Public utilities provide electric, gas, water or telephone service to customers in a specified area. Utilities have a duty to provide safe and adequate service on reasonable terms to anyone who lives within the service area on without discriminating between customers. Because most utilities operate in near monopolistic conditions, they can be heavily regulated by local, state, and federal authorities. Generally, the local and state agencies are called Public Service Commissions (PSC) or Public Utility Commissions (PUC). Municipal Utilities and Rural Electric Cooperatives may be unregulated though.
Ashton is an unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland. The commercial center of Ashton lies at the junction of Route 108 (Ashton Road) and New Hampshire Avenue. The United States Census Bureau combines Ashton with the nearby community of Sandy Spring to form the Census-Designated Place of Ashton-Sandy Spring, and all census data are tabulated for this combined entity. The Sandy Spring Museum, located in the heart of Sandy Spring is a historical museum offering educational displays and programs.