Web Wealth: Websites for when the power goes out
In a power outage, utilities can't charge you for electricity they didn't deliver. But what responsibilities do they have in providing service, and what are your rights - and responsibilities - as a consumer?
In a power outage, utilities can't charge you for electricity they didn't deliver. But what responsibilities do they have in providing service, and what are your rights - and responsibilities - as a consumer?
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission displays the "PA Energy Consumer Bill of Rights" in this document. There's nothing specific about how your utility should respond to an outage, but it notes that utilities "are required to make necessary repairs and improvements to service and facilities. Services should be reasonably continuous and without unreasonable interruptions or delay."
A separate booklet by the Pennsylvania PUC goes into more detail under the title "Your Rights and Responsibilities as a Utility Consumer." It doesn't contain the word outage. Generally, it says you've got the right to "safe and reliable utility service," "a clear and concise bill," and "fair credit and deposit policies." Meanwhile, your end of this legislated bargain is to "pay your bill on time," "provide the utility access to its meter," and "give the utility at least 7 days advance notice before you move or wish to have service discontinued."
Some specifics on utility-customer assistance programs and related issues in Pennsylvania have been compiled by the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network and displayed here at the PaLawHelp.org website.
New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities keeps a page on consumer rights. Nothing on it pertains directly to how utilities handle outages. Instead, it outlines the provisions of the state law that constitutes a utility customer's bill of rights. For example: "You have the right to call the Board of Public Utilities to investigate your utility complaints and inquiries. Your service may not be terminated for non-payment of disputed charges during a BPU investigation." If you don't think your utility meter is working properly, "you have the right to have your meter tested, free of charge, once a year by your utility," and if you don't trust the utility to do that right, you can pay $5 to have the test done "under the supervision of the staff of the BPU."
National Grid, a power distributor in part of the northeastern U.S. and in Britain, maintains an FAQ that answers questions such as, "Why can't you tell me exactly when my power will be restored?" and, "Why did a service truck go through my neighborhood without stopping to restore my power?" National Grid states firmly that "we do not reimburse for damages to household equipment or personal property caused by storms or other acts of nature. Please contact your insurance company in such instances."