Press Release

PUC Report Indicates Slight Increase in Consumer Complaints

Published on 11/21/2005

Filed under: Electric Gas Water and Wastewater Telecommunications

HARRISBURG – Consumer complaints to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) increased less than 1 percent from 2003 to 2004, according to the 2004 Utility Consumer Activities Report and Evaluation (UCARE) released today. The report is an annual evaluation of the customer service and performance of the state’s major jurisdictional electric, gas, water and telephone companies.

“The UCARE report is a good way for the Commission and consumers to find out how their utility companies are doing answering their questions and concerns,” said Mitch Miller, Director of the PUC’s Bureau of Consumer Services (BCS). “This report gives consumers the opportunity to compare their company’s performances to prior years and how they compared to other companies.”

Highlights from the report include:

• In 2004, BCS investigated 26,173 consumer complaints, an increase of 1,504 over the 24,669 complaints investigated in 2003;
• During 2004, out of the 26,173 complaints BCS handled a total of 12,623 consumer complaints from residential customers of electric, gas, water, sewer and steam heat utilities, an increase of 6.7 percent over the 11,828 complaints handled in 2003;
• Overall, the number of residential consumer complaints about gas utilities increased by 13 percent, while the telecommunications volume increased by 5 percent from 2003 to 2004; and
• BCS handled 89,963 payment arrangement requests (PARS) from residential customers of the electric, gas, water, sewer and steam heat utilities in 2004, a decrease of less than one percent from 2003.

To help consumers make accurate comparisons between companies of various sizes, BCS calculates the number of justified complaints per 1,000 residential customers. A complaint is considered “justified” if BCS finds that the company did not comply with PUC regulations and polices when handling the dispute. A significant increase in a justified rate would prompt BCS to review a utility’s complaint handling procedures. Consumer complaint rates can be found in Appendix D of the report.

Also, 3,125 consumers called the Commission’s toll-free Competition Hotline (1-888-782-328) in 2004, with 62 percent related to the electric industry and 38 percent the gas industry.

In order to monitor its own service to customers, BCS surveys consumers that contacted BCS each year. The results of the Customer Feedback Survey show that over 80 percent of consumers rated the service they received from BCS as “excellent” or “good.”

In addition, 84 percent of consumers said they would contact the PUC again if they had a problem with a utility that they could not settle by talking with the utility. BCS management frequently reviews the findings of the consumer feedback survey and immediately investigates any negative trends to improve BCS’ performance. 

In addition to the evaluation of consumer contacts to BCS, the report includes a review of the customer assistance programs sponsored by Aqua America and Pennsylvania-American Water Company; as well as a review of the telephone universal service programs, Link-Up America, Lifeline and Lifeline 150 Service; and the Universal Service Telephone Assistance Program.

Copies of the full report are available from the PUC’s Office of Communications in Room N310 of the Commonwealth Keystone Building and on the PUC’s Website at www.puc.state.pa.us under Publications and Reports and Yearly Reports.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission ensures safe, reliable and reasonably priced electric, natural gas, water, telephone and transportation service for Pennsylvania consumers, by regulating public utilities and by serving as stewards of competition.

For recent news releases, or more information about the PUC, visit our Internet homepage at www.puc.state.pa.us.

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UCARE Report

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