Press Release
PUC Report Shows Drop in Consumer Complaints & Increase in Requests for Payment Arrangements; Most Consumers Satisfied with PUC Interactions
Published on 12/6/2017
Filed under: Electric Gas Water and Wastewater Telecommunications
HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today released its latest Utility Consumer Activities Report and Evaluation (UCARE Report), which shows a slight decrease in consumer complaints about utilities, a small increase in payment arrangement requests (PARs) and the majority of customers contacting the PUC’s Bureau of Consumer Services (BCS) for assistance rated their experience as positive during 2016.
"The PUC is focused on ensuring that consumer issues are addressed in an effective manner, and this annual UCARE report is an important measure of the handling of consumer issues by utilities and the Commission,” said PUC Chairman Gladys M. Brown. “Consumers should call the PUC’s Bureau of Consumer Services, at 1-800-692-7380, if they are unable to reach an agreement with a utility or are unsatisfied with the utility’s response to their problem.”
The UCARE Report is an annual evaluation of the customer service performance of the state’s major jurisdictional electric, natural gas, water, wastewater and telephone companies.
Overall Complaints and Payment Arrangements
Overall, the total number of consumer complaints received by BCS decreased from 10,684 in 2015 to 10,368 in 2016, a 3 percent drop. During that same period the number of PARs rose from 50,434 to 52,898, which is a 5 percent increase. PUC data also shows an ongoing downward trend in overall consumer complaints – which are currently at the lowest level in more than a decade.
Complaints involving electric and natural gas utilities account for the large majority (approximately 77 percent) of all consumer complaints filed with the PUC. During 2016 the volume of consumer complaints concerning electric utilities fell by 8 percent, while complaints involving natural gas utilities dropped by 14 percent.
Conversely, the numbers of complaints filed by residential customers involving telephone services rose by 34 percent, compared to 2015, and the number of complaints against water utilities went up by 14 percent.
Apart from the electric and other utility categories, requests for PARs decreased for every category of utility service between 2015 and 2016, including natural gas (1 percent), water (4 percent) and telephone (21 percent). Electric rose by 8 percent, while other utilities went up 150 percent.
Common Reasons for PUC Utility Complaints
According to the report, billing disputes were the most common reason for residential consumer complaints about the electric (18 percent) and water (33 percent) utilities. Personnel problems were the primary reason for residential consumer complaints about the natural gas industry (17 percent). Unsatisfactory service was the main reason for residential consumer complaints about the telephone industry (51 percent).
The top five reasons for consumer complaints, by industry, are as follows:
Major Electric Distribution Utilities:
- Billing Disputes - 18%
- Credit and Deposits - 16%
- Personnel Problems - 14%
- Metering - 12%
-
Termination or PAR Procedures - 11%
Major Natural Gas Distribution Utilities:
- Complaints about Company Personnel or Procedures - 17%
- Billing Disputes - 16%
- Discontinuance/Transfer - 12%
- Termination or PAR Procedures - 12%
-
Metering - 7%
Major Water Utilities:
- Billing Disputes - 33%
- Termination or PAR Procedures - 16%
- Metering - 9%
- Service Quality - 9%
-
Complaints about Company Personnel or Procedures - 7%
Major Telephone Utilities:
- Unsatisfactory Service - 51%
- Billing Disputes - 15%
- Service Delivery - 11%
- Service Terminations - 3%
-
Competition - 1%
Consumer Inquiries
The total number of general inquires to BCS, which rarely require follow-up investigation beyond the initial contact, also decreased from 2015 to 2016, dropping by 17 percent.
Of those calls, the largest number involved questions about customer assistance programs (25 percent), followed by calls from customers whose service was on but were ineligible for a PAR (22 percent), termination or suspension of utility service (14 percent) and competition issues/requests for information (7 percent).
PUC Response to Complaints
BCS staff is trained to navigate the various programs designed to help consumers restore and maintain service and, as this report shows, most consumers indicate that calling the PUC resulted in a positive experience.
According to consumers, 85 percent indicate that they would contact the PUC again if they had another problem with a utility that they could not resolve with the company. Further, 80 percent rated the service they received from the PUC as “good” or “excellent” – a slight decrease from 83 percent in the previous year.
Fewer Terminations
Other notable information detailed by the UCARE Report included a 6 percent drop in the number of residential service terminations by major electric distribution companies between 2015 and 2016, along with a 12 percent decrease in the terminations for natural gas distribution companies. The overall termination rates for electric and natural gas distribution utilities also declined during that period.
About the UCARE Report
To help consumers make accurate comparisons between companies of various sizes, the PUC calculates the number of justified complaints per 1,000 residential customers. A complaint is considered “justified” if the Commission finds that the company did not comply with PUC regulations and policies when handling the dispute. A significant increase in a justified rate would prompt a review of a utility’s complaint handling procedures. Consumer complaint rates and justified consumer complaint rates are in Appendix F of the report. The annual UCARE reports dating back to 1997, along with quarterly updates for more recent years, are posted on the PUC website.
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission balances the needs of consumers and utilities; ensures safe and reliable utility service at reasonable rates; protects the public interest; educates consumers to make independent and informed utility choices; furthers economic development; and fosters new technologies and competitive markets in an environmentally sound manner.
For recent news releases and video of select Commission proceedings or more information about the PUC, visit our website at www.puc.pa.gov. Follow the PUC on Twitter – @PA_PUC for all things utility. “Like” Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission on Facebook for easy access to information on utility issues.
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Contact:
-
Nils Hagen-Frederiksen
Press Secretary
717-418-2701
nhagen-fre@pa.gov
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