PA’s Responsible Utility Customer Protection law 

Pennsylvania’s Responsible Customer Protection law is up for renewal this year. The House has added Senate amendments to HB 1077 (2024 | PA) that would add:

• Decreasing the size of a loss of income needed to qualify for payment arrangements;
• Allowing those who are unable to pay because of illness to provide a certificate from a nurse in addition to a physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner;
• Prohibiting utilities from collecting security deposits from customers earning less than 300% of the federal poverty income level;
• Expanding the length and terms of payment arrangements;
• Prohibiting reconnection fees for those earning less than 250% of the federal poverty level and requiring reconnection fees to be included in arrearages for those earning up to 400%;
• Allowing the Public Utilities Commission to consider protection from abuse orders from other states or written certification by a domestic violence counselor or advocate to exempt a customer from the law.

Pennsylvania Capital Star | Pa. Legislature at odds over details of utility customer protections as year-end deadline looms