Press Release

PUC Seeks Comment on Proposed Settlement with Duquesne Light Regarding Alleged Termination of Customer Service Without Required Notification

Published on 9/21/2023

Filed under: Electric

Proposed Settlement Includes $50,000 Civil Penalty After Hundreds of Duquesne Light Customers Did Not Receive Required Termination Notices, Assessed Improper Fees in November 2022

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today issued for comment a proposed settlement between Duquesne Light Company (Duquesne Light) and the PUC’s independent Bureau of Investigation & Enforcement (I&E), following I&E’s informal investigation into 300 Duquesne Light customers having their electric service terminated in November 2022 without first receiving required termination notices and subsequently being assessed improper fees by the company in order to reconnect and restore their service.

The Commission voted 5-0 to issue for comment the proposed Joint Petition for Approval of Settlement between Duquesne Light and I&E – based on information self-reported by the company to the Commission in December 2022.  Duquesne Light reported that due to an error in the software used by a third-party vendor, the following occurred:

• 300 customers had service terminated without being provided with 10-day termination notices prior to termination, as required by the Commission’s regulations.

• 206 of these 300 customers were charged and paid reconnection fees in order to have their service restored.
  
  
• 64 of these 300 customers were assessed and paid a security deposit as a condition to having their service restored.

The proposed settlement directs Duquesne Light to pay a $50,000 civil penalty, which will not be tax deductible or able to be passed through as an additional charge to Duquesne Light’s customers in Pennsylvania.  The proposed settlement also notes that Duquesne Light took the following corrective measures regarding the customers impacted by the 10-day termination issue:

• By December 5, 2022, completed service restoration to 298 of the 300 customers who had their service terminated. The premises of the remaining two customers were vacant.

• By December 2, 2022, refunded the reconnection fees ($4,129 in total) that it collected from the 206 affected customers.
  
  
• By January 10, 2023, refunded the security deposits ($23,029 in total) that it collected from the 64 affected customers.

Additionally, the proposed settlement specifies that Duquesne Light has implemented or will implement various quality and control measures in response to this incident.

Interested parties may submit comments, preferably via the Commission’s electronic filing system, within 25 days of publication of this Opinion and Order in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.  An eFile account may be opened free of charge and used through the Commission’s website.

Paper comments may be filed with the PUC’s Secretary’s Bureau at the following address:

     Rosemary Chiavetta, Secretary
     Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission
     Commonwealth Keystone Building
     400 North Street
     Harrisburg, PA  17120

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.

Visit the PUC’s website at www.puc.pa.gov for recent news releases and video of select proceedings. You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube. Search for the “Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission” or “PA PUC” on your favorite social media channel for updates on utility issues and other helpful consumer information.

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Docket No.:  M-2023-3037937

Contact:

• David Hixson
  Deputy Press Secretary
  717-772-2766
  dhixson@pa.gov