A consumer's meter outlet has been defined as the point where the consumer received gas after it had passed through a meter. United Natural Gas Co. v. Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, 153 Pa. Super. 252, 33 A.2d 752. In this instance, the water meters were located in the refinery admittedly outside the corporate limits of the city.
There is prohibited only "any unreasonable difference as to service . . . between localities or . . . classes of service, . . ." Assuming this section applies to the present appeal, any difference in service resulting from removal of the agent at Meadowbrook has a reasonable basis in fact, as the order of the Commission indicates. "There may be discrimination between classes of consumers, provided it is not unreasonable and rests on a sound basis of fact": United Natural Gas Co. v.Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, 153 Pa. Super. 252, 263, 33 A.2d 752, 757. See Philadelphia v. PennsylvaniaPublic Utility Commission, 164 Pa. Super. 96, 107, 63 A.2d 391.
The Company relies principally upon Sherman v. P. S.C., 90 Pa. Super. 523, 526, where this Court said: "We are not to be understood as holding that the extension of service of a public utility is dependent on the profit which may reasonably be expected therefrom; in proper cases such extension may be ordered though the immediate result of the expansion may entail financial loss to the company; but the company should not be subjected to unreasonable expenditures, nor the consuming public be unduly burdened, because of the over development or premature development of scattered sections of the city in advance of its normal growth, when there is no rational expectation of the event justifying the expenditure." The principle has been followed and applied in Wyoming Valley Water Supply Co. v. P. S.C., 104 Pa. Super. 432, 159 A. 340; United Natural Gas Co. v. Pa.P. U. C., 153 Pa. Super. 252, 33 A.2d 752; Fayette Co.Gas Co. v. Pa. P. U. C., 153 Pa. Super. 271, 33 A.2d 761. This Court still adheres to that doctrine. However, the facts of these cases differ vastly from those in this record.
Regardless of charter privileges enjoyed by the city or rights conferred on it by the legislature, there is no obligation to supply water to everyone in the township. Morris Water Co. v. P. S.C., 118 Pa. Super. 416, 180 A. 72. Cf. United Nat. Gas Co. v. Pa.P. U. C., 153 Pa. Super. 252, 33 A.2d 752. The power lodged in the Commission to order extensions into Logan Township is one to be exercised with great discretion. Almost the whole of Altoona is surrounded by Logan Township and obviously, extensions from time to time of existing service to residents of the township cannot be ordered without limit.
OPINION BY KELLER, P.J., September 9, 1943: This is a companion case to United Natural Gas Co. v. Penna.P.U. Comm., 153 Pa. Super. 252, 33 A.2d 752, [the immediately preceding case]. The Commission's interpretation of Circular No. 9-A, `Rules and Regulations pertaining to Gas Service Utilities', adopted by the Public Service Commission on April 9, 1914, as declared by it in the UnitedNatural Gas Company case, was confirmed and applied to the facts in this case, resulting in an order sustaining Mrs. Elias' complaint, and further directing the respondent, Fayette County Gas Company — hereinafter called Fayette — (1) within thirty days, at its own cost and expense, to furnish, install and maintain the necessary gas service line, together with all regulator equipment and meter, and furnish gas service to complainant at her described location; (2) to cease and desist from charging an applicant or a consumer for the installation of a service line in a public highway; (3) henceforth to furnish and install at its expense all regulating equipment necessary to render service as required in Circular No. 9-A; (4) in the present complaint and
See Kossman v. Pennsylvania Public Utility Comm'n, 694 A.2d 1147 (Pa.Cmwlth. 1997); Huntingdon, Inc. v. Pennsylvania Public Utility Comm'n, 464 A.2d 601 (Pa.Cmwlth. 1983); Fairview Water Co. v. Pennsylvania Public Utility Comm'n, 422 A.2d 1209 (Pa.Cmwlth. 1980); McCormick v. Pennsylvania Public Utility Comm'n, 409 A.2d 962 (Pa. Cmwlth. 1980); Colonial Products Co. v. Pennsylvania Public Utility Comm'n, 146 A.2d 657 (Pa.Super. 1958); Ridley Tp. v. Pennsylvania Public Utility Comm'n, 94 A.2d 168 (Pa.Super. 1953).See Kossman; Lynch v. Pennsylvania Public Utility Comm'n, 594 A.2d 816 (Pa.Cmwlth. 1991); Colonial Products Co.; United Natural Gas Co. v. Pennsylvania Public Utility Comm'n, 33 A.2d 752 (Pa.Super. 1943).See Colonial Products Co.; Ridley Tp.; Sherman v. Public Service Comm'n, 90 Pa. Super. 523, 1927 WL 4624 (1927).