This bill would begin to tax every utility customer approximately $1.90 a month, regardless of how much energy the customer uses.

So as energy bills rise, an increasing proportion of utility customers are likely to pay more frequently - most typically monthly rather than quarterly - to spread the burden.

It said it was part of a restructuring prompted by a fall in demand for new energy plants and a drop in investment by its traditional utility customers.

Switched mode power supplies in a building can result in poor power quality for other utility customers.

The company serves 4.5 million utility customers through its regulated distribution subsidiaries across seven states.