December 2013

Consumer Alert: Utility Scam Asking Consumers for Immediate Payment
Report suspicious calls to the commission.

Consumers are being warned of a growing telephone scam. The scam involves telephone callers claiming to be from a utility company and then employing a variety of techniques to defraud the consumer.

Some threaten customers with disconnecting utility services to their home or business if they don't make a payment immediately. The scammer then instructs them to send money via prepaid card or online payment service, such as PayPal or GreenDot, before their power is shut off. The scammer's caller-ID is falsified so it appears to originate from a utility company, a practice known as spoofing.

Customers may report problems to the UTC at 1-888-333-WUTC (9882),

consumer@utc.wa.gov, or www.utc.wa.gov/fileacomplaint.

Managing Winter Energy Bills

Payment assistance is available.

If you are having difficulty paying high winter heating bills, help is available. Check with your energy company to see if you qualify for a payment assistance program. You may also qualify for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which provides heating payment assistance through the winter.

For more information on heating assistance options,contact the commission's Consumer Help Line at 1-888-333-WUTC or email consumer@utc.wa.gov.

Smart Recycling

Enjoy a waste-wise holiday.

This holiday season, take steps to reduce waste by making sustainable choices in entertaining and gift giving. Buying and tossing disposable wrapping paper and packaging can contribute to holiday waste. Decrease your impact with these simple steps:

Think about packaging before you buy.
Purchase gifts with little to no packaging or packaging that's recyclable.
Put gifts in reusable containers, wrap them in fabric or use boxes, paper and bows saved from last season.
Recycle a tree or wreath with your curbside yard debris, or use a drop site or pickup service operated by a community group or business near you.

Keep giving this holiday season by making the right choices by Reducing, Reusing and Recycling solid waste. For more information on garbage and recycling programs in Washington, click here.

Looking for Health Insurance?

Visit Washington Healthplanfinder.

Washington Healthplanfinder is a new way to find health insurance. It's a customer-friendly, online marketplace where individuals, families and small businesses can find, compare and enroll in a health plan that fits their needs and budget.

Choose a health plan online, over the phone or in person through a community organization or insurance broker. Experts will answer your questions and help you enroll.

To find help, visit wahealthplanfinder.org or call the toll-free Customer Support Center at 1-855-WAFINDER (1-855-923-4633).

Need Help?

Call the commission.

If you have a problem with a regulated electric, natural gas, garbage, moving, telephone or water company, the commission can help!

Call the commission's Consumer Protection Help Line at 1-888-333-WUTC (9882) or email consumer@utc.wa.gov.

To file a complaint online, visit www.utc.wa.gov.

Stay Connected

Follow the commission.

Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission
www.utc.wa.gov | 888.333.9882