(a) Every electrical, gas, heat, or water corporation shall allow every residential customer at least 19 days from the date of mailing its bill for services, postage prepaid, for payment of the charges demanded. A corporation subject to this section shall not terminate residential service for nonpayment of a delinquent account unless the corporation first gives notice of the delinquency and impending termination, at least 10 days prior to the proposed termination, by means of a notice mailed, postage prepaid, to the customer to whom the service is billed, not earlier than 19 days from the date of mailing the corporation’s bill for services, and the 10-day period shall not commence until five days after the mailing of the notice.
(b) Every corporation shall make a reasonable attempt to contact an adult person residing at the premises of the customer by telephone or personal contact at least 24 hours prior to any termination of service, except that, whenever telephone or personal contact cannot be accomplished, the corporation shall give, either by mail or in person, a notice of termination of service at least 48 hours prior to termination.
(c) Every corporation shall make available to its residential customers who are 65 years of age or older, or who are dependent adults as defined in Section 15610.23 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, a third-party notification service, whereby the corporation will attempt to notify a person designated by the customer to receive notification when the customer’s account is past due and subject to termination. The notification shall include information on what is required to prevent termination of service. The residential customer shall make a request for third-party notification on a form provided by the corporation, and shall include the written consent of the designated third party. The third-party notification does not obligate the third party to pay the overdue charges, nor shall it prevent or delay termination of service.
(d) Every notice of termination of service pursuant to subdivision (a) or (b) shall include all of the following information:
(1) The name and address of the customer whose account is delinquent.
(2) The amount of the delinquency.
(3) The date by which payment or arrangements for payment is required in order to avoid termination.
(4) The procedure by which the customer may initiate a complaint or request an investigation concerning service or charges.
(5) The procedure by which the customer may request amortization of the unpaid charges.
(6) The procedure for the customer to obtain information on the availability of financial assistance, including private, local, state, or federal sources, if applicable.
(7) The telephone number of a representative of the corporation who can provide additional information or institute arrangements for payment.
(8) The telephone number of the commission to which inquiries by the customer may be directed.
All written notices shall be in a clear and legible format.
(e) Any residential customer whose complaint or request for an investigation has resulted in an adverse determination by the corporation may appeal the determination to the commission. Any subsequent appeal of the dispute or complaint to the commission is not subject to this section.
(f) If a residential customer fails to comply with an amortization agreement, the corporation shall not terminate service without giving notice to the customer at least 48 hours prior to termination of the conditions the customer is required to meet to avoid termination, but this notice does not entitle the customer to further investigation by the corporation.
(g) A termination of service shall not be effected without compliance with this section. Any service wrongfully terminated shall be restored without charge for the restoration of service, and a notation thereof shall be mailed to the customer at the customer’s billing address.
(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 497, Sec. 243. (AB 991) Effective January 1, 2020.)