HARRISBURG, Pa., Nov. 18, 2002 — Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) Chairman Glen R. Thomas and Commissioners Aaron Wilson Jr. and Kim Pizzingrilli Monday joined members of the Council for Utility Choice to launch a multi-media and grassroots campaign to educate consumers in Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry and York counties about how to shop for local telephone service and natural gas, and to remind consumers about electric competition.
The Utility Choice campaign includes new TV ads, focusing on local telephone competition, that begin airing in the Harrisburg media market Monday. The two 30-second public awareness TV commercials were unveiled for lunch- going consumers at Strawberry Square in Harrisburg today.
Actors re-enacted one of these ads, portraying “phone men” and strutting down a fashion-show runway to compete for consumers. “Well-educated consumers are the drivers of a competitive market,” said Chairman Thomas, who was joined today by representatives of Harrisburg community-based organizations and the utility industry.
“It’s our job to provide consumers with the resources to help them. The Utility Choice program also builds on Pennsylvania’s national reputation as a leader for competition and for consumer education. This will truly be `another great call for Pennsylvania!'”
The campaign includes a Web site (www.utilitychoice.org) that will feature a new, first-in-the- nation Web-based shopping information guide, “PA TeleChoice”; radio and email ads; 30- second, first-in-the-nation educational vignettes featuring consumer reporters on NBC affiliates; two toll-free consumer hotlines, 1-888-PUC-FACT and 1-800-782-1110; a new Local Telephone Choice brochure; and a grassroots effort with consumer workshops and partnerships with community-based organizations.
PA TeleChoice is a Web-based Local Telephone Choice consumer shopping information tool, which consumers can access by logging onto www.utilitychoice.org. PA TeleChoice empowers consumers to type in their area codes and exchanges (the next three numbers), and view and compare local telephone offers and services either side by side or in a list. This new tool will be available for consumers by the end of this week.
This tool also will include a Web-based interface for local telephone providers to enter, validate and check plan information. While some providers have added their plan information into PA TeleChoice to be viewed by consumers, Chairman Thomas and Commissioners Wilson and Pizzingrilli encouraged all local telephone service providers to contribute to PA TeleChoice by making available local telephone plan information to give consumers a complete picture of their options.
“When we launched this campaign in Pittsburgh in June, consumers told us they wanted specific information about offers available to them,” Chairman Thomas said. “We thank the Council for Utility Choice for working this fall to develop this new, first-in-the-nation interactive educational tool. And we thank the providers who added information about their plans and services to PA TeleChoice.
“We have responded to consumers by delivering the framework for a first- rate educational tool. But in order for consumers to make the best choices, we’re asking every local telephone provider serving Pennsylvanians to participate. We believe this is an ideal opportunity for phone companies to reach consumers with their local plans, and for consumers to be empowered to find better prices and better service.”
PA TeleChoice was developed by OmniChoice, a Pennsylvania-based provider of online decision-aid applications. The www.utilitychoice.org Web site also includes a list of local telephone providers by county; detailed information on how to shop; questions to ask providers; a calculator to determine possible savings; consumer protections; and a glossary.
Braille displays, screen readers with speech synthesizers, and magnification browsers are included in the Web site, which covers three utility services: electric, natural gas and local telephone.
Utility Choice representatives also will provide information to minority communities; low- income Pennsylvanians; and Pennsylvanians with disabilities.
“We have an important responsibility to help consumers of all incomes and in all communities throughout the Harrisburg Region — with information about Local Telephone Choice as well as Natural Gas Choice,” Commissioner Wilson said. “We will provide information directly to consumers not only where they live, but also where they work and play, including local barbershops and community centers. Based upon my years of experience as a professional educator, I cannot overstate the importance of properly educating Pennsylvania’s consumers. It is important that Pennsylvania’s consumers know that the PUC can answer their questions and provide information to help them make the best choices and get the lowest prices.”
Related to Natural Gas Choice, more than 221,000 customers in the Commonwealth are being served by alternative gas suppliers.
Approximately 11 percent of Pennsylvania residential customers are now shopping for a natural gas supplier.
Regarding Electric Choice, there has been an increase in shopping for alternative electric suppliers by both commercial (by 13 percent) and industrial (by 30 percent) customers since January 2002.
There are now 30 companies approved by the PUC to provide local phone service in Central Pennsylvania. At least 14 of these competitors have current offers to provide residential local service in Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry and York counties.
There are more than 240 companies certificated by the PUC to provide local phone service statewide. This year, the PUC has seen an increase in applications to provide local telephone service.
Commissioner Pizzingrilli said, “Thanks to local telephone competition, Pennsylvanians are making calls with about 1.2 million phone lines provided by competitive providers. That’s 14 percent of local phone lines in Pennsylvania. We look forward to bringing the Utility Choice consumer- education program across Pennsylvania on a market-by-market basis as competition continues to evolve and as consumers continue to be able to choose their local telephone service — a choice that could save money for all consumers.”
Two 30-second public awareness TV commercials will air in Harrisburg beginning today. Both use humor to inform consumers that they are empowered by Utility Choice; that the PUC has the 1-888-PUC-FACT toll-free line; and that the Council provides the www.utilitychoice.org Web site to help them.
One public awareness spot, “Runway,” shows viewers a fashion-show runway with strobe lights and pounding music. This time, it’s “phone men” wearing toolbelts, test phones and hardhats, and strutting down the runway to cheers. One phone man has a T-shirt that says, on the front, “I’m on hold,” and on the back, “For you.”
Another motions to the crowd with his hand to his ear, “Call me.” The second ad, “Essay,” continues that same theme and shows telephone representatives competing for consumers’ business. The ad opens in a Pennsylvania neighborhood with a host of “salespeople” trying to get a family’s attention through jokes, homemade brownies, balloon tricks, etc. In both ads, the voiceover reminds consumers, “You can shop for local phone service in Pennsylvania.
That means that companies will compete for your business, with services that could save you money. Local telephone choice. Another great call for Pennsylvania.” The roughly $2 million ($270,600 in media buying for Central Pennsylvania) TV, radio and email campaign builds on the “Where do you think you are, Pennsylvania?”
Electric Choice ads, and consumer education that “set the standard,” according to USA Today. In April, the PUC established interim voluntary guidelines for telephone companies to make customer bills easier to understand; to make switching local telephone companies easier; to allow customers to keep their telephone numbers when they change to a new company; and to set rules for companies that abandon service.
The PUC is working with the telephone industry and consumer representatives to develop the guidelines into formal regulations that will help to ensure the continued success of local telephone competition in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Utility Choice program is managed by the Council for Utility Choice, a non- profit corporation working in conjunction with the PUC.
The Council is comprised of individuals from the following entities: the PUC; the Pennsylvania Rural Development Council; the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs; the Governor’s Advisory Commission on African-American Affairs; the Office of Consumer Advocate; small-business representatives; state utility associations; public school educators; and community-based organizations.
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission ensures safe, reliable and reasonably priced electric, natural gas, water, telephone and transportation service for Pennsylvania consumers, by regulating public utilities and by serving as responsible stewards of competition.
