IOUs Policies on Residential ShutOffs for NonPayment

1
IOUs Policies on Residential Shut-Offs for
Non-Payment

• Low Income Oversight Board (LIOB) Meeting
• January 21, 2009
• CPUC Energy Division

2
Questions on Issue of Utility Shut-offs for
Non-Payment

• What is the policy/process employed by each IOU
  to determine whether or not it is safe to
  shut-off the electricity/gas of a customer in
  non-payment?
• Have adverse medical conditions or other
  consequences occurred as a result of shut-offs
  for non-payment?

3
Pacific Gas Electric (PGE)

• PGE allows field service representative to
  determine if conditions are safe enough to
  proceed with shut-off
• Manager approval is required when shut-off is
  scheduled for medical baseline customer or
  customer on life support
• PGE is not aware of any shut-offs for
  non-payment resulting in adverse medical
  conditions

4
Southern California Edison (SCE)

• SCEs Extreme Weather Disconnection Policy stands
  in effect when temperature is 105 degrees or
  above and when temperature is 25 degrees or below
  
• Field service representative first must attempt
  to contact customer at the door
• After making contact, the representative will
  determine whether any special needs or conditions
  warrant not disconnecting service
• Customers with special needs or conditions
  receive a 48-hour extension
• Normal shut-off procedures are followed for other
  customers

5
Southern California Gas (SoCalGas) and San Diego
Gas Electric (SDGE)

• Attempt must be made to personally contact
  elderly and/or disabled customers at least 48
  hours prior to disconnecting service for
  non-payment
• Shut-offs can be avoided for customers who set-up
  a payment prearrangement and inform the utilities
  that an occupant is elderly and/or disabled or
  that a shut-off would endanger household
  occupants
• In addition to payment prearrangements, customers
  are informed of other available assistance
  programs

6
Southern California Gas (SoCalGas) and San Diego
Gas Electric (SDGE)

• Field procedures allow for extensions to be
  granted to customers in cases of extreme hardship
  
• Disconnections will not occur in the event of
  extreme temperatures
• SoCalGas and SDGE are not aware of
  disconnections cases during extreme weather
  conditions that have resulted in adverse
  consequences