from an editorial published by The Cleburne News…
Customers of regulated utilities in Alabama now have a handy reference outlining their rights in dealing with power, gas and telephone providers.
Susan Parker, a member of the Alabama Public Service Commission (PSC), has compiled a Consumer Bill of Rights that translates the legal language of consumer-related PSC rules and regulations into plain English.
Alabama law requires the PSC to ensure its actions are fair to both utilities and their customers, “but, make no mistake,” Commissioner Parker said, “looking out for the Alabama consumer and keeping rates as low as possible will always be my No. 1 priority.”
The Consumer Bill of Rights is the latest arm of Parker’s Consumer Education Initiative, a program the first-term commissioner established in March 2008 to inform Alabamians about the importance of energy efficiency as well as simple and inexpensive ways to lower energy costs through both efficiency and conservation.
“This Consumer Bill of Rights puts information in the customers’ hands that will help them deal with the utilities on an equal footing,” Parker said. “We enforce these rules aggressively, in the public interest, and we want the customer to know we’re here to represent them.”
The Consumer Bill of Rights will be posted to the PSC’s website, www.psc.state.al.us; just click on the link for Commissioner Parker’s office. Alabama utility customers also can obtain a copy by calling Parker’s office at (334) 242-5191.
As a residential customer of a regulated public utility in Alabama, you have the following rights under the provisions of the Alabama Public Service Commission’s Rules and Regulations:
• Customers have the right to service or, if the utility refuses initially to serve them, to receive an explanation of why service was refused and what the customer must do to receive service.
• Customers have the right to negotiate payment options to avoid disconnection of service for a delinquent account in accordance with the utilities’ terms and conditions.
• Customers have the right to dispute a portion of the bill, with reasonable justification, and to avoid disconnection provided they continue to pay the portion of the bill that is not in dispute.
• Customers have the right to receive a disconnect notice from the utility alerting them to a possible disconnection of service if payment is not received.
• Customers have the right to avoid disconnection for nonpayment after 3:30 p.m. on any day immediately preceding a day or days when the utility office will be closed.
• Customers have the right to avoid disconnection for nonpayment of a delinquent bill for a specific geographic area on a given day of extreme weather conditions: 32 degrees (F) or below or 98 degrees (F) and above, or when a heat advisory issued by the National Weather Service is in effect.
• Customers may temporarily postpone disconnection for nonpayment upon written verification of the need for life-support equipment by the customer’s licensed physician.
• Customers have the right to speak with a company representative during normal business hours regarding any concerns about their service.
• Customers have the right to contact the Alabama Public Service Commission regarding any dispute they have been unable to resolve with the utility.
• Customers have the right to a pro-rata bill adjustment if telephone service is interrupted for more than 48 consecutive hours after being reported if the interruption is due to a malfunction of telephone company equipment.
• Customers have the right to block third-party telephone billing. Telephone companies are required to provide, free of charge, a service that blocks the inclusion of charges from third-party providers if the customer requests the service.
• Customers have the right to be informed about exemptions from charges that may be available to them. Currently those exemptions are as follows:
• Alabama Power — Customers receiving Medicaid, SSI or TANF shall be exempt from the monthly customer charge portion of their bills, currently $15 per month.
• Alabama Gas — Customers receiving Medicaid, SSI or TANF shall be exempt from the monthly customer charge portion of their bill, currently $8 per month.
• Telephone Companies — Customers who receive Medicaid, SSI, Food Stamps, LIHEAP, TANF or live in Section 8 Housing shall be eligible, with most carriers, for credits on half of their initial connection fee and half their monthly payment for basic home telephone service.
