PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

PA utility customers fight back
by stephen donahue Friday, Aug. 12, 2005 at 3:22 PM

State Senator Jay Costa, "this legislation has gone too far."

First the letter carrier made her rounds and then came the shouting from a lady across the street as she opened a termination notice from Equitable Gas. She yelled down the street to a neighbor that she had sent them $200 but that she still owed them $60.

Utility cut offs are up by the tens of thousands. State Rep. Dwight Evans has launched an inquiry into this disaster caused by the law makers themselves at the bequest of the greedy utility companies that operate in this commonwealth. Governor Rendell has also become alarmed by reports of tens of thousands of utility service cut offs. He has said that the legislation “is not being interpreted correctly.”

A letter from State Senator Jay Costa to a constituent says, “The effects of this legislation have been marked and severe.” Senator Costa acknowledges that the effects of the new utility law have been more serious than he ever imagined they would be and he says that the law “HAS GONE TOO FAR.”

Now is the time to act. Letters are not sexy but if they do the job why not. They are a good first step.
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Urgent Action Needed

At the request of the utility companies in this state the Pennsylvania Legislature has passed a new law that makes it real easy for the utility companies to cut off our electricity, natural gas and water service even in the middle of the winter.

The Responsible Utility Customer Protection Act,
a.k.a. Act 201 of 2004, a.k.a. Chapter 14 was passed with no public comment in near secrecy and in the 6 months since it became law the effects have been worse than imagined:
• At least five people have died as a result of service shut-off related tragedies.
• More than 125,000 customers have had their gas or electric shut-off in the first 6 months of 2005. This is more than the highest previous total number of electric and gas shut-offs for an entire year.
• There has been a dramatic increase in the number of water shut-offs.
• More than 20,000 customers who contacted the Public Utility Commission (PUC) for assistance were immediately turned away.
• Medical Certification procedures and the protections they provide are in disarray.
• Thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands have been subject to unaffordable deposit and payment arrangements.

This law must be repealed! State Rep. Dwight Evans has started an inquiry into this law and now Gov. Rendell is expressing concerns. Now is the time to contact these PA law makers and tell them to repeal Act 201 of 2004.

Hon. John Michael Perzel, PA House Speaker, Rm. 139 Main Capitol Bldg., Harrisburg, PA 17120-2020 (717)787-2016 or fax (717)783-7225.

Hon. Samuel Smith, PA House of Representatives, Rm. 110 Main Capitol Bldg., Harrisburg, PA 17120-2020 (717)787-3845 or fax (717)787-6564

Hon. William DeWeese, PA House of Representatives, Rm. 423 Main Capitol Bldg., Harrisburg, PA 17120-2020 (717)783-3797 or fax (717)772-3605.

Hon. David Brightbill, PA Senate, Senate Box 203048, Harrisburg, PA 17120-3048 (717)787-5708 or email dbrightbill@pasen.gov

Hon. Robert Mellow, PA Senate, Senate Box 203022, Harrisburg, PA 17120-3022 (717)787-6481 or email mellow@pasenate.com

Gov. Ed Rendell, 225 Main Capitol Bldg., Harrisburg, PA 17120 (717)787-2500 or contact via his web page at http://www.governor.state.pa.us

YOUR LOCAL STATE REP. & STATE SENATOR, go to http://www.legis.state.pa.us and type your zip code in the box at the upper right hand corner of the page or call the Thomas Merton Center @ 412-361-3022 and ask for Stephen.

WE CAN WIN THIS AND SEND A MESSAGE TO THOSE GREEDY UTILITY COPMPANIES TOO.