Published: October, 2024
Introduction
Is the electric company trying to charge you for a previous resident’s utility debt? Sometimes when a previous resident owes money to a utility company, the company will contact the current resident to collect. They may threaten to shut off the electricity until the debt has been paid.
If you live in Maine and this is your situation, you are not alone – read below about what to expect and how to get help if you need it.
Why is the electric company trying to collect from me?
Utilities like electric companies are going to try to collect money from whoever they can. If an electric bill built up while you were living at the address, you could be held responsible even if the bill wasn't in your name. But sometimes the electric company assumes you were living in the address when you weren't.
Sharing a last name or a family connection can be enough for the utility company to decide you should be responsible for the debt. If you have any kind of connection to the previous resident it can be difficult to convince the company you aren’t responsible.
If you did not live with the previous resident, and if you did not get any benefit from their utility service, you are not responsible for their utility debt. Benefitting from another person’s utility service includes living together at the same address while their account was active, or using electricity from their account in the past or future.
This can sometimes be hard to communicate to the utility company. If you have questions about this, or need help, contact Pine Tree Legal.
What steps does the electric company need to follow? What can I do?
When you open a new account the electric company has 60 days to transfer a debt to that account. There are steps they need to take to do this – and steps they need to take after they transfer a debt.
After opening your account, the utility company must give you a seven day notice that they are transferring the debt of a previous resident to your new account. This is meant to give you a chance to challenge this decision.
If they decide you are responsible for the debt and go ahead with the transfer, they must give you 30 days to pay the debt or set up a payment plan.
This means that:
- you should have seven days to challenge the debt transfer before it happens,
- you should have 30 days to begin paying off the debt, and
- the entire process must take place within the first 60 days of your account being active.
If you have questions about this, or need help, contact Pine Tree Legal.
I need power for medical equipment in my home – what if I can’t sort this out with the electric company in time to prevent a shut-off?
If you need electricity to power medical equipment in your home or for other necessary medical reasons, you can request a 30 day grace period on your electric bill up to three times within a 12 month period. You must request these 30 day periods one at a time – you can’t request them all at once.
This means that if you are in a situation where you need access to power in your home for medical reasons, the utility company is required to provide you with three months of power per twelve months.
How do I file a complaint with the Public Utilities Commission?
The Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) regulates the electric companies in Maine. If you are being charged for someone else’s electric debt and are unable to resolve the situation with the electric utility company, you can submit a complaint on the PUC website.
You can also call the PUC for more help with the termination of your utility service.
Maine PUC Consumer Assistance Hotline
1-800-452-4699
Open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
If you file a complaint and you have not heard back from the PUC, call Pine Tree Legal Assistance or the Maine Office of the Public Advocate.