76767156-234Virginia Decodedhttps://vacode.org2016Public Service CompaniesHeat, Light, Power, Water And Other Utility Companies GenerallyServices, Rates, Charges, EtcDuty to furnish adequate service at reasonable and uniform ratesCode 1919, § 4066; 1918, p. 675; 1924, p. 540; 1927, p. 125; 1950, p. 55; 1964, c. 195; 1970, c. 258; 1976, c. 290; 1985, cc. 2, 41; 2002, c. 833; 2011, cc. 738, 740.It shall be the duty of every public utility to furnish reasonably adequate service and facilities at reasonable and just rates to any person, firm or corporation along its lines desiring same. Notwithstanding any other provision of law:sectionAA1 A telephone company shall not have the duty to extend or expand its facilities to furnish service and facilities when the person, firm or corporation has service available from one or more alternative providers of wireline or terrestrial wireless communications services at prevailing market rates; andsectionA1A12It shall be the duty of every public utility to charge uniformly therefor all persons, corporations or municipal corporations using such service under like conditions. However, no provision of law shall be deemed to preclude voluntary rate or rate design tests or experiments, or other experiments involving the use of special rates, where such experiments have been approved by order of the Commission after notice and hearing and a finding that such experiments are necessary in order to acquire information which is or may be in furtherance of the public interest. The charge for such service shall be at the lowest rate applicable for such service in accordance with schedules filed with the Commission pursuant to § 56-236. But, subject to the provisions of § 56-232.1, nothing contained herein or in § 56-481.1 shall apply to (i) schedules of rates for any telecommunications service provided to the public by virtue of any contract with, (ii) for any service provided under or relating to a contract for telecommunications services with, or (iii) contracts for service rendered by any telephone company to, the state government or any agency thereof, or by any other public utility to any municipal corporation or to the state or federal government. The provisions hereof shall not apply to or in any way affect any proceeding pending in the State Corporation Commission on or before July 1, 1950, and shall not confer on the Commission any jurisdiction not now vested in it with respect to any such proceeding.sectionBB1The Commission may conclude that competition can effectively ensure reasonably adequate retail services in competitive exchanges and may carry out its duty to ensure that a public utility is furnishing reasonably adequate retail service in its competitive exchanges by monitoring individual customer complaints and requiring appropriate responses to such complaints.sectionCC1Potomac Elec. Power Co. v. STATE CORP. COM'NRecord No. 800721272 S.E.2d 2141980-11-26https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/1339788/potomac-elec-power-co-v-state-corp-comn/ . . . COMPTON and THOMPSON, JJ. . . . <abbr title="Supreme Court of Virginia">SCV</abbr>Henderson v. Central Tel. Co. of VirginiaRecord No. 840204355 S.E.2d 5961987-04-24https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/1238966/henderson-v-central-tel-co-of-virginia/ . . . quot;adequate service and facilities." Code § 56-234. Moreover, pursuant to Code § 56-35, the . . . <abbr title="Supreme Court of Virginia">SCV</abbr>Commonwealth v. VepcoRecord Nos. 8252-8258214 Va. 4571974-01-14https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/1278522/commonwealth-v-vepco/ . . . companies generally, includes || 56-234 [1] and -235. Section 56-234, so far as this case is . . . <abbr title="Supreme Court of Virginia">SCV</abbr>Chesapeake & Potomac Tel. Co. of Va. v. BlesRecord No. 761642243 S.E.2d 4731978-04-21https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/1416666/chesapeake-potomac-tel-co-of-va-v-bles/ . . . cost. . . . <abbr title="Supreme Court of Virginia">SCV</abbr>Tidewater Utilities v. NorfolkRecord No. 6531208 Va. 7051968-04-22https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/1333871/tidewater-utilities-v-norfolk/ . . . adequate service" to its patrons. Code, | 56-234. In addition, the service rendered has to conform . . . <abbr title="Supreme Court of Virginia">SCV</abbr>Northern Virginia Elec. v. Elec. & Power021998576 S.E.2d 7412003-02-28https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/1059245/northern-virginia-elec-v-elec-power/ . . . service from the utility of its choice. Section 56-234 of the Code of Virginia directs every utility . . . <abbr title="Supreme Court of Virginia">SCV</abbr>Commonwealth v. Virginia Electric and Power Co.180 S.E.2d 6751971-04-26https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/1264723/commonwealth-v-virginia-electric-and-power-co/ . . . State or federal government". Va.Code Ann. § 56-234 (Supp. 1970). . . . <abbr title="Court of Appeals">COA</abbr>Kroger Co. v. Appalachian Power Co.Record No. 920078422 S.E.2d 7571992-11-06https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/1325646/kroger-co-v-appalachian-power-co/ . . . required to supply service to its customers. Code § 56-234 et seq. As a public utility company, . . . <abbr title="Supreme Court of Virginia">SCV</abbr>Apartment House Council v. PEPCORecord No. 740387215 Va. 2911974-10-14https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/1306794/apartment-house-council-v-pepco/ . . . requirements prescribed by law. Pursuant thereto | 56-234 of the Code (Repl. Vol. 1974) provides in . . . <abbr title="Supreme Court of Virginia">SCV</abbr> . . . Business Aides, Inc., a Virginia Corporation v. The . . . 72-1493480 F.2d 7541973-06-27https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/311799/business-aides-inc-a-virginia-corporation-v-the-chesapeake-and-potomac/ . . . . . . Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuithttp://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/56-234/56-232.1Regulation of service by certain gas pipeline companies to municipalities/56-232.1/56-236Public utilities required to file schedules of rates and charges; rules and regulations; when detariffing of telephone services to be permitted/56-236/56-481.1Rates, charges, and regulations for interexchange telephone service/56-481.1//56-234/56/10/2/56-23456-231.5056-23256-235.256-235.456-235.756-54.6