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The Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate was established by the General Assembly in 1976 to represent the consumers of Pennsylvania in matters involving their utility service.
More Information About the Pennsylvania Office of Consumer AdvocateThe Office of Consumer Advocate (OCA) is a state agency that represents the interests of Pennsylvania utility consumers before the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC), federal regulatory agencies, and state and federal courts. The OCA was created by the Pennsylvania General Assembly in 1976 and is an independent office within the Office of Attorney General.
The OCA is led by a Consumer Advocate and has a staff of Attorneys and Regulatory Analysts who represent consumer interests in cases and proceedings before the PUC. In addition, OCA’s Consumer Service Representatives and Consumer Liaisons offer assistance and consumer education to the public. Administrative and Clerical Support Staff support the office in fulfilling the OCA’s mission.
Our office is available to help consumers who have questions or problems with their electric, natural gas, telecommunications, water or wastewater service.
The Consumer Advocate
Mr. Darryl A. Lawrence has worked at the Office of Consumer Advocate (OCA) since 2005. As a Senior Assistant Consumer Advocate, Mr. Lawrence’s state practice for the OCA focused on energy matters. Mr. Lawrence also led the OCA’s efforts in participating in major energy cases that come before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that may have an impact on Pennsylvania ratepayers, including interstate natural gas pipeline and electric transmission rate cases, and various rulemakings as to matters of national importance on energy issues.
In 2011, Mr. Lawrence was elected to a seat on the Planning Committee (now the “Reliability and Security Technical Committee”) of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) to represent all small end-use electric customers within the NERC footprint. NERC’s mission is to ensure the reliability and stability of the bulk electric system for the vast majority of the continental United States, several Canadian Provinces and part of Mexico. In March 2021, Mr. Lawrence was elected to a seat on NERC’s Member Representative Committee (MRC), which communicates directly with and advises the NERC Board of Trustees as to all important and pressing issues relating to the continued stability and reliability of the bulk electric system. Mr. Lawrence continues to hold seats on both the RSTC and MRC.
Mr. Lawrence received his undergraduate and graduate degrees in business administration from Lebanon Valley College, graduating Summa Cum Laude from both programs. Mr. Lawrence received his J.D. Cum Laude from the Widener University School of Law, where he served as the Business/External Managing Editor for the Widener Law Journal. Prior to attending law school, Mr. Lawrence had a successful career in the automotive industry as a Certified Master Auto Technician, Service Manager, and also provided consulting services to Chevrolet Motor Division on quality of service and customer satisfaction issues. Click here to view Mr. Lawrence’s resume.
To view OCA’s leadership history, click here.
Contact UsMailing Address:
PA Office of Consumer Advocate
555 Walnut St., 5th Floor Forum Place
Harrisburg, PA 17101-1923
Contact Information:
Toll Free: (800) 684-6560
Call Center: (717) 783-5048
Email: consumer@paoca.org
Office Hours:
Monday-Friday: 8:30 am – 5:00 pm EST
Saturday-Sunday: CLOSED
The OCA represents the interests of consumers in cases before the PUC involving a wide range of utility issues. These include rate increase cases, energy supply and purchased gas cost cases, retail competition issues, mergers, and alternative regulation plans. The OCA is involved in rulemakings, policy statements, and state and federal cases concerning either the price consumers pay for vital utility service or the quality of service they receive. The OCA generally stresses the interests of residential consumers.
The OCA works to keep utilities from charging more than they need to provide safe, reliable, and adequate service to consumers. The OCA also works to ensure that rates remain affordable and that programs exist to help low income and vulnerable households remain connected to essential utility service. The OCA can appeal a PUC final decision if it believes the decision is in error and is harmful to consumers. The OCA has filed many appeals from PUC decisions. Some have gone as far as the Pennsylvania and United States Supreme Courts.
The Consumer’s Voice in Utility Competition and Policy ChangesLaws and policies concerning utility service to consumers are changing rapidly. In the past, most consumers could only choose one company for their electric, telephone or natural gas service. In recent years, both state and federal lawmakers and policymakers have opened many areas of the utility industry to competition. The OCA is the consumer’s voice in these policy debates and in the cases resulting from these policy changes. The OCA’s goal is to have all Pennsylvania consumers benefit from these changes and to make sure that consumers are protected as these changes occur. The office has actively participated in the legislative and policy debates surrounding utility competition and has been involved in cases regarding competition in the electric, natural gas and telecommunications industries in Pennsylvania.
Help Consumers with Utility ComplaintsThe OCA can help a consumer or a group of consumers with utility questions or concerns. Consumers may have problems with their utility bills, their quality of service or they may need help in getting utility service provided to their homes. Consumers may be facing loss of their utility service or have questions about a competitive energy supplier.
The OCA responds to all consumer contacts, answers questions and attempts to resolve consumer disputes with utility companies.
Pennsylvania consumers can email us at consumer@paoca.org or call the OCA’s toll-free call center at 800-684-6560. Members of OCA staff respond to all customer contacts by providing information or by otherwise helping consumers resolve their complaints and concerns with their utility provider.
Consumer EducationThe OCA educates consumers and the public on utility issues through its participation in many forums, seminars, community meetings and through the use of social and other media. Our website has tips, testimony and other educational information. The OCA also publishes Residential Electric and Natural Gas Shopping Guides. They provide “apples-to-apples” price comparisons for alternative suppliers in each utility’s service area.
If you are a community group, community leader, or government official and would like an OCA staff member to give a presentation or speak at a community meeting please contact us through our Contact page or via email consumer@paoca.org.
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