{"id":4860,"date":"2022-05-15T17:43:50","date_gmt":"2022-05-15T17:43:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crowdsourcelawyers.com\/california-statutes\/?page_id=4860"},"modified":"2022-05-24T16:35:20","modified_gmt":"2022-05-24T16:35:20","slug":"utility-laws-in-california","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/crowdsourcelawyers.com\/california-statutes\/california-statutes\/utility-laws-in-california\/","title":{"rendered":"Utility Laws In California"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-l37l5ras-27ef65e4455d82fa68f3ae57d1ad990b\">\n#top .av-special-heading.av-l37l5ras-27ef65e4455d82fa68f3ae57d1ad990b{\npadding-bottom:10px;\n}\nbody .av-special-heading.av-l37l5ras-27ef65e4455d82fa68f3ae57d1ad990b .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{\nfont-size:25px;\n}\n.av-special-heading.av-l37l5ras-27ef65e4455d82fa68f3ae57d1ad990b .av-subheading{\nfont-size:22px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='av-special-heading av-l37l5ras-27ef65e4455d82fa68f3ae57d1ad990b av-special-heading-h1 blockquote modern-quote  avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_hr  avia-builder-el-first '><div class='av-subheading av-subheading_above'><p>California<\/p>\n<\/div><h1 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >Public Utilities Code &#8211; PUC \u00a7 394.4<\/h1><div class=\"special-heading-border\"><div class=\"special-heading-inner-border\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-av_hr-3a876428eececa9d35452247ddb053af\">\n#top .hr.hr-invisible.av-av_hr-3a876428eececa9d35452247ddb053af{\nheight:50px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='hr av-av_hr-3a876428eececa9d35452247ddb053af hr-invisible  avia-builder-el-1  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_textblock '><span class='hr-inner '><span class=\"hr-inner-style\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-av_textblock-e878f05c31dff72941bf1e49a00d9ff5 '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><a href=\"https:\/\/crowdsourcelawyers.com\/\">CrowdSourceLawyers.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-avia_sc_search-4ee94ae86cde3b232e718bb4ac84e6ad\">\n#top .avia_search_element.av-avia_sc_search-4ee94ae86cde3b232e718bb4ac84e6ad .av_searchform_wrapper{\nborder-color:#edae44;\nbackground-color:#edae44;\n}\n#top .avia_search_element.av-avia_sc_search-4ee94ae86cde3b232e718bb4ac84e6ad #s.av-input-field{\ncolor:#edae44;\n}\n#top .avia_search_element.av-avia_sc_search-4ee94ae86cde3b232e718bb4ac84e6ad .av-input-field-icon.av-search-icon{\ncolor:#edae44;\n}\n#top .avia_search_element.av-avia_sc_search-4ee94ae86cde3b232e718bb4ac84e6ad .av-input-field-icon.av-search-icon.avia-svg-icon svg:first-child{\nfill:#edae44;\nstroke:#edae44;\n}\n#top .avia_search_element.av-avia_sc_search-4ee94ae86cde3b232e718bb4ac84e6ad #searchsubmit{\nbackground-color:#edae44;\n}\n#top .avia_search_element.av-avia_sc_search-4ee94ae86cde3b232e718bb4ac84e6ad .av_searchsubmit_wrapper{\nbackground-color:#edae44;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='avia_search_element av-avia_sc_search-4ee94ae86cde3b232e718bb4ac84e6ad  avia-builder-el-3  el_after_av_textblock  el_before_av_hr '><search><form action='https:\/\/crowdsourcelawyers.com\/california-statutes\/' id='searchform_element' method='get' class='' data-element_id='av-avia_sc_search-4ee94ae86cde3b232e718bb4ac84e6ad' ><div class='av_searchform_wrapper'><input type='search' value='' id='s' name='s' placeholder='Search CA statutes' aria-label='Search CA statutes' class='av-input-field ' required \/><div class='av_searchsubmit_wrapper '><input type='submit' value='Find' id='searchsubmit' class='button ' title='View results on search page' aria-label='View results on search page' \/><\/div><input type='hidden' name='numberposts' value='10' \/><input type='hidden' name='results_hide_fields' value='' \/><\/div><\/form><\/search><\/div>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-av_hr-3a876428eececa9d35452247ddb053af\">\n#top .hr.hr-invisible.av-av_hr-3a876428eececa9d35452247ddb053af{\nheight:50px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='hr av-av_hr-3a876428eececa9d35452247ddb053af hr-invisible  avia-builder-el-4  el_after_avia_sc_search  el_before_av_textblock '><span class='hr-inner '><span class=\"hr-inner-style\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-l37l6fx6-65c74ea7b550b2b3c7f3d99b66cee9d8 '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"subsection\">Rules that implement the following minimum standards shall be adopted by the commission for <span class=\"added-material\">electric service providers<\/span>\u00a0offering electrical services to residential and small commercial customers and the governing body of a public agency offering electrical services to residential and small commercial customers within its jurisdiction:<\/div>\n<div class=\"subsection\">\n<div class=\"subsection\">\n<p>(a)\u2002Confidentiality: \u2009Customer information shall be confidential unless the customer consents in writing. \u2002This shall encompass confidentiality of customer specific billing, credit, or usage information. \u2002This requirement shall not extend to disclosure of generic information regarding the usage, load shape, or other general characteristics of a group or rate classification, unless the release of that information would reveal customer specific information because of the size of the group, rate classification, or nature of the information.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"subsection\">\n<p>(b)\u2002Physical disconnects and reconnects: \u2009Only an electrical corporation, or a publicly owned electric utility, that provides physical delivery service to the affected customer shall have the authority to physically disconnect or reconnect a customer from the transmission or distribution grid. \u2002Physical disconnection by electrical corporations subject to the commission&#8217;s jurisdiction shall occur only in accordance with protocols established by the commission. \u2002Physical disconnection by publicly owned electric utilities shall occur only in accordance with protocols established by the governing board of the local publicly owned electric utility.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"subsection\">\n<p>(c)\u2002Change in providers: \u2009Upon adequate notice supplied by a\u00a0<span class=\"added-material\">electric service provider<\/span>\u00a0to the electric corporation or local publicly owned electric utility providing physical delivery service, customers who are eligible for direct access may change their energy supplier. \u2002Energy suppliers may charge for\u00a0<span class=\"added-material\">this<\/span>\u00a0change, provided that any fee or penalty charged by the supplier associated with early termination of service, shall be disclosed in that contract or applicable tariff.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"subsection\">\n<p>(d)\u2002Written notices: \u2009Notices describing the terms and conditions of service as described in\u00a0<span class=\"cite\">Section 394.5\u00a0<\/span>, service agreements, notices of late payment, notices of discontinuance of service, and disconnection notices addressed to residential and small commercial customers shall be easily understandable, and shall be provided in the language in which the\u00a0<span class=\"added-material\">electric service provider<\/span>\u00a0offered the services.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"subsection\">\n<p>(e)\u2002Billing: \u2009All bills shall have a standard bill format, as determined by the commission or the governing body, and shall contain sufficient detail for the customer to recalculate the bill for accuracy. \u2002Any late fees shall be separately stated. \u2002Each\u00a0<span class=\"added-material\">electric service provider<\/span>\u00a0shall provide on all customer bills a phone number by which customers may contact the\u00a0<span class=\"added-material\">electric service provider<\/span>\u00a0to report and resolve billing inquiries and complaints. \u2002<span class=\"added-material\">An electric service provider<\/span>\u00a0contacted by a customer regarding a billing dispute shall advise the customer at the time of the initial contact that the customer may file a complaint with the commission if its dispute is not satisfactorily resolved by the\u00a0<span class=\"added-material\">electric service provider<\/span>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"subsection\">\n<p>(f)\u2002Meter integrity: \u2009An electric customer shall have a reasonable opportunity to have its meter tested to ensure the reasonable accuracy of the meter. \u2002The commission or governing body shall determine who is responsible for the cost of that testing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"subsection\">\n<p>(g)\u2002Customer deposits: \u2009<span class=\"added-material\">electric service providers<\/span>\u00a0may require customer deposits before commencing service, but in no event shall the deposit be more than the estimated bill for the customer for a three-month period.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"subsection\">\n<p>(h)\u2002Additional protections: \u2009The commission or the governing body may adopt additional residential and small commercial consumer protection standards\u00a0<span class=\"added-material\">that<\/span>\u00a0are in the public interest.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br class=\"avia-permanent-lb\" \/><br class=\"avia-permanent-lb\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/crowdsourcelawyers.com\/\">CrowdSourceLawyers.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"parent":2019,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-4860","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Utility Laws In California - California Statutes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/crowdsourcelawyers.com\/california-statutes\/california-statutes\/utility-laws-in-california\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Utility Laws In 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