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RCED-84-70 1 (1983-11-15)

handle is hein.gao/gaobabnfi0001 and id is 1 raw text is: UNITED STATES GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE WASHINGTON, D.C. 20648 RESOURCES, COMMUNITY, November 15, 1983 AND ECONOMIC DEVE.LOPMENT FMSTRIC rE DIVISION,~T the Ceneral 6 Y the O ffice of e..appreval B-213612 prov The onorable Charles H. Percy RELEASED Chairman, Subcommittee on Energy, Nuclear Proliferation and Government Processes Committee on Governmental Affairs United States Senate 123130 Dear Mr. Chairman: Subject: Disconnection of Natural Gas Service to Residential Customers (GAO/RCED-84-70) In your July 22, 1983, request, you expressed concern over (1) the impact of higher natural gas prices and high unemployment on the ability of many families to pay their gas bills and (2) households facing disconnection of gas service due to unpaid bills at the end of last winter. You requested that we provide information on efforts taken by states to address disconnections and how these efforts relate to low-income energy assistance. As agreed with your office, we visited five states to obtain detailed information from state agencies and natural gas utili- ties. We also telephoned 28 additional state public utility com- missions to obtain information on their rules concerning natural gas disconnection. In response to your request, we are furnishing you information on (1) states' approaches to regulating disconnec- tions of residential natural gas customers, (2) residential gas service disconnections and reconnections, (3) the use of heating assistance and weatherization programs by states to help avert residential natural gas disconnections. The information we ob- tained is summarized below and discussed in detail in enclosure I -along with our objectives, scope, and methodology. In summary, 31 of the 33 states we reviewed had established some type of year-round rules governing utility disconnections, and during the 1982-83 winter season, 23 had established addi- tional rules providing a variety of restrictions against the disconnection of natural gas customers. With respect to discon- nections and reconnections, the data obtained from the 13 utili- ties we contacted was not adequate to assess the extent of disconnections or reconnections. Utilities could not eliminate from the data customers who were counted as being disconnected more than once during the year, and their reconnection statistics (308561)

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