) Enrolls with
another NGS.
(iii) Returns to the
supplier of last resort.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Pennsylvania may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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