Lower Utility Costs. Control Rate Hikes. Stop Unfair Shutoffs. Make Big Users Pay Their Fair Share.

 

Pennsylvania families are paying too much for basic necessities.

 

Electric, gas, water, sewage, and home heating are not luxuries. They are essential services that families need to stay safe, healthy, employed, and stable. But too many Pennsylvanians are being squeezed by rising utility bills, repeated rate increase requests, sudden shutoff threats, confusing payment plans, and a system that too often protects utilities and large corporate users before regular people.

 

At the same time, Pennsylvania is seeing growing demand from data centers and other large power users. These facilities can place major strain on the electric grid, water systems, and local infrastructure. If Pennsylvania allows these projects, they must pay their own way. Families, seniors, small businesses, and working people should not be forced to subsidize corporate expansion through higher utility bills.

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Pennsylvania needs a stronger, fairer utility system.

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What this plan will do

This reform plan will:

• control unjustified utility rate increases

• require stronger review when rate hikes exceed Pennsylvania wage growth or inflation

• stop utilities from passing lobbying, political influence spending, executive bonuses, penalties, wrongful shutoff costs, or mismanagement costs onto ratepayers

• protect residential customers and small businesses from paying for grid upgrades caused by data centers and large-load corporate users

• protect families from unfair or sudden utility shutoffs

• require real notice before termination, including final door posting or hand delivery

• ban shutoffs during extreme cold, extreme heat, declared emergencies, medical hardship, pending assistance decisions, and active billing disputes

• create extra protections for homes with children, seniors, disabled residents, veterans-benefit recipients, unemployed residents, and public-assistance recipients

• require income-based payment plans before shutoff

• eliminate residential reconnection fees for essential utility service

• allow only limited, capped, documented fees for actual in-home work such as pilot lighting or safety checks

• regulate heating fuel as an essential winter commodity

• require emergency heating-fuel delivery standards when a household is out of fuel or in a weather emergency

• create a Pennsylvania Utility Affordability and Stability Fund

• use data center fees, large-load user fees, utility penalties, settlements, federal funds, and other lawful sources to help prevent shutoffs and reduce hardship

• protect small businesses from utility-driven closure when possible

• require data centers and large-load users to pay for the infrastructure they cause

• require public reporting of utility shutoffs, rate increases, power usage, complaints, and cost shifting

• strengthen the Utility Consumer Advocate

• create a public dashboard and one easy complaint portal for utility and heating-fuel problems

 

1. Control utility rate increases

Pennsylvania families should not be hit with automatic rate increases every time utilities, data centers, or large corporate users want more infrastructure.

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Under this plan, residential and small-business utility rate increases would face stronger review when they:

• exceed Pennsylvania wage growth

• exceed inflation

• create major hardship for residential customers

• increase shutoff risk

• include costs caused by data centers or large-load users

• include costs from abandoned, delayed, underused, or speculative infrastructure

• include costs tied to preventable utility mismanagement

• include lobbying, political influence spending, public relations campaigns, or executive-compensation costs that should not be paid by ratepayers

 

A rate increase that exceeds wage growth or inflation should not be approved unless the utility proves it is necessary, reasonable, prudently incurred, and not caused by improper cost shifting or mismanagement.

 

Utilities should not be able to mismanage costs, shift corporate expansion expenses onto families, then ask Harrisburg for permission to raise rates again.

 

This is not about weakening reliable utility service. It is about making sure rate increases are justified, transparent, and not dumped on working families and small businesses.

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2. Stop utilities from charging families for costs they should not pay

Utility bills should pay for safe, reliable service, not political influence, corporate mistakes, or bad management.

 

Under this plan, utilities would be barred from recovering certain costs from residential customers and protected small businesses.

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That includes:

• lobbying expenses

• political contributions

• political influence spending

• public relations campaigns designed to influence rate cases

• executive bonuses tied to rate increases, shutoffs, or cost recovery

• penalties imposed for violating consumer protections

• wrongful shutoff costs

• costs caused by preventable utility mismanagement

• stranded costs caused by data center or large-load user abandonment, downsizing, closure, or nonuse

 

Pennsylvanians should not be forced to pay higher bills because a utility made poor decisions, violated consumer protections, or spent money trying to influence politics.

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3. Protect ratepayers from data center and large-load cost shifting

Pennsylvania should not say no to every major project. But if data centers and large-load users come here, they must pay their own way.

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This plan would require data centers and large-load users to pay for the infrastructure they cause, including:

• grid upgrades

• transmission upgrades

• distribution upgrades

• substation upgrades

• water and wastewater impacts

• reliability upgrades

• special service arrangements

• stranded costs if they leave, downsize, idle, or reduce operations

 

Residential customers and small businesses should not be forced to pay higher bills because a large corporate user placed new strain on the system.

 

The default rule should be simple: if a large-load user causes the cost, the large-load user pays the cost.

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4. Require stronger rate review before families pay more

Rate increases should not be rubber-stamped.

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Under this plan, the PUC would be required to compare proposed rate increases against:

• Pennsylvania wage growth

• inflation

• average residential utility burden

• average small-business utility burden

• shutoff rates

• county-level affordability data

• customer assistance enrollment

• household income trends

 

If a proposed rate hike is larger than wage growth or inflation, the utility would have to prove the increase is necessary for safe and reliable service.

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It would also have to prove that the increase does not include improper costs from data centers, large-load users, lobbying, political spending, executive compensation, penalties, wrongful shutoffs, or mismanagement.

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The goal is not to block every legitimate utility investment. The goal is to stop unjustified rate hikes and force utilities to prove their case before families are asked to pay more.

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5. Protect families from unfair shutoffs

No Pennsylvanian should lose electric, gas, water, or sewage service without real due process.

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Under this plan, utilities would have to complete and document every required step before shutting off essential service.

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That includes:

• mailed written notice

• phone contact attempt

• text, email, or electronic notice if available

• final door posting or hand-delivered notice at least 72 hours before shutoff

• review for protected household status

• review for pending assistance applications

• payment-plan offer

• assistance-program referral

• final certification that shutoff is legally allowed

 

Utilities should not be able to say they sent one notice and then cut people off. Essential services require stronger protection.

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6. Ban shutoffs during emergencies and extreme weather

This plan would block utility shutoffs during dangerous conditions.

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Shutoffs would be banned during:

• medical hardship

• pending assistance decisions

• active billing disputes

• extreme cold

• extreme heat

• declared emergencies

• failure by the utility to complete required notice or review

 

Extreme cold would include:

• December 1 through March 31

• days below 25°F

• National Weather Service winter weather advisories, watches, or warnings

• up to a 30-day extension when extended cold is expected and approved by the PUC

 

Extreme heat would include:

• actual temperature or heat index of 85°F or higher

• National Weather Service heat advisories, excessive heat watches, or excessive heat warnings

 

Families should not lose heat in the winter or cooling ability in dangerous heat because of bureaucratic failure or unaffordable payment demands.

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7. Add extra protections for vulnerable households

Some households need more time and review before shutoff is even considered.

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Under this plan, households with children, seniors, disabled residents, benefit recipients, unemployed residents, or veterans-benefit recipients would receive a 30-day protected household delay.

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During that delay, the utility would have to review:

• payment-plan options

• income level

• hardship status

• LIHEAP eligibility

• customer assistance programs

• medical hardship protections

• Utility Affordability and Stability Fund eligibility

 

The end of the 30-day delay would not automatically allow shutoff. The utility would still have to prove that all required reviews were completed and no legal protection applies.

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8. Require income-based payment plans

A payment plan should help people catch up, not set them up to fail.

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Under this reform, utilities would have to offer income-based payment plans before shutoff.

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The arrearage repayment cap would be:

Household income level                                                                        First 6 months                             After 6 months

At or below 150% of federal poverty level                                          1%                                                  3%

Above 150% and at or below 200% of federal poverty level            3%                                                  5%

Above 200% of federal poverty level                                                   5%                                                  10%

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These percentages would apply to repayment of past-due arrearages, not the regular current monthly bill.

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The goal is simple: keep people paying, keep service on, and prevent impossible payment arrangements that lead right back to shutoff.

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9. Eliminate residential reconnection fees

Families should not be punished with extra fees just to restore essential service.

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Under this plan, residential reconnection fees for essential utility service would be eliminated.

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If actual in-home work is needed, such as pilot lighting, a pressure test, or a safety check, a small service fee may be allowed. But that fee must be:

• capped

• disclosed

• itemized

• documented

• signed by the account holder or responsible adult

 

No fee could be charged for work caused by utility error, wrongful shutoff, administrative failure, or unreasonable delay.

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10. Regulate heating fuel as an essential winter commodity

Many Pennsylvania families heat their homes with heating oil, propane, kerosene, coal, wood pellets, or firewood.

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These families deserve protection too.

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This plan would regulate covered heating fuel with:

• price transparency

• delivery documentation

• anti-gouging rules

• emergency delivery standards

• clear complaint procedures

• weights-and-measures enforcement

 

Covered heating fuels would include:

• heating oil

• propane

• kerosene

• coal

• wood pellets

• commercially sold firewood

• emergency electric space-heating assistance

 

Heating-fuel suppliers would have to disclose the full price before delivery, including unit price, delivery fees, emergency fees, taxes, surcharges, minimum delivery amount, and total estimated price.

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11. Require emergency heating-fuel delivery standards

If a household is out of heating fuel during winter or a weather emergency, they need help fast.

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Under this plan, emergency minimum delivery would be required within 24 hours when a household is out of fuel, lacks a safe alternative heat source, or is in a weather emergency.

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Emergency minimum delivery would be:

Fuel type                                                                                 Emergency minimum

Heating oil                                                                              50 gallons

Propane                                                                                  25 gallons or safe minimum fill

Kerosene                                                                                20 gallons

Coal, pellets, or firewood                                                     72-hour emergency heating supply

 

After the emergency minimum delivery, the full order must be completed within 72 hours under normal urgent conditions, or within 5 business days during weather emergencies, supply disruptions, or widespread delivery backlogs.

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Emergency delivery fees would have to be capped, disclosed, and itemized. Hardship households would receive fee waivers or deferrals.

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12. Stop heating-fuel price gouging

No company should take advantage of families during extreme cold, storms, fuel shortages, or declared emergencies.

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This plan would prohibit excessive, deceptive, or unjustified heating-fuel price increases during:

• extreme cold periods

• winter weather advisories, watches, or warnings

• declared emergencies

• supply disruptions

• regional fuel shortages

 

Enforcement would be shared between the Attorney General, Department of Agriculture, PUC, and county consumer protection offices where available.

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13. Create the Pennsylvania Utility Affordability and Stability Fund

Pennsylvania needs a dedicated fund focused only on utility affordability, shutoff prevention, and long-term bill reduction.

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This plan would create the Pennsylvania Utility Affordability and Stability Fund.

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The fund would be supported by lawful sources such as:

• data center impact fees

• large-load user fees

• utility penalties

• heating-fuel supplier penalties

• settlement funds

• enforcement recoveries

• federal funds where allowed

• state appropriations

• voluntary county or municipal matching programs

 

The fund would prioritize:

1. emergency shutoff prevention

2. medical hardship household protection

3. weatherization and energy efficiency

4. protected small-business utility relief

5. low-income household bill credits

6. senior household bill credits

7. emergency heating-fuel assistance

 

The fund could not be used for utility executive compensation, lobbying, political spending, corporate subsidies, data centers, large-load users, or unrelated state spending.

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14. Help working families who make too much for traditional aid but still need emergency help

Too many families make “too much” on paper but are still one emergency away from losing heat, water, or electricity.

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This plan would use fair eligibility levels:

Household income level                                                                                        Assistance level

At or below 150% of federal poverty level                                                          Highest-priority assistance

Above 150% and at or below 200% of federal poverty level                            Standard assistance

Above 200% and at or below 300% of federal poverty level                            Emergency sliding-scale assistance

Above 300% of federal poverty level                                                                   Case-by-case emergency hardship only

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This protects the poorest households first while still giving working families a chance to get help during a shutoff risk, job loss, medical crisis, family emergency, extreme weather, or declared emergency.

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15. Protect small businesses from utility-driven closure

Small businesses are already dealing with rising costs, taxes, fees, payroll pressure, and inflation.

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A sudden utility shutoff can destroy inventory, close a restaurant, damage refrigeration, interrupt payroll, or permanently shut down a local business.

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This plan would create targeted small-business utility relief for independently owned, Pennsylvania-based or locally operated businesses.

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Eligible help could include:

• emergency shutoff prevention

• payment-plan assistance

• temporary bill stabilization

• utility debt mediation

• weatherization and efficiency grants

• refrigeration or food-safety emergency support

 

This would not be a bailout for large corporations. Businesses owned by national chains, publicly traded companies, private equity rollups, data centers, or large-load users would not qualify.

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16. Require data center accountability

Data centers would receive heightened accountability under this plan.

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They would have to disclose:

• projected electric usage

• actual electric usage

• projected water usage

• actual water usage

• backup generator usage and emissions where applicable

• temporary construction jobs

• permanent jobs

• tax incentives received

• infrastructure costs created

• how those costs are paid

 

Data centers would also have to sign community benefit agreements before receiving public incentives, expedited approval, or final operational authorization.

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Those agreements would cover local infrastructure, roads, emergency services, water use, noise, backup generators, stormwater, local utility relief, employment promises, apprenticeship programs, and use of Pennsylvania-based and local workers where practical and legally allowed.

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17. Require upfront bonds, exit fees, and anti-abandonment protection

If a data center or large-load user needs major public or utility infrastructure, they should provide financial security before the work begins.

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This plan would require:

• upfront infrastructure deposits or bonds

• long-term service agreements

• exit fees if the facility leaves, downsizes, idles, or cancels after infrastructure is built

• clawback of tax incentives if promises are not kept

• site responsibility agreements

• anti-abandonment protections

 

If a facility sits vacant or stops operating, the owner would have to file reports and plans:

• 90 days’ notice before planned closure or major downsizing

• 6-month nonoperation status report

• 12-month reuse, sale, redevelopment, or decommissioning plan

• stronger enforcement after 18 to 24 months of vacancy or nonoperation

 

No residential customer, small business, municipality, county, or ordinary ratepayer should be stuck paying for abandoned corporate infrastructure.

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18. Require public reporting and a utility dashboard

Pennsylvanians deserve to see what is happening with utility costs.

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This plan would create a public Utility Affordability Dashboard showing:

• shutoff notices

• completed shutoffs

• wrongful shutoff complaints

• county-level shutoff data

• payment-plan data

• assistance applications

• average residential bills

• rate increases

• pending rate cases

• utility violations

• heating-fuel complaints

• residential power usage

• small-business power usage

• general commercial power usage

• industrial power usage

• large-load power usage

• data center power usage

• infrastructure cost allocation

• data center incentive data

• community benefit agreement compliance

 

The dashboard would not show personally identifiable customer information.

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19. Create one easy complaint portal

People should not have to figure out which agency handles which problem while their heat, water, or electricity is at risk.

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This plan would create one easy complaint portal, linked on state websites and utility websites.

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Complaints would automatically route to the right agency, including:

• PUC

• Attorney General

• Department of Human Services

• Department of Agriculture

• Treasury

• Office of Consumer Advocate

• county consumer protection offices

• county emergency management when household safety is at risk

 

Emergency complaints involving lack of heat, medical risk, wrongful shutoff, extreme weather, or protected household safety would receive expedited handling.

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20. Strengthen the Utility Consumer Advocate

Pennsylvania needs a stronger voice for regular ratepayers.

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This plan would strengthen the Utility Consumer Advocate so it can:

• intervene in rate cases

• challenge data center and large-load cost shifting

• represent protected households in systemic cases

• represent protected small businesses in systemic cases

• publish annual utility affordability reports

• recommend enforcement actions

• audit shutoff practices

• challenge utility lobbying-cost recovery

• challenge executive-compensation cost recovery

 

Utilities should not be able to raise rates, shift costs, shut people off, and bury the details in paperwork without a strong advocate fighting for the public.

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21. Hold utilities accountable for violations

A utility that repeatedly violates consumer protections should not be rewarded with higher rates.

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Under this plan, utilities that commit repeated, knowing, reckless, or systemic violations could be barred from receiving discretionary rate increases until:

• violations are corrected

• affected customers are compensated

• improper cost recovery is reversed

• a compliance plan is approved

• the utility completes at least a 12-month probationary period

 

Severe or repeated violations could trigger probation up to 24 months.

 

Wrongful shutoff compensation would include automatic minimum payments:

Customer type                                                       Minimum compensation

Residential customer                                           $250

Protected household                                            $500

Protected small business                                    $1,000

Customers could also recover documented damages such as spoiled food, hotel costs, emergency heating or cooling costs, medical-equipment disruption, inventory loss, or direct business losses.

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What this means for families

This reform is built around four priorities:

• lower costs

• rate control

• stronger shutoff protections

• real accountability

 

For families, it means:

• stronger protection from unjustified rate hikes

• fewer unfair shutoffs

• real notice before termination

• emergency protections during dangerous weather

• medical hardship protections

• fairer payment plans

• no residential reconnection fees

• stronger heating-fuel protections

• help before a crisis becomes a disaster

• less chance of being forced to pay for data centers and large corporate users

 

What this means for small businesses

For small businesses, it means:

• protection from unjustified utility rate hikes

• protection from sudden utility-driven closure

• payment-plan review

• emergency support where capped and justified

• help with food-safety and refrigeration emergencies

• protection from large corporate cost-shifting

• a stronger voice in utility affordability policy

 

This is not a corporate bailout. It is targeted relief for real local businesses trying to survive.

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What this means for Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania does not need a utility system that protects big users, utilities, and political insiders while regular people are left trying to figure out how to keep the lights on.

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Pennsylvania needs a fairer system where:

• rate hikes face real review.

• families are not forced to pay for political influence, executive bonuses, utility mistakes, or corporate expansion.

• families get real notice before shutoff.

• medical hardship and extreme weather matter.

• heating fuel is treated as essential in the winter.

• data centers and large-load users pay their own way.

• small businesses are not crushed by utility costs.

• the public can see the numbers.

• utilities that violate the rules are held accountable.

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Bottom line

Pennsylvania families should not be priced out of basic necessities.

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Utilities must be affordable, transparent, and accountable. Rate increases must be justified. Data centers and large corporate power users must pay their own way. And no household should lose essential service without real due process, real review, and real protection.

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Lower costs. Control rate hikes. Protect families. Hold utilities accountable.