| OCR Text |
Show How to avoid yas shut-off A Mountain Fuel jpply Company of-tial, of-tial, responding to mcerns expressed by tnsumer groups itionwide, says the Slity's procedures for taling with past due xounts are designed i provide customers ith the means to avoid rvice termination. Recent reports .... indicate ind-icate that consumer roups are concerned tout winter utility iminations and how ley would affect istomers, particularly B elderly. Suggestions being made in some ates that utilities be stricted from ter-inating ter-inating any customer t any reason during Inter months. on an annual basis because of nonpayment. And less than one-tenth of 1 percent are terminated ter-minated in the winter months; those who are shut off in those circumstances cir-cumstances are generally back on in a matter of hours after they make financial arrangements. "Such" -restrictions ' severely hamper utilities from collecting bills during winter months and can add millions of dollars to bad debt expenses that these companies are forced to pass on in rates to paying customers." Rose said termination for nonpayment is nnnlpflsant for the "In actual practice, ese restrictions are iinecessary because company already Is procedures in place assist people with lying their bills," said N. Rose, president of ountain Fuel's jtribution division, fin fact, Mountain is forced to terete ter-ete far less than 1 Kent of its customers r. company and for the customer. "It generally only happens when a customer refuses to work with the company in resolving problems." He said company collectors work diligently to contact such customers and work out payment plans that are satisfactory to both customers and Mountain Fuel . |
