THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY HANNA, CALTAGIRONE, FREEMAN, LENTZ, MAHONEY, OLIVER, YOUNGBLOOD AND HESS, JUNE 12, 2009

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON CONSUMER AFFAIRS, JUNE 12, 2009  

AN ACT

Amending Title 66 (Public Utilities) of the Pennsylvania

Consolidated Statutes, in service and facilities, further

providing for billing procedures.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Section 1509 of Title 66 of the Pennsylvania

Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:

§ 1509.  Billing procedures.

(a)  General rule.--All bills rendered by a public utility as

defined in paragraph (1)(i), (ii), (vi) or (vii) of the

definition of "public utility" in section 102 (relating to

definitions) to its service customers, except bills for

installation charges, shall allow at least 15 days for

nonresidential customers and 20 days for residential customers

from the date of transmittal of the bill for payment without

incurring any late payment penalty charges therefor. All

customers shall be permitted to receive bills monthly and shall

be notified of their right thereto. All bills shall be itemized

to separately show amounts for basic service, Federal excise

taxes, applicable State sales and gross receipts taxes, to the

extent practicable, fuel adjustment charge, if any, State tax

adjustment charge or such other similar components of the total

bill as the commission may order. Any electric or gas public

utility billing customers on a bimonthly or quarterly basis and

rendering interim statements or bills each month shall include

in such interim statement or bill an amount for the fuel

adjustment charge based upon one-half of the total expected

bimonthly kilowatt hour or cubic foot billing or one-third of

the total expected quarterly billing and using the fuel

adjustment charge rate applicable in the month of the interim

statement or bill. At the time of preparing the bimonthly or

quarterly bill, an appropriate adjustment shall be made in the

total fuel adjustment charge billing for the period. Any public

utility rendering bills on a bimonthly basis or quarterly basis

shall calculate the fuel adjustment charge per kilowatt hour or

cubic foot for the entire period as the weighted average of the

two monthly rates or the three monthly rates whichever is

applicable.

(b)  Installation charges.--

(1)  Prior to billing a customer for installation

charges, a public utility shall provide the customer with an

itemized statement that estimates the installation charges.

(2)  A public utility may not bill a customer more than

the total amount of the itemized statement for installation

charges provided to a customer under paragraph (1) unless:

(i)  The public utility provides the customer with

notice of the increased cost together with a revised

itemized statement of the installation charges.

(ii)  The customer agrees in writing to pay the

increased cost.

(3)  A customer may not waive the requirements of

paragraph (2) and any agreement to do so shall be void and

unenforceable.

Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.