Utah Code

Utah Code § 54-3-1 (2026)

Charges must be just; service adequate; rules reasonable

✓ current as of May 2026
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All charges made, demanded or received by any public utility, or by any two or more public utilities, for any product or commodity furnished or to be furnished, or for any service rendered or to be rendered, shall be just and reasonable. Every unjust or unreasonable charge made, demanded or received for such product or commodity or service is hereby prohibited and declared unlawful. Every public utility shall furnish, provide and maintain such service, instrumentalities, equipment and facilities as will promote the safety, health, comfort and convenience of its patrons, employees and the public, and as will be in all respects adequate, efficient, just and reasonable. All rules and regulations made by a public utility affecting or pertaining to its charges or service to the public shall be just and reasonable. The scope of definition "just and reasonable" may include, but shall not be limited to, the cost of providing service to each category of customer, economic impact of charges on each category of customer, and on the well-being of the state of Utah; methods of reducing wide periodic variations in demand of such products, commodities or services, and means of encouraging conservation of resources and energy.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 12 cases, 1980–2008 · leading case: Mountain States Legal Found. v. Utah Pub. Serv. Comm'n, 636 P.2d 1047 (Utah 1981).
Mountain States Legal Found. v. Utah Pub. Serv. Comm'n, 636 P.2d 1047 (Utah 1981). · cites it 15× “, § 54-3-1 and particularly that portion of the section added in 1977 providing.”
Mountain Fuel Supply Co. v. Pub. Serv. Comm'n, 861 P.2d 414 (Utah 1993). · cites it 14× “Utah Code Ann. § 54-3-1 (emphasis added).”
Stewart v. Utah Pub. Serv. Comm'n, 885 P.2d 759 (Utah 1994). · cites it 4× “" Utah Code Ann. § 54-3-1 , § 54-4-4, § 54-4a-6(4).”
Utah Dep't of Bus. Reg., Div. of Pub. Utils. v. Pub. Serv. Comm'n, 614 P.2d 1242 (Utah 1980). · cites it 4× “Section 54-3-1 mandates all charges made by a public utility shall be just and reasonable.”
Beehive Tel. Co. v. Pub. Serv. Comm'n, 2004 UT 18 (Utah 2004). · cites it 4× “it received insufficient notice that fines or penalties could be imposed for violating the Utah Code and Commission Rules; (2) the Commission violated separation of powers by acting in a legislative, executive, and judicial function at various points throughout the proceeding…”
Hi-Country Estates Homeowners Ass'n v. Bagley & Co., 2008 UT App 105 (Utah Ct. App. 2008). · cites it 2× “" As support for this argument, the Association points to sections of the Utah Code providing that charges by a public utility be "just and reasonable," Utah Code Ann. § 54-3-1 (2000), and that a public utility may not be preferential in its treatment of persons and entities,…”
Bradshaw v. Wilkinson Water Co., 2004 UT 38 (Utah 2004). · cites it 4× “See Utah Code Ann. §§ 54-3-1 , 54-4-1 (2000).”
Utah Dept. of Admin. Serv. v. Pub. Serv. Com'n, 658 P.2d 601 (Utah 1983). · cites it 2× “, 1953, § 54-3-1. As noted in Part IIC of this opinion, the decisions of this Court establish that determinations of policy on subjects within the Commission's jurisdiction and expertise are primarily the responsibility of the Commission.”
Utah Dep't of Admin. Servs. v. Pub. Serv. Comm'n, 658 P.2d 601 (Utah 1983). · cites it 2× “, 1953, § 54-3-1. As noted in Part IIC of this opinion, the decisions of this Court establish that determinations of policy on subjects within the Commission’s jurisdiction and expertise are primarily the responsibility of the Commission.”
Utah Cable Television Operators Ass'n v. Pub. Serv. Comm'n, 656 P.2d 398 (Utah 1982). · cites it 2× “The fact that defendant’s responsibility under the Public Utilities Act extends beyond protecting the interests of utility customers is further shown by the following language contained within section 54-3-1 of the Act: Every public utility shall furnish, provide and maintain…”
Am. Salt Co. v. W.S. Hatch Co., 748 P.2d 1060 (Utah 1987). · cites it 2× “2d at 1054-55, 1057 ; Utah Code Ann. § 54-3-1 (1986). . See Utah Code Ann.”
US Magnesium, L.L.C. v. Pub. Serv. Comm'n, 110 P.3d 165 (Utah Ct. App. 2005). · cites it 2× “” Utah Code Ann. § 54-3-1 (Supp.2001). And, a utility must file all of its rates with the Commission.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.