Dinniman: Bill Protects Prepaid Heating Oil Customers FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: MARTIN INDARS WEST CHESTER - State Senator Andy Dinniman has co-sponsored legislation that will help protect consumers who enter prepaid contracts for home heating oil, kerosene, or liquefied petroleum gas. “This winter, thousands of Pennsylvanians including a reported 50 Chester County residents were left out in the cold when heating fuel companies went bankrupt and closed without delivering fuel that customers had already paid for,” Dinniman said. “When families pay for home heating oil they deserve to know that the product will be delivered. They deserve to know that their homes will be warm.” “This bill calls for fuel retailers to provide additional security for any prepaid contracts they offer to customers, and that’s why I’m proud to support it, “ Dinniman said. The legislation, introduced by Sen. Stewart Greenleaf, is modeled after similar laws enacted in Maine, New Hampshire Vermont and Connecticut. It requires retail fuel dealers who enter into prepaid contracts to document that they have future contracts, a surety bond, or a letter of credit to show that they can adequately supply fuel for the length of the contract. Retail fuel dealers are required to register with the Bureau of Consumer Protection of the Office of the Attorney General and make the surety bond or line of credit payable to the Attorney General. The contract must also provide for reimbursement of any undelivered product to the consumer within 30 days of its end. “This is a problem that can be avoided and this bill is a step in the right direction. I expect it to receive bipartisan support in the legislature,” said Dinniman. For more information contact Senator Dinniman’s district office at 1 North Church Street, West Chester, PA 19380, (610) 692-2112. ### |