What are the legal rights and responsibilities of public utility customers in regards to pricing?

Public utility customers in Washington have the right to receive services on reasonable and fair terms and at reasonable and fair prices. Customers are to be charged fairly for the services they receive and should have access to information about the services and prices. Customers are responsible for paying all the bills for services that they use, and should make sure to pay in a timely manner. The Washington Public Utility Districts (PUDs) set the rates for their services, and those rates must be approved by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC). Once a rate is approved, the PUD is not allowed to change it unless approved by the UTC. The UTC also monitors customer service and makes sure customers are getting the prices, services, and customer service that they are due. The most common customer complaints to the UTC involve billing issues and unfair charges. Customers have the right to dispute any billing discrepancies they believe they have been charged, and to have the issue resolved in a timely manner. To help with this process, the UTC provides an informal complaint resolution process. The UTC also enforces the Washington Consumer Protection Act, which protects customers from unfair and deceptive practices by PUDs. Public utility customers in Washington have the right to receive reasonable and fair services and prices. It is the responsibility of the UTC to make sure that customers are getting what they are due, and that PUDs are following the approved rates. Customers also have the right to dispute any billing issues they believe to be unfair.

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What are the legal rights and responsibilities of public utility customers in regards to pricing?

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