Press Release

PUC Report Indicates 13 Percent Overall Increase in Consumer Complaints

Published on 11/22/2004

Filed under: Electric Gas Water and Wastewater Telecommunications

HARRISBURG – Consumer complaints to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) increased 13 percent overall in 2003, according to the 2003 Utility Consumer Activities Report and Evaluation released today.  The report is an annual evaluation of the customer service performance of the state’s major jurisdictional electric, gas, water and telephone companies.

            “The report is a way for consumers to see how well their utility companies are doing in answering questions and responding to their concerns,” said Mitch Miller, Director of the PUC’s Bureau of Consumer Services (BCS).  “It allows consumers to compare their utility’s performance from year to year, and to see how companies fare compared to other utilities.”

            Highlights from the report include:

• In 2003, BCS investigated 24,669 consumer complaints, an increase of 2,843 over the 21,826 complaints investigated in 2002;

• Consumer complaints in the telephone industry increased by 22 percent from 2002 to 2003, and were the subject of 45 percent of all consumer complaints;

• Overall, consumer complaints about electric, gas, water, sewer and steam heat increased by 7 percent from 2002 to 2003; and
  
  
• Electric companies terminated 4 percent fewer customers in 2003, while gas and telephone companies shut off service to 12 percent and 9 percent more customers, respectively.

            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 policies 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.

            Other information shows that BCS handled a significant increase in the number of requests for payment arrangements in 2003. Last year 95,496 customers sought help in paying their bills, compared to 79,700 in 2002.

            Also, 4,543 consumers called the PUC’s toll-free Competition Hotline (1-888-782-3228) in 2003, with 63 percent related to the electric industry and 37 percent the gas industry. As electric and gas competition progressed in 2003, many of the calls were requests for competition-related brochures and information about competition in general.

            In order to monitor its own service to customers, BCS surveys consumers each year. The results of the Consumer Feedback Survey show that over 84 percent of consumers rated the service they received from BCS as “excellent” or “good,” up from 78 percent for 2002.  In addition, 87 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, up from 82 percent in 2002.  BCS management frequently reviews the findings of the consumer feedback survey and immediately investigates any negative trends to improve staff performance.

            In addition to the evaluation of consumer contacts to BCS, the report includes a review of the customer assistance programs sponsored by Aqua-PA (formerly PA Suburban Water Company) 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 Telephone Assistance Program.

            As of Sept. 1, the Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) completed the transition to full PUC regulation. BCS has begun compiling performance and compliance data on PGW, and this information will be included in next year’s report.

            Copies of the full report are available from the PUC’s Communications Office 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 then Yearly Reports.

Contact:

• Press Secretary
  Office of Communications
  717-787-5722
  
• Cyndi Page
  Sr. Communications Specialist
  717-214-5434
  cypage@pa.gov