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IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION Page 542001
ANNUAL REPORT
Consumer Assistance
The Consumer Assistance Staff responded to 5,766 consumer com-
plaints, comments or inquiries in calendar year 2000 - of which 87 percent
were from residential customers. Nearly two-thirds, 63 percent, of the con-
tacts with the commission concerned telecommunications companies. Forty-
three percent of those telecommunications contacts involved Qwest Communi-
cations.
Twenty-two percent of the commission’s 5,766 consumer assistance
contacts involved energy utilities, 54 percent of those about Idaho Power
Company. Five percent of all contacts concerned water utilities and 10 percent
were not related to a specific regulated utility.
Six percent of the commission’s contacts concerned service quality
problems; 25 percent concerned utility rates and policies; 2 percent involved
unauthorized carrier switching (also known as slamming), and 2 percent
involved deceptive marketing practices and telemarketing issues.
Other categories included: credit and collection issues, 19 percent;
disputed billings, 20 percent; line extensions or service upgrades, 6 percent;
and miscellaneous, 20 percent.
While dispute resolution remains an important task, it is hoped that by
working with consumer groups, social service agencies, and utilities, persistent
causes of consumer difficulties can be identified and addressed.
Consumer complaints present an opportunity for utilities and the com-
mission to learn the effect of utility practices and policies on people. For ex-
ample, the unintentional and perhaps unfair impact of a rule or regulation might
be discovered in the course of investigating a complaint. In such cases an
informal, negotiated remedy may not be possible, and formal action by the
commission would be required. The Consumer Assistance Staff’s participation
in formal rate and policy cases before the commission is the primary method
used to address these issues.
The Consumer Assistance Staff is able to respond to many consumer
contacts without extensive investigation, however 64 percent of consumer
contacts required investigation by the staff and are classified as informal com-
plaints. Fifty-six percent of investigations resulted in reversal or modification of
the utilities’ original action.
Toll Free Complaint Line
The commission, in January 1992, established a toll-free “800” telephone
line for receiving utility complaints and inquiries from consumers outside the
Boise area. The toll-free line (1-800-432-0369) is reserved for inquiries and
complaints concerning utilities.
Consumers may also file a complaint electronically via the commission’s
Website at www.puc.state.id.us.