OPPORTUNITY FOR FUBUC COMMENT ON FEDERAL

OPPORTUNITY FOR FUBUC COMMENT ON FEDERAL

REGULATORY STANDARD CONCERNING TERMINATION

OF CUSTOMER SERVICE PRACTICES BY

GAS AND ELECTRIC UTILITIES

The Public Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (the “Act”), requires the State Corporation Commission to give public notice and conduct a public hearing on whether the federal Termination of Customer Service Standard established by Sec. 113 (b) (4) and 303 (b) (1) of the Act should be adopted so as to apply to gas and electric utilities in Virginia. The standard under consideration is as follows:

PROCEDURES FOR TERMINATION OF ELECTRIC OR GAS SERVICE - No electric utility may terminate electric service to any electric consumer and no gas utility may terminate gas service to any gas consumer except pursuant to the following procedures:

The procedures for termination of service are procedures prescribed by the State Corporation Commission which provide that -

(1) no electric service to an electric consumer and no gas service to a gas consumer may terminate unless reasonable prior notice (including notice of rights and remedies) is given to such consumer and such consumer has a reasonable opportunity to dispute the reasons for such termination, and

(2) during any period when termination of service to an electric or gas consumer would be especially dangerous to health, as determined by the State Corporation Commission, and such consumer establishes that -

(A) he is unable to pay for such service in accordance with the requirements of the utility’s billing, or

(B) he is able to pay for such service but only in installments,

such service may not be terminated.

Such procedures shall take into account the need to include reasonable provisions for elderly and handicapped consumers.

* * *

The State Corporation Commission has scheduled a public hearing on July 28, 1980, in Senate Room B, General Assembly Building, 9th and Governor Streets, Richmond, Virginia, commencing at 10:00 a.m. for the purpose of receiving public comment on the extent to which the above standard should be adopted and applied to all gas and electric utilities under the Commission’s jurisdiction operating in Virginia. The appropriate provisions of the Act that must be considered by the Commission are available for inspection during normal business hours at any office of The Potomac Edison Company where bills may be paid and at the Commission’s Document Control Center, Floor Bl, Blanton Building, Richmond, Virginia.

Persons wishing to file written comments with the Commission, on the adoption of the above standard may file an original and four (4) copies of such comments on or before July 21, 1980. Such written comments shall be addressed to the State Corporation Commission, Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, Virginia 23216, making reference to Case No. PUE800024.

Any interested person wishing to make an oral statement on his own blhalf

at the public hearing need only appear at the General Assembly Building, at 9:45 a.m. on July 28,1980, and inform the Commission’s Bailiff that he wishes to speak.