Filing a Complaint at the Oregon Public Utility Commission

Posted on July 24, 2025 by David Beltrán Barajas | CUB Oregon
Tags, Oregon Utilities 101, Energy, General Interest

Two people answering calls with files at their desk

About two weeks ago, I met with the head of the Consumer Services Department at the Oregon Public Utility Commission, also known as simply “the Commission” or the PUC. I reached out to them in order to better understand what path a customer complaint goes through and what steps towards resolution are taken.

As the Community Organizer, I’m usually urging community members and utility customers to reach out to the complaints line. It felt like good due diligence to better understand what the complaint line is, and how it’s serving people.

The Public Utility Commission is the state government’s regulating body that sets rates and creates the rules that the for-profit utilities in Oregon have to operate by.

For-Profit Electric in Oregon: Portland General Electric, Pacific Power and Idaho Power
For-Profit Natural Gas Utilities in Oregon: NW Natural, Avista Utilities and Cascade Natural Gas

What Does This Department Do?

PUC Customer Service Webpage

The Oregon Public Utility Commission’s Consumer Service Department handles the following:

Consumer complaint investigations
Manage public-facing services
Public comments on utility matters

This department handles thousands of complaints and sifts through all this information to better understand what problems Oregonians are facing with their utilities. Whether it’s safety concerns with your utility, disconnection issues, or customer service complaints, if you have an issue with your for-profit utility, CUB strongly recommends you reach out to the complaints line.

How to File A Complaint with the Commission

If you’re having trouble, the first thing you need to do is know where to look. Oftentimes, when working with community members, they’re surprised to hear there is an institution regulating their utilities. So knowing is half the battle.

Follow this link to reach the Consumer Information Center. It has a variety of useful information to help customers with simpler issues. Below you’ll find the PUC Consumer Services email address and phone numbers:

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Online Form
(503) 378-6600
(800) 522-2404

The process for submitting a complaint is pretty straightforward. Pick one of the contact options available above. Make sure to have all the details and information about your complaint organized beforehand, so that you can easily cite and share with the Commission. I recommend using the .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) email, so that you can share as much information with the Public Utility Commission to help with an investigation. This also allows you to keep a record of what is going on.

In my meeting with the head of the PUC Consumer Service Department, she explained what a consumer can expect when reaching out. The staff take great pride in the fact that all complaints are acknowledged within 24 hours, and they do their best to find a resolution for all complaints received. If there is no resolution to be had, they will reply so the customer knows the outcome of their complaint.

Unfortunately, not all complaints can be escalated into an investigation. Reasons for this could include:

Complaint dealing with a non-regulated utility
Complaint may be an issue outside of what the department can address (e.g., an issue with a landlord)

A non-regulated utility refers to any not-for-profit utility. This includes municipal-owned utilities, electric co-ops, non-profit utilities, and public utility districts. For example: City of Ashland Electric Department, Emerald People’s Utility District, Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB), Portland Water Bureau, and Umatilla Electric Cooperative are all non-regulated utilities. These utilities are overseen by local governments, not the state’s Public Utility Commission.

Your complaints as community members and customers are taken seriously and help uncover larger issues common across a for-profit utility. As customers, we should also use this as another opportunity to have our voices heard on issues affecting us!

Rapid Response On Certain Complaints

Throughout the conversation, it was clear that the PUC Consumer Services Department cares deeply about all complaints it comes across. However, disconnections, reconnections, and safety-related complaints initiate a rapid response and quick investigation times.

Disconnections & Reconnections

The PUC will address disconnections from investor-owned utilities the fastest. I personally experienced this with a community member in the eastern Willamette Valley who was disconnected due to a tough financial period. This was during the early June heat wave, where temperatures reached as high as 105 degrees. This community member was left with no ability to cool their home, and was without running water because the electric water pump on the property was inoperable during the disconnection period.

Luckily, the temporary summer protections that CUB and other community partners fought for recently allowed us to get this community member reconnected, keeping them safe and cool during that extreme heat event.

The community member and I both called the Commission to get her power reconnected, and within a couple of hours, her utility got her power back on. When it comes to disconnections, the staff will move with urgency!

Safety Concerns Complaints

The other category that gets investigated and dealt with rapidly is complaints dealing with safety concerns. This can include any concerns that the infrastructure is not being properly maintained or is at risk of causing larger issues. This is definitely helpful if you notice any issues that could cause an outage in your area.

Non-regulated customers are welcome to contact the PUC Consumer Services Department when it regards safety concerns. Make sure to also contact your local utility, as well. If staff determines that there are chronic safety concerns or the issue is dangerous to customers, they could recommend that the Commission conduct a formal investigation into the matter.

Reliability of Utility Service Complaints

On the call, the head of the Consumer Services department also mentioned that it’s important to report any reliability issues and concerns you may be experiencing with your utility. This could include issues such as frequent or long-lasting power outages, frequent brownouts, or other interruptions in service. As with problematic safety concerns, reliability issues could result in an investigation, as well.

A final note, when investigating urgent issues, the Commission requires a utility to respond within 24 hours of contact. So if you are dealing with a serious issue, please report it as soon as possible.

Unsure? Submit a Complaint Anyway!

So far, we’ve covered a couple of issues that the Public Utility Commission will get involved with and investigate. As well as some reasons why they may not be able to help out. Unsure if your complaint can be addressed? Submit a complaint anyway!

Even if you are in unregulated territory or have an issue the Commission can’t resolve, reach out. PUC staff have a ton of knowledge and experience; they might be able to get you pointed in the right direction towards the solution you need. We want to make sure our regulators are getting a clear image of the issues facing the people of Oregon, so make sure to use this resource if you have a problem!

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