By Doug Fletcher,Staff Writer

Consumer complaints have led the state’s Public Utilities Commission to investigate pole-placement practices.

Central Maine Power Co. has been given until March 6 to file an initial response to issues raised by people signing the complaint. Verizon, a telephone company, also has been called on the carpet over its pole-extension policies.

Public Advocate Stephen Ward said his office, like the PUC, also has been receiving consumer complaints about utility poles.

The complaints generally center on the time it takes to have a service extension pole placed. Others take issue with costs or with customer service concerns.

Similar complaints have been filed with the PUC, said Phil Lindley, its spokesman.

The PUC investigation, which was ordered Friday, is a result of complaints filed last year, Lindley said. More than two dozen people signed onto complaints related to CMP; 11 have complained about Verizon’s pole placement policies.

In CMP’s case, the commission said, “we see legitimate concerns” about the utility’s line extension policies “and communications with customers and contractors. We have credible statements from a number of customers that indicate there are substantial problems with regard to the length of time it takes to complete a line extension, CMP’s communications with customers about its process for line extensions, and inconsistent billings and charges,” the PUC wrote in its order for the inquiry.

It also noted that the agency’s Consumer Assistance Division “has received an increasing number of complaints regarding CMP’s line extension practices.”

In Verizon’s instance, the company moved in November to deal with one aspect of the complaints against it – that it charged too little to put poles in place.

Private contractors wanting to compete with Verizon for that work filed the complaint, and as a result Verizon raised its rates from $105 per pole to $742.96 to reflect actual costs more accurately.

PUC members want the inquiry to determine if there should be a single rule or policy regarding pole placement that applies to all electric and telephone utilities in the state.

They also want the probe to look at line extension costs and payment responsibilities, whether telephone line extensions should be open to competition and arrangements between utilities regarding which company sets poles in mutual service areas.

Gail Rice, a CMP spokeswoman, said she wasn’t familiar with details of the PUC order but added that CMP takes seriously any complaints regarding customer service.

Peter Reilly, Verizon’s Maine spokesman, said, “We expect to participate in the process as the investigation gets under way.”

He said Verizon “installs hundreds of poles” annually.

Factors that can delay pole installations, he noted, range from payments to construction schedules, clearing easements, lot preparation and getting necessary permits in place.

Lindley said the inquiry will likely take months to complete.