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Bill wants to remove CUC’s $15 disconnection fee
A proposed bill seeks to remove the $15 disconnection fee that the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. charges customers.
Aside from removing the disconnection notice fee, Rep. Francis Taimanao (Ind-Saipan) said House Bill 19-51 also seeks to extend the grace period of 21 days to 30 days for CUC customers to pay their outstanding balances.
Taimanao said his proposed bill seeks to help CNMI residents who are dependent on government welfare and assistance programs.
“Many residents are dependent on benefits. And if their checks are not received on time, they are often disconnected,” Taimanao said.
He wondered why CUC still charges a disconnection notice when some residents are already struggling financially.
Taimanao said has personally consulted with residents who are having a difficult time reconciling their finances.
The lawmaker said H.B 19-51 also seeks to help those who are members of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, headed by the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs.
LIHEAP is a program involving the CUC and DCCA, Taimanao said, where the DCCA shoulders part of the electricity bill of the members of the program.
Taimanao said LIHEAP clients, who are obligated to pay only a certain portion of their electricity bill, are still being burdened by the CUC to pay the full amount because LIHEAP is sometimes unable to remit on time.
“Changes must be implemented in order to protect the LIHEAP clients from any disconnection that is not their fault,” the proposed bill noted.
