TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH
THE NYS DEPARTMENT OF
PUBLIC SERVICE:
• USE OUR ONLINE COMPLAINT FORM:
www.dps.ny
.gov/complaints
• CALL OUR TOLLFREE COMPLAINT
NUMBERS:
> Helpline (for complaints and inquiries)
1-800-342-3377
8:30 am to 4:00 pm (Monday through Friday)
For complaints and inquiries regarding
billing or service with your electric,
gas, telephone, cable television or
water company.
>
Hotline (for gas and electric shut-os)
1-800-342-3355
7:30 am to 7:30 pm (Monday through Friday)
If you are threatened with a residential
electric or gas service shut-o.
• VISIT OUR OFFICE LOCATIONS:*
> Albany:
Three Empire State Plaza
Albany, NY 12223
> Bualo:
Ellicott Square Bldg.
295 Main St.
Bualo, NY 14203
> New York City:
90 Church St.
New York, NY 10007
> Long Island:
(For PSEG-LI complaints)
125 East Bethpage Road
Plainview, NY 11803
Consumers with hearing or speech
impairment can contact the DPS through
the NYS Relay Service by dialing 711.
* To file a complaint in person, call our toll-free number at
1-800-342-3377 for directions and to make an appointment.
If you are having
diiculty resolving a
complaint with your
regulated energy,
telephone, cable
television or water
company, the New
York State Department
of Public Service is
available to assist you.
01/20 rv
COMPLAINTS
TO FILING
ABOUT YOUR REGULATED
UTILITY SERVICE
GUIDE
Department
of Public Service
Department
of Public Service
8/14/2015 10:16:20 AM
Filing a Complaint with
the NYS Department
of Public Service
The New York State Department of
Public Service (DPS) has produced
this guide to advise you about its
complaint handling process. This
information is designed to help you
understand how to resolve an issue
or complaint you may have with your
electric, natural gas, telephone, cable
television or water company.
If you have a complaint, first try to
resolve it with your utility. If you
are unable to get satisfactory help,
the DPS has sta to assist you by
investigating your complaint.
The DPS’s complaint process involves
three levels of investigation:
1. The initial complaint
2. The informal hearing or review
3. An appeal of the informal
hearing or review decision
1. Initial Complaint Process
File your complaint by internet, telephone,
fax, letter or in person* at one of the DPS
oces located in Albany, Bualo, New York
City, or Long Island. The DPS Long Island
oce is responsible for handling PSEG-LI
electric complaints.
In an eort to ensure that utilities fulfill their
obligation to provide eective service, we
will first ask the utility to contact you and
resolve your concerns.
If the utility does not contact you with
its initial acknowledgement, does not
provide you with its response within
two weeks or the matter remains
unresolved after you have received
the response, you should contact us
and we will investigate the matter and
report our findings to you.
DPS’s Oce of Consumer Services
will conduct a full investigation of your
complaint and notify you in writing or by
telephone of the decision, the reasons for
the decision and the action you may take.
While your complaint is being
investigated by the DPS sta, you
must pay the portion of your bill that
is not in dispute or your service may
be terminated by the utility.
2. Informal Hearing or Review
If you believe the initial decision was wrong,
you can request an informal hearing or
informal review. The request should be
made in writing or by telephone and made
within 15 days of the initial decision.
After the request is reviewed, you will
receive a letter stating when and where the
informal hearing will be held. Although it is
not required, you and/or a representative
of your choice may participate in either the
informal hearing or review process. You
may be asked to bring certain documents
to the informal hearing or send them to the
informal reviewer.
If you and the utility are unable to settle
your complaint, the DPS hearing ocer
will make a decision on your complaint and
notify you in writing of the decision.
3. Appeal of the Informal Hearing
or Review
If you believe that the informal hearing
oicer’s or reviewer’s decision was
wrong, you can appeal it within 15 days of
the decision.
Your written appeal must contend that
there was an error by the hearing oicer
or reviewer that aected the decision or
that evidence not previously available
would aect the decision.
All appeals, except those involving PSEG-LI,
will be decided by the NYS Public Service
Commission (PSC). PSEG-LI appeals will be
decided by Long Island Power Authority
(LIPA).
The PSC or LIPA will notify you in writing
of their decision.
* To file a complaint in person, call our toll-free number
at 1-800-342-3377 for directions and to make an
appointment.
Take the following steps if you have an unresolved complaint:
If you have an unresolved
complaint, you may file it at
www.dps.ny.gov/complaints
Complaint Brochure_Rebrand_2_2015.indd 2 8/14/2015 10:16:20 AM