Press Release

PUC Public Comment Period Opens for Proposed Settlement About Consumer Billing Issues by PPL Electric Utilities

Published on 2/5/2024

Filed under: Electric

Consumers and Other Concerned Parties Have Until February 28 to Comment on Proposed Joint Settlement Between PUC’s Independent Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement and PPL

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today reminded customers of PPL Electric Utilities (PPL) and other concerned parties about the start of a public comment period on a proposed settlement that was sparked by consumer billing issues which stretched through much of 2023.

The settlement – which was proposed by the PUC’s independent Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement (I&E) and PPL – includes payment of a $1 million civil penalty and PPL’s agreement to absorb more than $16 million in related costs.

Notice of the proposed settlement has now been published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, which will mark the start of a public comment period regarding the settlement.

Submitting Comments on the Proposed Settlement

Comments on the proposed PPL settlement are due by 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. 

Interested parties can file comments electronically by opening and using a PUC eFiling account – free of charge – through the Commission’s website. Using the PUC eFiling system is encouraged, to ensure that comments are filed in a timely manner.

Comments may also be submitted by mail, with overnight delivery recommended to ensure meeting the filing deadline, using the following address:

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

Comments should reference the PUC docket number for this case: M-2023-3038060.

Email or fax submissions are not acceptable.

The Commission will carefully review all comments received before issuing a final decision on this case.

Proposed Joint Settlement Between I&E and PPL

 A comprehensive PUC investigation launched in early 2023 identified a widespread series of consumer issues including missing bills, inaccurate bill estimates, and customer service shortcomings – resulting in a proposed joint settlement between I&E and PPL.

Under the terms of that proposed settlement, PPL will pay a $1 million civil penalty, along with undertaking a series of corrective actions in response to these billing issues. The proposed settlement also notes that PPL has already refunded approximately $1 million to customers who received estimated bills and were overbilled due to the application of the incorrect rates in the bills that addressed the estimated billing periods.

Additionally, PPL has voluntarily agreed to absorb more than $16 million in additional costs related to rectifying their billing issues, including:

• Waiving voluntarily approximately $2.3 million in late payment fees.
• Forgoing recovery of approximately $7.8 million of additional bad debt expense arising out of the voluntary service termination moratorium.
• Forgoing collection of approximately $1.7 million from customers who were underbilled in the estimation true-up process.
• Forgoing recovery of an additional approximately $3.7 million of unplanned costs in engaging external vendors.
• Forgoing recovery of approximately $700,000 of unbudgeted employee overtime expenses.

Per the proposed settlement, PPL will not seek to recover any of these related costs in future rate cases or in any other manner.

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.: M-2023-3038060

Contact:

• Nils Hagen-Frederiksen
  Press Secretary
  717-418-2701
  nhagen-fre@pa.gov