Press Release

PUC Issues Management and Operations Audit for PPL Electric Utilities Corporation

Published on 7/11/2024

Filed under: Electric

Audit Examines Management & Operations and Identifies 19 Recommendations for Improvements

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) has released the results of a detailed Management and Operations Audit of the PPL Electric Utilities Corporation (PPL), which includes 19 recommendations for improving operations at PPL.

The review examined key functional areas at PPL, which serves approximately 1.5 million customers in 29 counties across eastern and central Pennsylvania.

The Commission voted 5-0 at today’s PUC public meeting to release the PPL Audit Report, along with the Implementation Plan that was submitted by PPL to address recommendations in the report.

As a follow-up to the audit report released today, the PUC will conduct a Management Efficiency Investigation of PPL, expected to begin in 2026, examining PPL’s implementation efforts related to the more significant recommendations included in the audit report. That review will also study PPL’s progress in implementing recommendations that spring from the PUC investigation and enhanced settlement regarding widespread billing issues that impacted bills for nearly 800,000 PPL customer accounts during 2023.  

Audit Report Recommendations

The PUC audit report includes recommendations that identify operational and service improvements that will benefit PPL customers, including several significant items:

• Reliability Issues - The audit notes that improvements are needed for PPL to consistently meet PUC standards for overall reliability, including the duration of average system interruptions and the duration of average customer interruptions. The company indicates it will explore new storm hardening efforts and other accelerated investments to minimize the impact of storms on PPL customers.
  
  
• Repeated Power Interruptions – The audit raises concerns about the high level of individual customers experiencing multiple interruptions per year. PPL indicates that it is expanding/modifying its existing reliability programs to address customers experiencing the highest levels of multiple service interruptions and reduce other situations with multiple interruptions.
  
  
• Customer Service Concerns – The audit report calls for improvements and strengthening of customer service performance considering a decline below historical and pre-pandemic performance levels. The PPL implementation plan includes investments in technology and the training of customer service representatives to better help resolve customer issues.
  
  
• Increased Number of Long-Term Past-Due Accounts – The audit noted continuing concern about customers with payment difficulties, with the number of accounts more than 120 days past-due still higher than pre-pandemic levels – along with a spike in those arrearages in conjunction with PPL’s widespread billing issues in 2023. PPL’s implementation plan includes continued outreach to customers with delinquent balances and enhanced efforts to use assistance resources to help income-qualified customers reduce arrearages.

PPL’s implementation plan fully accepts 16 of the recommendations detailed in the PUC audit report and partially agrees with the remaining three recommendations – indicating that several of the recommendations have already been completely implemented and the remaining items will be substantially complete by mid-2026.

About the PUC

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 puc.pa.gov for recent news releases and video of select proceedings. You can also follow us on X (formerly 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.: D-2023-3039488

Contact:

• Nils Hagen-Frederiksen
  Press Secretary
  717-418-2701
  nhagen-fre@pa.gov
• David Hixson
  Deputy Press Secretary
  717-772-2766
  dhixson@pa.gov