Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that Bill 23, An Act to Amend the Public Utilities Act, be read for the second time.
Mr. Speaker, this bill amends the Public Utilities Act to:
- prohibit a public utility from disconnecting a residential customer's electricity service during the period of October 1 to April 30 or when the temperature is forecast to be below 0 degrees Celsius because an amount payable is overdue;
- require a public utility to reconnect a residential customer's service, which was disconnected during the period of May 1 to September 30 because an amount payable was overdue, by October 1 or as soon as practicable;
- prohibit a public utility from installing a device to limit the amount of power and electricity provided to a residential customer because an amount payable is overdue; and
- allow a public utility to require a residential customer to enter into a payment plan before reconnecting the customer's electricity service during the period of May 1 to September 30.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.