When can a utility company disconnect your service? Here’s what Kentucky law says
Maybe your check got lost in the mail. Maybe you were tight on cash at the end of the month, or maybe it just slipped your mind. Whatever the reason, plenty of us have been there: You get home after a long day of work, flip on the lights and...nothing happens.
If you’ve ever been caught off guard by a service disconnect, you might also be wondering if the utility company gave you enough notice.
In Kentucky, utility companies regulated by the Kentucky Public Service Commission are required to provide advance notice to the customer prior service disconnect for lack of payment. Still, the notice requirements differ based on the type of utility service in question.
Here’s what to know utility service disconnects in Kentucky, including advice about what to do if you feel you’ve been mistreated.
In Kentucky, when can a utility company disconnect service?
State regulations, specifically Section 15 of of KAR 5:006, provide that in Kentucky a utility company generally shall not terminate or refuse service to a customer without first making a “reasonable effort” to obtain customer compliance.
“After the effort by the utility, service may be terminated or refused only after the customer has been given at least ten days written termination notice,” the regulation states.
There are some exceptions, of course, such as if there’s an emergency gas leak at the customer’s home or if the customer doesn’t provide access to the property for service.
For service disconnects and termination notices, utilities are treated differently on this point based on the nature of the service they provide.
For gas and electric utilities, those types of companies have to give the customer a notice of termination for nonpayment at least 10 days written notice. As for the termination itself, “service shall not, for any reason, be terminated before 27 days after the mailing date of the original unpaid bill,” the regulation states.
For water, sewer or telephone services, at least five days’ written notice of termination is the standard. Service shall not, for any reason, be terminated before 20 days after the mailing date of the original unpaid bill, the regulation states.
What should you do if you haven’t been given proper notice?
In an emailed response, Kentucky Public Service Commission Executive Director Linda Bridwell wrote customers should first reach out to the utility to resolve the issue.
“If they are unable to resolve the matter with the utility, they may contact our Consumer Service branch to discuss a potential informal complaint,” Bridwell wrote to the Herald-Leader.
According to Bridwell, every utility is required to report the number of disconnections each month.
“Based on the year July 2021-June 2022, there were 217,329 disconnections reported, with 170,337 reinstated. The number of customers over that same time was 3,175,943,” Bridwell wrote in an email to the Herald-Leader.
According to the Public Service Commission’s website, the regulator’s job is to “ensure that utilities charge fair, just and reasonable rates for the services provided and that those services are adequate, efficient, safe and reliable.”
The agency is charged with regulating the intrastate rates and services of more than 1,500 utility companies throughout Kentucky and it can help you resolve complaints you’ve been unable to work through with your utility company.
You can contact the commission’s consumer services by email at psc.consumer.inquiry@ky.gov or by phone at 1-800-772-4636.
To complete an online utility complaint, visit the consumer services’ website.
This story was reported in response to reader questions and comments from our Know Your Kentucky project. If you have a question about a consumer issue in Kentucky, we’d like to hear from you. Fill out the form below or email ask@herald-leader.com.
This story was originally published February 21, 2023 at 7:00 AM with the headline "When can a utility company disconnect your service? Here’s what Kentucky law says."