How to Search Utility Records

Public utility records are open to the public.

Records of public utility commissions are open to the public (as per the Freedom of Information Act), and are available to individuals and businesses for a small fee. Some states even make records available and searchable online at the public utility commission's website. You can find records from several different utility industries, including water, electric, natural gas and telecommunications. Some states make the process easier than others do, but at the worst you'll need to download a PDF form, fill it out, send it in and wait for a response.

Instructions

1. Find the website for your public utility commission. The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners makes this easy: go to their website at Naruc.org and look for the link to "State Commissions." You'll see a map of the United States. Click on your state. This will lead you to another page with contact information, including the state commission's website.

2. Figure out what your state requires in order to access public utility records. Most states make it very simple, and a few clicks will get you through to their records departments. Some states offer you the ability to search, read and print public records directly from their online database. If this is not the case, look for a link to a document-request PDF.

3. Download the PDF. Many states will allow you to fill out the PDF on your computer and send it back to them by email. Otherwise, you'll have to print the PDF, fill it out by hand and send it via mail to the address they provide.

4. Wait for a response to your query. This may take a while, but paper copies of the records will show up in the mail, along with a bill and payment options/instructions. There may be a per-page copy fee, which is usually around 20 to 25 cents.

Tips & Warnings

• You can generally get your own utility records directly from the specific utility (the water company, the power company, etc.), but searching for another private individual or business' utility records is severely restricted in who is granted access and for what reason. However, local laws vary, so contact the specific utility in question and ask them what the process is for accessing private utility records.

• In some states, individuals can inform the utility company that they wish for their records to remain private, thereby restricting access.

References

• Naruc.org: State Commissions
• NY State Public Services Commission: Search/Commission Files
• Westlaw: People Utility Records - Combined
• East Cedar Creek: Confidentiality of Utility Records