CUC clients complain of ‘abrupt’ disconnections

The Commonwealth Utilities Corp. is disconnecting service without warning and potentially in violation of a law that gives customers up to 90 days to settle their bill.

The complainants are mostly low income. Some of them claim that their power was cut off before payment was even due.

One Chalan Kanoa resident, who receives subsidy from the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, said that his house was disconnected six days before this account was due. He did not receive a disconnection notice.

Another customer, a minimum wage earner who lives in San Antonio, said he only paid what he could afford of his September 2006 billing. The balance was carried over to his October billing, which was due on Oct. 31, 2006. Without any warning, CUC cut off his power service on Monday, Oct. 23.

“My food has spoiled and my kids are afraid at night,” said the father of four children, one of whom is a special education child.

Grina Mizutani, CUC deputy director for administration, discounted any possibility that accounts were disconnected before due date “unless the customer’s meter was found tampered with or the customer requested disconnection.”

He also said it was common for customers to claim that they were disconnected without notice. He stressed that CUC always sends out notice before cutting anyone’s utility service. The problem is telling whether customers actually receive the notices that have been mailed out.

According to Mizutani, it is CUC’s policy to give a customer 15 days after billing date to pay his or her obligation. If payment is not made by due date, the customer gets another 14-day grace period. Disconnection occurs beginning on the 15th day that an account is outstanding.

But this policy may be illegal, based on Governor Fitial’s May 5, 2006 directive with regard to CUC.

Executive Order 2006-4 states that, “Consumer accounts receivable for the utility service shall not be more than 90 days past due, unless the consumer is contesting the billing. The corporation shall cut off utility services to customers who are not actively contesting their billing and who have accounts more than 90 days past due.”

Mizutani said he would look into the issue.

Rep. Stanley T. Torres, who has filed a billing dispute against CUC, assists customers with complaints regarding their CUC bills.