Press Release

PUC Takes Next Steps in Efforts to Coordinate State, Utility, Community-Based Low-Income Programs Available for Utility Consumers

Published on 11/4/2010

Filed under: Electric Gas Water and Wastewater Telecommunications

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today voted to take the next steps in efforts to coordinate the low-income programs available to Pennsylvania utility consumers.

“Overall, we have already achieved a significant amount of coordination between our customer assistance programs in Pennsylvania,” Commission Vice Chairman Tyrone J. Christy said in a statement. “We have realized this level of coordination thanks to the combined efforts of the utilities, state agencies, and other involved entities.  It is not very often that so many groups of individuals with varying interests come together to achieve a common goal of this magnitude.  While we have already achieved a substantial amount of coordination, several opportunities exist to realize even greater levels of coordination including the development of a comprehensive, statewide, web-based single source for information and eligibility screening. I encourage all of you to continue to work together in the future to reach the optimum level of coordination possible for Pennsylvania.”

The Commission voted 5-0 to approve a motion by Vice Chairman Christy to initiate the coordination efforts that will help provide low-income households with all energy conservation measures and services for which they are eligible whether utility-, government- or community-based.

The motion also directed:

• Natural gas and electric utilities to continue to move forward with their coordination efforts;
• The working group to develop a confidentiality waiver that allows for the sharing of customer information across programs along with a privacy agreement for utilities, state agencies and contractors with access to that customer information;
• Natural gas utilities to provide high energy usage Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) recipient customer lists to the state Department of Public Welfare for use by the Department of Economic Development in its weatherization assistance program;
• The working group to further consider connecting customer-information sharing for utility-based Customer Assistance Program to that of LIHEAP; and
• The working group to further explore designing a comprehensive statewide web-based single source of information and eligibility screening.

 On May 14, 2009, the Commission voted to establish a Universal Service Coordination Working Group to develop recommendations to coordinate residential universal services under the Commission’s jurisdiction with other state programs. The Working Group issued a report in April 2010.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission balances the needs of consumers and utilities to ensure safe and reliable utility service at reasonable rates; protect the public interest; educate consumers to make independent and informed utility choices; further economic development; and foster new technologies and competitive markets in an environmentally sound manner.

For recent news releases, audio of select Commission proceedings or more information about the PUC, visit our website at www.puc.state.pa.us.

# # #

Docket no. M-2009-2107153

Contact:

• Press Secretary
  717-787-5722