On Thursday, the state Public Utility Commission approved the lifting of its year-old moratorium preventing utilities from terminating service to all non-paying customers. That moratorium went into effect when Governor Wolf began ordering all the massive business shutdowns. Now, that moratorium will lift April 1st, however… the commission still will require all regulated utilities — including electric, natural gas, water, sewer and telephone — to give customers who are behind, additional payment plan options. The utilities asked to at least lift the moratorium as far back as last June, but Democrats on the five-member panel resisted… and instead gave away hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer money to renters to help pay utility bills. Utilities were permitted however last fall, to resume disconnections for residential customers above 300% of the federal poverty level… in other words, for those with a family of four and $79,000 in annual income.
