§ 32. Termination of service. 1. Generally. Any termination of\nresidential utility service by utility corporations or municipalities\nshall be in accordance with all relevant provisions of this article.\n 2. Utility service may be terminated, except as otherwise provided in\nthis section, if any person supplied with electric or gas service to a\nresidence:\n (a) fails to pay charges for any service rendered during the preceding\ntwelve months, provided however that the commission by regulations may\npermit the termination of service for bills due for service rendered\nduring periods in excess of twelve months where (i) there was a dispute\nbetween such person and the utility corporation or municipality\nconcerning the bill during the twelve month period, (ii) delays in\ntermination are not the fault of the utility or were due to the culpable\nconduct of such person, or (iii) such bills are necessary to adjust\nestimated bills; or\n (b) fails to pay amounts due under a deferred payment plan; or\n (c) fails to pay or agree in writing to pay equipment and installation\ncharges relating to initiation of service; and\n (d) is sent a final notice of termination no less than fifteen days\nbefore the termination date shown on the notice. Any such notice shall,\nat a minimum, clearly state the reason for termination of service; how\ntermination may be avoided; that the utility corporation or municipality\nhas available procedures for handling complaints; a summary of the\nprotections available under this article; that any customer eligible for\nsuch protections should contact the utility corporation or municipality;\nand such other provisions as the commission may require. A utility\ncorporation or municipality may not issue a final notice of termination\nunless at least twenty days have elapsed from the date payment was due.\nThe commission may increase the number of days before which a final\nnotice of termination may be sent.\n 3. The commission shall safeguard from termination, or require\nrestoration of service to, those residents who will suffer serious\nimpairments to health or safety as a result of such termination or\nfailure to restore services. The regulations shall include, but not be\nlimited to:\n (a) Medical emergencies. The commission shall require the continuation\nor restoration of utility service to a customer's residence where a\nmedical emergency exists. The commission shall provide for written\ncertification by a medical doctor, nurse practitioner or local board of\nhealth that termination of service or failure to restore service will\naggravate an existing medical emergency at a customer's residence,\nprovided that the commission may authorize an initial certification by\ntelephone if written certification is provided within five business\ndays. The commission shall provide for the duration, form, content and\nrenewal of written certificates. With respect to the renewal of written\ncertificates, the commission may require the customer to demonstrate an\ninability to pay charges for service. The commission shall, in\nconsultation with the departments of health and social services and the\noffice for the aging, establish criteria to be used by a medical doctor,\nnurse practitioner or local board of health in making a determination\nthat a medical emergency exists or that the absence of service will\naggravate an existing medical emergency.\n (b) Customers who are elderly, blind, or disabled. The commission\nshall provide special procedures to be followed by a utility or\nmunicipality with respect to the termination or restoration of service\nto a residence where the customer is known to or identified to the\nutility to be blind, disabled, or sixty-two years of age or older;\nprovided that all the remaining residents of the household are sixty-two\nyears of age or older, eighteen years of age or under, or blind or\ndisabled. The commission shall afford reasonable protections to elderly,\nblind or disabled c
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