CHARLESTON, WV – “Recognizing that the Public Service Commission of West Virginia has urged all utilities in the state to discontinue termination of service for non-payment of utility bills and recognizing that as the coronavirus continues, many residential, commercial and industrial customers are finding it difficult to pay their utility bills as the state reopens, and recognizing that this will have a detrimental effect upon the financial and operational viability of the state’s utilities, the Public Service Commission is issuing an Order authorizing the utilities to track their additional, extraordinary costs directly related to their efforts to continue safe and reliable utility services during the COVID-19 emergency and defer these costs to a future proceeding,” said Chairman Charlotte R. Lane of the Public Service Commission.
“This Order,” said the Chairman, “will take the stress off customers who are struggling through these difficult times and, at the same time, provide the utilities the ability to seek rate recovery in a future rate proceeding for those additional, extraordinary costs that were prudently incurred.”
On March 13, 2020, the Commission urged utilities to temporarily curtail service termination for non-payment activities in order to mitigate potential customer hardships stemming from the government issued “stay at home” instructions.
Additional information, including the complete Order, is available on the Commission website: www.psc.state.wv.us by referencing GO 262.4.
