1. Every public utility which provides electric, natural gas, water, sewage disposal or local telecommunications service shall permit a residential ratepayer who receives service to designate a third party to whom the public utility shall transmit a copy of any notice of termination of service. The ratepayer shall notify the public utility that a third party has been so designated. Such notification shall be authorized on an appropriate form for recording this designation, and shall be effective not later than 10 business days from the date of receipt by the public utility. The notification shall contain, in writing, an acceptance by the third party designee to receive copies of any notices of termination of service of the ratepayer’s utility services.

The transmission to the third party designee of a copy of the termination of service notice shall be in addition to the original document transmitted to the ratepayer. The copy of the termination of service notice transmitted to the third party shall be governed by the same law and policy provisions which govern the notice being transmitted to the ratepayer.

Designation as a third party shall not constitute acceptance of any liability on the part of the third party for payment of the public utility bill.

The public utility shall notify every residential ratepayer annually in writing of the availability of the third party designee notice procedures and provide information on how the ratepayer can commence this procedure, except that notice need not be provided once a ratepayer has made a designation. A public utility may provide this required annual notice to its residential ratepayers in any manner that the public utility determines.

L.2000,c.148,s.1.