Haddock

Haddock

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PITTSTON — State Rep. Jim Haddock Friday sent a letter to the PA House Consumer Affairs Committee regarding ongoing billing issues with PPL Electric Utilities.

In the letter, Haddock, D-Pittston Township, said “I am respectfully requesting a hearing by the House Consumer Affairs Committee on the recent billing debacle by PUC Electric and their subsequent response.”

Haddock wrote that since the week of Jan. 16, 2023, his district office has been overwhelmed with phone calls from constituents regarding their unusually high PPL bills. Many stated it was a financial hardship and they could not get through to PPL by phone.

“I personally called PPL Customer Service and received a message that the hold time would be 22 minutes,” Haddock wrote. “In fact, I was on hold for over an hour — both times I called.”

On January 25, Haddock said he placed a call with the PPL State Government relations representative about this issue.

“I asked simple questions, such as what caused the billing issue and how many people were affected both in my Legislative District and statewide?” Haddock wrote. “I also expressed my dissatisfaction with the customer services response to this issue relative to the ratepayers. I followed my phone call with an email on Jan. 27. I still, as of today, have not received a response to my inquiry or answers to my questions.”

Haddock said what is of an additional concern to him is that PPL was recently approved for an 18% rate increase by the PUC.

“This adds insult to injury to the affected customers,” Haddock wrote.

Haddock said he believes this continuing matter deserves to be examined in a public forum, so that he and all the affected ratepayers that he represents can get answers to their questions and information on what steps PPL is taking to correct the issue moving forward.

“Again, I respectfully request a hearing by the House Consumer Affairs Committee on the recent billing debacle and subsequent response by PPL Electric,” Haddock wrote.

Haddock said he strongly encourages anybody still having issues with their bills to call the PUC and lodge their complaints at — 1-800-692-7380.

Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.