Indiana

Restructuring Overview | Restructuring Resources | Consumer Protection

Legislation Passed
Electric N Gas N

Electric
Overview

• No deregulation legislation is being considered.

Natural Gas
Overview

• Indiana has one pilot unbundling program for residential gas customers operated by Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO)--the largest local distribution company in the state. The pilot has been in existence since April 1998 and allows 150,000 residential customers to purchase gas from alternative suppliers. NIPSCO estimates that all of its customers will have access to unbundled service by January 1, 2005, when the pilot ends.

Choice Status

• As of November 2001, 10,057 of the company's 633,000 residential customers (about 1.6%) were enrolled with competitive suppliers.

State Restructuring Resources

Utility Regulatory Commission
Utility Regulatory Commission
www.in.gov/iurc/

Consumer advocate
Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counsel
1-888-441-2494
www.IN.gov/oucc

Grassroots groups
Citizens Action Coalition
1-800-201-1210
www.citact.org/
For over two decades, Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana has worked to empower citizens and promote economic and environmental justice. Its website includes a page dedicated to energy issues in the state.

Consumer Protection

Disconnection policy

• From December 1 to March 15, electric or gas utilities may not disconnect residential service to any customer who is receiving, or is eligible for and has applied for home energy assistance.
• A utility may not disconnect service if customers can show a cause, such as financial hardship, for their inability to pay the full amount. However, customers must: pay a reasonable portion of the bill; agree to pay the remainder within three months; agree to pay all undisputed future bills when due; and not have violated any similar agreement with the utility in the last 12 months.
• The utility may not disconnect service when customers are unable to pay an unusually large bill if they: pay a reasonable portion of the bill; agree to pay the remainder at a reasonable rate; and agree to pay all undisputed future bills.
• A utility also may not discontinue service if customers fail to pay: for merchandise or appliances purchased from the utility furnishing the service; for utility services at a different metering point, or any other location, if such a bill has remained unpaid for 45 days or less; fail to pay for utility services to a previous occupant unless the utility has good reason to believe that a customer is attempting to defraud the utility by using another name; or fail to pay for a different form or class of utility service;
• Customers must receive a written notice 14 days in advance of the proposed disconnection. The notice must be clearly written, precise, easy to understand and include: the date of and reason for the proposed disconnection; the utility’s telephone number; and consumer rights information.
• A utility can only disconnect customer service from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. local time. It may not disconnect service for nonpayment on any day that the utility office is closed to the public, or after noon of the day before any day that the utility office is closed to the public.
• The utility must postpone disconnection for 10 days if a customer provides a medical statement from a licensed physician or a public health official. This postponement can be continued for one additional 10-day period upon the provision of an additional medical statement.
• A utility can disconnect service without any prior notice under certain conditions: a condition exists that can be dangerous or hazardous to life, physical safety or property; the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission or a court orders service disconnection; fraudulent or unauthorized use of the service is detected; or the utility’s regulating or measuring equipment has been tampered with.

• The utility should provide information to assist customers in making decisions about the service that best fits their needs; identify the services they are currently receiving and the price they are paying for them; and give complete, concise and accurate answers to customer questions.

• Applicants for residential gas service are not required to make a deposit if they owe no outstanding bills for utility service within the last four years; were delinquent on not more than two bills during the past 12 months or had service disconnected. Applicants who have not been utility customers during the past two years do not have to make a deposit if they: have been employed by their present employer for at least two years; have been employed by their present employer for less than two years but employed by only one other employer during the past two years; or have been employed by their present employer for less than two years and had no previous employer due to graduating from a school or being discharged from military service; own or have been buying a home or renting a home or apartment for more than two years; have credit cards and/or charge accounts with no delinquent bills more than twice in the last 12 months
• Deposits held more than 12 months must earn interest from the date of deposit at a rate of six percent.
• Any deposit or accrued interest must be promptly refunded without customer request when customers submit satisfactory payment for 12 successive months without more than two late payment in two consecutive months.
• Following customer-requested termination of service, the utility must apply the deposit, plus accrued interest, to the final bill, or at customer request, refund the deposit, plus accrued interest, within 15 days after payment of the final bill.

• Utilities must determine the creditworthiness of residential applicants in an equitable and nondiscriminatory method without regard to the economic character of the area where the customer resides; and solely upon the credit risk of the individuals without regard to the collective credit reputation of the area in which they live.

• A customer may complain at any time to a utility about any non-delinquent bill, security deposit, disconnection notice, or any other matter relating to its service.
• After receiving a complaint, a utility must promptly, thoroughly and completely investigate it, confer with the customer when requested and notify the customer, in writing, of its proposed disposition of the complaint.
• Customers dissatisfied with the utility's proposed disposition may make a written request to the Commission within seven days following the date when the notification was mailed, to informally review the disputed issue. Upon receiving the request, the Commission must provide an informal review within 21 days and provide a written decision to the customer and the utility within 30 days after its receipt of the customer's request. Upon request by either party or the Commission, the parties can be required to meet and confer.