The above is from today's DN editorial.
http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/10126233.htm

I was curious about various Philly blogger's opion on PGW's new get tough policy. On the one hand repeated incredibly frustrating interactions with PGW have convinced me that PGW is a veritable poster child for a mismanaged, top-heavy city-owned bureaucracy, originally established as a patronage factory.

On the other hand, when I read about all the new shutoffs, I can't help but imagine a veritable tidal wave of kerosene and electrical space heater caused fires breaking out in the poorer sections of town this winter.

I am curious about both people's opions of the shut-off policy and how we should solve PGW's debt problems (and high rates) in general.

The answers are there, it's the lack of political leadership!

The fix is that the public utility should be allowed to operate more like a business, and LIHEAP should be fully funded.

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Illegal aliens have always been a problem in the United States. Ask any Indian. - Robert Orben

It is about time that PGW began to "get tough". The situation now is untenable. The gas company is not a social agency. It must operate like a business in order to generate sufficient revenue to keep the system in good repair, to be able to deliver the service, to pay the employees, and yes, to make a profit.

The nature of this business, like medicine, does set it aside in some ways. Regulators and politicians have made it difficult or even impossible to get rid of non-paying customers during the winter. Perhaps that is a decent and humanitarian thing to do but someone is paying for that. There is the LIHEAP program which is not enough.

PGW can only respond to its shortfalls by raising the rates on those customers who do pay and it has done so, often hobbled by the PUC. But is it fair to excessively charge its paying customers in order to subsizide those who do not pay? I think not since the burden of subsidy is falling only on PGW customers, not those individuals and companys using other heating fuels.

The situation is a nasty one. Hopefully PA politicians will come up with a sensible plan. But that is hoping a lot.

Is there no alternative to PGW? Just wondering.

Yes, private heating oil companies, if you are willing to switch you furnace to a dirtier, less efficient burning fuel. I have some friends who invetigating retrofitting oil furnaces and boilers to burn old frying oil, just like people are doing biodiesel conversion for cars.

But if you use natural gas, PGW is a city owned monopoly.

I think we went down this road before but I fully believe that much of PGW's complaining about deadbeats is a smoke screen to hide their own incompetence.

I've mentioned on the blog before that I was one such "deadbeat." PGW reported me to my credit agency for just over $6 that they claimed I owed. I knew I didn't owe it but I paid it anyway to clear my credit so that I could get an apartment. A few months later, I received a refund check - they admitted their error.

I've also mentioned horror stories I've experienced on behalf of clients, many of them elderly, who have been subjected to rude PGW workers, incorrect readings, etc. One of my clients was owed hundreds of dollars after he died because PGW's "estimated" readings were consistently wrong. Many of the elderly are similarly situated and PGW won't respond.

My "Next Day Air" package to PGW's billing on behalf of a client got a reply - over two months later. I called the PUC to complain and they said (no kidding) that they receive so many complaints about PGW that they can't address all of them and I should just understand that it wouldn't be resolved. It wasn't. My client ended up paying the overage rather than fight.

We just sold our building in July. I had to call PGW three times to get them to switch off the gas once it was vacant. Each time, PGW had "no record" of my call.

And on and on.

PGW is the most incompetent agency in the City, and that's saying a lot. Their execs, as we well know, get paid well and take little perks with them as they go. I think the average bill is $40-50/month or something. How many of those does it take to add up to the millions squandered by the execs and lazy, incompetent employees?

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www.taxgirl.com

if I owned I'd switch to electric even though it's generally more expensive (outside PGW's svc area) b/c at least you know what you get with PECO. turning off everything furing the day seems to sav money. with PGW there is little rhyme or reason it seems. plus the surcharge for deadbeats makes me angry. I used to pay $35/mo just for my stove.

There is gas deregulation in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, it doesn't work.

As of fall 2003, you have the power to purchase gas through a competitor to PGW. Unfortunately, now suppliers have stepped forward.

Same in PPL, one in PECO.

Its' pretty hard to find a deregulated competitor when none exist.

And El, was curious about competitive pricing. You say that Peco is more expensive. Really.

Any one else out there have experience with other area gas companies (since the pipeline charges, etc. would be comperable). Gas companies using other pipelines would be different so they don't interest me.

But, anyone have experience with PPL, PECO, First Energy (or UGI), AND PGW.

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“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” - Jane Jacobs

Why not?

I was part of the group that was given a chance to switch to PECO's competitor -- whoever they are, I don't even remember. I suppose I saved a bit of money, but my electric bills are generally low. Point is, it can happen.

Something needs to be done. PGW is a running sore on this city.

tmcgeee

That was electric dereg . . . a horse of a different color. And totally different legislation.

And that hasn't worked very well either (check out the statistics on the Pa. Consumer Advocate's web site - most electric suppliers have left.)

Under electric dereg, the only residential choices are for "environmentally friendly" stuff like Green Mountain Energy. It will be interesting to see what happens when the caps come off over the next few years.

In gas dereg, the only company in the Peco service area is ANC - and I don't know what sort of prices they offer compared to Peco.

No competitors have come forward in Philadelphia.

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“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” - Jane Jacobs