| (D) Deposits for temporary or seasonal service and for weekend or seasonal residences. The utility may require a deposit sufficient to reasonably protect it against the assumed risk, provided such a policy is applied in a uniform and nondiscriminatory manner. (E) Records of deposits. (i) The utility shall keep records to show: (I) the name and address of each depositor; (II) the amount and date of the deposit; and (III) each transaction concerning the deposit. (ii) The utility shall issue a receipt of deposit to each applicant from whom a deposit is received and shall provide means whereby a depositor may establish claim if the receipt is lost. (iii) A record of each unclaimed deposit must be maintained for at least four years, during which time the utility shall make a reasonable effort to return the deposit. (F) Refund of deposit. (i) If service is not connected or after disconnection of service, the utility shall promptly and automatically refund the customer's deposit plus accrued interest on the balance, if any, in excess of the unpaid bills for service furnished. The transfer of service from one premise to another within the service area of the utility shall not be deemed a disconnection within the meaning of these rules, and no additional deposit may be demanded unless permitted by these rules. (ii) When the customer has paid bills for service for 12 consecutive residential bills without having service disconnected for nonpayment of bill and without having more than two occasions in which a bill was delinquent and when the customer is not delinquent in the payment of the current bills, the utility shall promptly and automatically refund the deposit plus accrued interest to the customer in the form of cash or credit to a customer's account. (G) Upon sale or transfer of utility or company. Upon the sale or transfer of any public utility or operating units thereof, the seller shall file with the commission under oath, in addition to other information, a list showing the names and addresses of all customers served by such utility or unit who have to their credit a deposit, the date such deposit was made, the amount thereof, and the unpaid interest thereon. (H) Complaint by applicant or customer. Each utility shall direct its personnel engaged in initial contact with an applicant or customer for service seeking to establish or reestablish credit under the provisions of these rules to inform the customer, if dissatisfaction is expressed with the utility's decision, of the customer's right to file a complaint with the regulatory authority thereon. (6) Billing. (A) Bills for gas service shall be rendered monthly, unless otherwise authorized or unless service is rendered for a period less than a month. Bills shall be rendered as promptly as possible following the reading of meters. (B) The customer's bill must show all the following information. The information must be arranged and displayed in such a manner as to allow the customer to compute his bill with the applicable rate schedule. The applicable rate schedule must be mailed to the customer on request of the customer. A utility may exhaust its present stock of nonconforming bill forms before compliance is required by this section: (i) if the meter is read by the utility, the date and reading of the meter at the beginning and end of the period for which rendered; (ii) the number and kind of units billed; (iii) the applicable rate schedule title or code; (iv) the total base bill; (v) the total of any adjustments to the base bill and the amount of adjustments per billing unit; (vi) the date by which the customer must pay the bill to get prompt payment discount; (vii) the total amount due before and after any discount for prompt payment within a designated period; (viii) a distinct marking to identify an estimated bill. (C) Where there is good reason for doing so, estimated bills may be submitted, provided that an actual meter reading is taken at least every six months. For the second consecutive month in which the meter reader is unable to gain access to the premises to read the meter on regular meter reading trips, or in months where meters are not read otherwise, the utility must provide the customer with a postcard and request that the customer read the meter and return the card to the utility if the meter is of a type that can be read by the customer without significant inconvenience or special tools or equipment. If such a postcard is not received by the utility in time for billing, the utility may estimate the meter reading and render the bill accordingly. (D) Disputed bills. (i) In the event of a dispute between the customer and the utility regarding the bill, the utility must forthwith make such investigation as is required by the particular case and report the results thereof to the customer. If the customer wishes to obtain the benefits of clause (ii) of this subparagraph, notification of the dispute must be given to the utility prior to the date the bill becomes delinquent. In the event the dispute is not resolved, the utility shall inform the customer of the complaint procedures of the appropriate regulatory authority. (ii) Notwithstanding any other subsection of this section, the customer shall not be required to pay the disputed portion of the bill which exceeds the amount of that customer's average usage for the billing period at current rates until the earlier of the following: resolution of the dispute or the expiration of the 60-day period beginning on the day the disputed bill is issued. For purposes of this section only, the customer's average usage for the billing period shall be the average of the customer's usage for the same billing period during the preceding two years. Where no previous usage history exists, the average usage shall be estimated on the basis of usage levels of similar customers and under similar conditions. (7) Meters. (A) Meter requirements. (i) Use of meter. All gas sold by a utility must be charged for by meter measurements, except where otherwise provided for by applicable law, regulation of the regulatory authority, or tariff. (ii) Installation by utility. Unless otherwise authorized by the regulatory authority, each utility must provide and install and will continue to own and maintain all meters necessary for measurement of gas delivered to its customers. (iii) Standard type. No utility may furnish, set up, or put in use any meter which is not reliable and of a standard type which meets generally accepted industry standards; provided, however, special meters not necessarily conforming to such standard types may be used for investigation, testing, or experimental purposes. (B) Meter records. Each utility must keep the following records: (i) Meter equipment records. Each utility must keep a record of all its meters, showing the customer's address and date of the last test. (ii) Records of meter tests. All meter tests must be properly referenced to the meter record provided for therein. The record of each test made on request of a customer must show the identifying number and constants of the meter, the standard meter and other measuring devices used, the date and kind of test made, by whom made, the error (or percentage of accuracy) at each load tested, and sufficient data to permit verification of all calculations. (iii) Meter readings--meter unit location. In general, each meter must indicate clearly the units of service for which charge is made to the customer. (iv) Meter tests on request of customer. (I) Each utility must, upon request of a customer, make a test of the accuracy of the meter serving that customer. The utility must inform the customer of the time and place of the test and permit the customer or his authorized representative to be present if the customer so desires. If no such test has been performed within the previous four years for the same customer at the same location, the test is to be performed without charge. If such a test has been performed for the same customer at the same location within the previous four years, the utility is entitled to charge a fee for the test not to exceed $15 or such other fee for the testing of meters as may be set forth in the utility's tariff properly on file with the regulatory authority. The customer must be properly informed of the result of any test on a meter that serves him. (II) Notwithstanding subclause (I) of this clause, if the meter is found to be more than nominally defective, to either the customer's or the utility's disadvantage, any fee charged for a meter test must be refunded to the customer. More than nominally defective means a deviation of more than 2.0% from accurate registration. (v) Bill adjustments due to meter error. Cont'd... |
