Rohrbaugh v. Pennsylvania PUC

The majority concludes that a utility company does not violate its statutory duty to provide reasonable and adequate service as required by Section 1501 of the Public Utility Code, 66 Pa.C.S. § 1501, where extensive damage is caused to a rental property after the utility company disconnects utility service for the property at a ratepayer’s request in the dead of winter without first notifying the landlord of the disconnection. In so doing, the majority reverses the order of the Commonwealth Court which found that West Penn Power Company (“West Penn”) violated its statutory duty to provide…