Public Roundtable: Proposed Changes to Gas and Electric Service Termination Rules

The Montana Public Service Commission (PSC) will hold a public roundtable on Thursday, May 5, 2016 to discuss proposed changes to the commission’s gas and electric service termination rules. The roundtable will take place in the Bollinger room at the PSC offices in Helena, and will commence at 2:30 p.m.

The purpose of the roundtable is to receive input from interested parties on the PSC staff’s proposed changes to the service termination rules. The proposed changes to the rules include:

-       Disconnect would not be allowed on any account when the ambient air temperature at 8 a.m. is at or below 20 degrees or if a snowstorm is forecast.

-       Utilities would be required to have procedures in place to allow for uninterrupted continuation of service from one account holder to another when service is disconnected.

-       Changing the winter moratorium period from the current period of November 1 through April 1, to December 1 through the last day of February.

-       Commission approval would no longer be necessary for winter termination on accounts not protected, rather the criteria to be considered would be established in administrative rules.

-       The Medical Exception section of the rules would be changed to allow a 6-month agreement rather than a 12-month agreement, lower from $500 to $300 the minimum balance that could initiate a disconnect if payments are not made, and change the method of handling situations where the medical payment arrangement was broken.

To view all the proposed changes to the rules, CLICK HERE.