PUCO Issues Winter Heating Season Reconnection

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio ordered Ohio electric and natural gas utilities to reconnect or maintain service to customers who have been disconnected, or threatened with disconnection, due to nonpayment of their utility bill.

The order also applies to customers seeking to establish new service. This is the 25th consecutive year that the PUCO has issued this order for winter reconnection.

"We recognize that many Ohioans may be facing economic hardships," PUCO Chairman Alan R. Schriber stated. "For 25 years our winter reconnect order has provided Ohio's struggling families with an opportunity to have their home heating service reconnected or maintained during difficult times."

Under the plan, customers who have had service disconnected because of nonpayment can have their service restored if they pay the amount owed or $175, whichever is less, plus a service reconnection fee of no more than $36.

Customers may utilize the plan to have service reconnected one time between Oct. 19, 2009 and April 15, 2010. There is no income eligibility requirement to use the order. However, participants in the program must also sign up for one of the payment plans available to pay the past-due balance on their utility bill. Customers that have multiple residential accounts may only utilize the winter reconnection order to maintain or reconnect service at the property where the customer resides.

Customers requesting new natural gas or electric service that have no previous balance with the utility may establish new service by paying $175, rather than paying the required security deposit. Customers utilizing the winter reconnection order to establish new service may have the remaining balance of the required security deposit added to their next month's bill.

While the Commission's order pertains only to Ohio's regulated electric and natural gas utilities, the Commission also urges rural electric cooperatives and municipally owned utilities, not regulated by the PUCO, to adopt programs similar to the long-standing Commission policy on winter heating season disconnections.

Last year, more than 347,000 customers utilized the winter reconnect order. Ohio's regulated natural gas and electric utilities supply service to approximately six million residential customers. Consumers with questions regarding their utility service, should contact the PUCO's Consumer Call Center at (800) 686-PUCO (7826).

A copy of today's Commission entry is available at www.PUCO.ohio.gov. Click on the link to Docketing Information System and enter the case number 09-782-GE-UNC.