Got heat? Thousands don't today.

Anyone remember Act 201, Chapter 14?

It was a Pennsylvania State law passed in November 2004 that gave utility companies broader powers to shut off service to non-paying customers (it also made it far more difficult to get service reinstated). It was of course called a "Customer Protection Act" (kind of like Bush's Clean Air Act).

It also led to a huge increase in terminations of service (in the first heating season after the law passed, service terminations jumped more than 113 percent from the previous year).

Now, I know that some of you out there will say "who cares" or "serves them right" if someone gets their heat or lights shut off, but I'd like to remind you all that this is not just a public health issue, it's a public safety issue. Just think for a moment how often when you hear of a house fire the reason is because someone was using candles because their electric was shut off or using space heaters or an oven to heat a home or apartment.

But, I digress.

Right now there's a bill floating around in the PA State Legislature that would rectify many of the problems caused by Act 201.

It's Pennsylvania HB 824.

The bill would fix some of the bigger problems such as:

Currently, even after you pay companies can take up to a week to turn back on your utility. HB 824 would limit that to 72 hours -- 24 hours in most cases.

Currently, utilities can ask for deposits worth two months bills and base them on previous owner/tenent's usage.

Currently, utilities can hold deposits for two years to turn back on service -- HB 824 would limit that to 18 months.

Currently, if your in jeopardy of termination of services, you're required to provide written notification from a doctor stating there's a severe illness within three days of a scheduled disconnect. This bill would allow nurses to also verify illness and allow the verification to be done via phone/email.

Currently if you default on a payment agreement, you can only make a new agreement if you have a change of income. HB 824 would also allow a new agreement to be made in the cases of severe illness, increased number of dependents, and extreme damage/loss of a residence.

Perhaps most important, currently you may need to pay 100% of the past bill, plus a reconnection charge, plus a deposit worth two monthly bills -- in other words, thousands of dollars which low income families, seniors and the disabled cannot meet. HB 824 would put some limits on that.

The problem?

We hear that it may be allowed to die in committee.

The action?

Contact members of the Consumer Affairs Committee, especially:

Committee Chair Joseph Preston, Jr. (D-Allegheny County), 412-361-3692, 717-783-1017
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/house_bio.cfm?districtnumber=24

Committee Secretary Joseph F. Brennan (Democrat), 717-772-9902
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/house_bio.cfm?id=1116

Harry Readshaw (D-Allegheny County), 412-881-4208, 717-783-0411
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/house_bio.cfm?id=51

Joseph A. Petrarca (D-Westmoreland County, Armstrong County) 724-567-6982, 717-787-5142
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/house_bio.cfm?id=113

There's some good info on HB 824 (Testimony of Sonny Popowsky, Consumer Advocate) available here.

Groups supporting HB 824 include:
AARP
ACORN
Action Alliance for Senior Citizens
ACTION Housing
Community Legal Services (CLS)
The Commission on Economic Opportunity
Community Action Committee of Lehigh Valley
Homewood-Brushton Family Support
The Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania
Just Harvest
Mon Valley Unemployed Committee
Office of the Consumer Advocate
Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV)
Pennsylvania Utility Law Project (PULP)
Utility Emergency Services Fund
Wilkinsburg Family Support
(. . . and no doubt others)
.