Skip to main content

Search

Access to Utility Service: A.8 State Public Utility Commission Contacts, Including for Complaints and Consumer Services

State utility commissions regulate consumer service and rates for gas, electricity, and a variety of other services within your state. These services include rates for telephone calls and moving household goods. In some states, the utility commissions regulate water and transportation rates. Rates for utilities and services provided between states are regulated by the federal government.

Many utility commissions handle consumer complaints. Sometimes, if a number of complaints are received about the same utility matter, they will conduct investigations.

Access to Utility Service: IDAHO

Idaho Admin. Code r. 31.21.01.300, 31.21.01.304, 31.21.01.305, 31.21.01.306, 31.21.01.308, 31.21.01.311, 31.41.01.303, 31.41.01.304 (electric, gas, water, telephone)

Access to Utility Service: ILLINOIS

Ill. Admin. Code tit. 83, §§ 280.130, 280.135, 280.136 (electric, gas, water); Ill. Admin. Code tit. 83, §§ 735.130, 735.140 (telephone)

Access to Utility Service: LOUISIANA

La. Stat. Ann. § 45:1222; La. Pub. Serv. Comm’n, General Order R-26038 (Mar. 7, 2002); La. Pub. Serv. Comm’n, General Order 9-10-57 (electric, gas)

Access to Utility Service: MAINE

65-407-660 Me. Code R. § 10 (LexisNexis) (water); 65-407-815 Me. Code R. § 10 (LexisNexis) (electric, gas); 65-407-290 Me. Code R. § 14 (LexisNexis) (telephone); 65-407-291 Me. Code R. § 12 (LexisNexis) (telephone).11

Access to Utility Service: MINNESOTA

Minn. Stat. § 216B.096 (cold weather rule for public utilities); Minn. Stat. §§ 216B.097 (cold weather rule for cooperative or municipal utilities), 216B.0975 (heat conditions), 216B.098(5) (medical emergencies); Minn. R. 7810.2300, 7810.2600 (telephone), 7820.1400, 7820.2400, 7820.2500, 7820.2900 (gas, electric)

Access to Utility Service: MISSISSIPPI

Title 39. Public Service Commission, Part III. Rules and Regulations Governing Public Utility Service, Subpart I. General Rules, Rule 8—39 Miss. Code R. § 3-1-8 (LexisNexis) (electric, gas, sewer, telephone, water)

Access to Utility Service: MONTANA

Mont. Admin. R. 38.5.1405, 38.5.1406, 38.5.1410, 38.5.1411, 38.5.1413 (electric, gas), 38.5.2505 (privately owned water utility), 38.5.3339 (telephone)

Access to Utility Service: NEBRASKA

Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 70-1603 to 1612 (electric, gas, water); 291 Neb. Admin. Code §§ 5-002.16, 5-002.17, 10-006.02F (telephone), 9-013 (gas)

Access to Utility Service: NEVADA

Nev. Admin. Code §§ 704.360, 704.365, 704.370, 704.375, 704.390 (electric, gas), 704.393 to 704.3934, 704.3936 (water), 704.4165, 704.417, 704.4185, 704.4205 (telephone)

Access to Utility Service: NEW HAMPSHIRE

N.H. Code Admin. R. Ann. PUC 410.4 (telephone), 703.03 (sewer), 1203.11, 1203.12, 1203.14, 1203.16 (electric, gas, steam, water), 1204.3, 1204.5 (electric, gas, steam), 1205.3 (electric, gas, team, water)

Access to Utility Service: 7.2.6.1 Generally

Arrearage management programs (AMPs) are the primary way to cancel overdue utility debt. A growing number of jurisdictions offer AMPs, including California, Connecticut,182 the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Washington state.

Access to Utility Service: 9.1 Overview

Home “weatherization” is a critical step towards making residential energy costs more affordable. In this chapter, we use the term “weatherization” broadly to include measures that make the building envelope (walls, roof, basement) tighter so as to keep the heat inside in the winter and outside in the summer; installation of energy efficient appliances and lighting fixtures; and any related measures or controls that may decrease energy consumption. Inefficient energy consumption increases the financial burden of low-income households.

Access to Utility Service: 9.4.7.3 Inadequacy of Low-Interest Loans

Some utilities help finance weatherization and energy efforts by providing their customers with zero or low-cost interest loans. For low-income households who are already living on the edge, the idea of taking on a new loan is not an incentive to make their homes more energy efficient, which they may desperately need to do.101