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As reported previously, two Pennsylvania PUC ALJs issued an order dismissing , without prejudice, an application from Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, Inc. for an affiliated interest agreement that was filed as part of Columbia Gas’ intent to enter into a Billing Agreement with Pivotal Home Solutions, LLC, which would have allowed for charges for Pivotal’s warranty service plans and products & services to be included on Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania customers’ utility bills.

No party filed exceptions to the ALJ’s initial decision, thus allowing the ALJ’s initial decision to become final because no appeals were filed.

Excerpts from the ALJ’s Decision:

“Given the novel issues raised in Columbia’s newly proposed on-bill billing program, Columbia must file a formal request with the Commission to implement the new program. This must be done through either a Petition or an Application under the unique circumstances presented in this proceeding. Columbia’s filing does not meet the criteria pursuant to Sections 5.11, 5.12 and 5.41 of the Commission’s regulations.”

“We agree with OCA and CAUSE-PA that the Letter filing at Docket No. G2025-3056022 is improper because it does not conform to the Commission’s regulations. To re-institute any on-bill billing program and to seek relief from the Commission regarding the proposed affiliated interest agreement, Columbia is required to file a petition pursuant to Section 5.41 or other appropriate pleading. Columbia could have simply addressed these matters in a proper pleading before the Commission, instead of filing facially inadequate letters at Docket Nos. G-2025-3056022 and R-2018-2647577.”

“Here, based upon the insufficient and vague unverified initial filing by the Company at Docket No. G-2025-3056022, the specific claims and basis for the claims being advanced by Columbia, as well as the factual and legal basis to support such claims, are unclear. Accordingly, the parties are unable to prepare a defense to the claims advanced by the Company and the filing by the Company provides no notice to the public or Columbia’s customers. As such, a hearing in this matter is not appropriate and is not in the public interest. Therefore, the merits of the filings will not be addressed in this decision.”

“In conclusion, the Motion for Judgment On The Pleadings filed by OCA and CAUSE-PA will be treated as a Motion to Dismiss the June 30, 2025 Base Rate Letter filed at Docket No. R-2018-2647577 and the June 30, 2025 AIA Letter filed at Docket No. G-2025-3056022. The Motion to Dismiss is granted, without prejudice.”

The ALJ’s initial decision may be appealed to the Commission prior to becoming a final decision.

No party filed exceptions to the previously reported initial decision, thus allowing the initial decision to become final without further PUC action

The final order also closes a rate case, with Columbia that included a filing to allow third parties to include non-commodity costs on Columbia’s utility bills (on

in an order in a rate case filed in 2018 order had found that Columbia’s prior offering of on-bill non-commodity billing service to only selected vendors was discriminatory. Columbia chose to comply with the anti-discrimination provision by ceasing to allow any third-party to bill non-commodity services on its bill, rather than complying by opening bill access to all third parties on an equal basis.