| (a) Information to customers.
(1) Upon receipt of a request for service or service
transfer, the utility shall fully inform the service applicant or
customer of the cost of initiating or transferring service. The utility
shall clearly inform the service applicant which service initiation
costs will be borne by the utility and which costs are to be paid
by the service applicant. The utility shall inform the service applicant
if any cost information is estimated. Also see §24.161 of this
title (relating to Response to Requests for Service by a Retail Public
Utility Within Its Certificated Area).
(2) The utility shall notify each service applicant
or customer who is required to have a customer service inspection
performed. This notification must be in writing and include the applicant's
or customer's right to get a second customer service inspection performed
by a qualified inspector at their expense and their right to use the
least expensive backflow prevention assembly acceptable under 30 TAC §290.44(h)
(relating to Water Distribution) if such is required. The utility
shall ensure that the customer or service applicant receives a copy
of the completed and signed customer service inspection form and information
related to thermal expansion problems that may be created if a backflow
prevention assembly or device is installed.
(3) Upon request, the utility shall provide the customer
or service applicant with a free copy of the applicable rate schedule
from its approved tariff. A complete copy of the utility's approved
tariff must be available at its local office for review by a customer
or service applicant upon request.
(4) Each utility shall maintain a current set of maps
showing the physical locations of its facilities. All facilities (production,
transmission, distribution or collection lines, treatment plants,
etc.) must be labeled to indicate the size, design capacity, and any
pertinent information that will accurately describe the utility's
facilities. These maps, and such other maps as may be required by
the commission, shall be kept by the utility in a central location
and must be available for commission inspection during normal working
hours.
(5) Each utility shall maintain a current copy of the
commission's substantive rules of this chapter at each office location
and make them available for customer inspection during normal working
hours.
(6) Each water utility shall maintain a current copy
of 30 TAC Chapter 290, Subchapter D (relating to Rules and Regulations
for Public Water Systems), at each office location and make them available
for customer inspection during normal working hours.
(b) Customer complaints. Customer complaints are also
addressed in §24.155 of this title (relating to Resolution of
Disputes).
(1) Upon receipt of a complaint from a customer or
service applicant, either in person, by letter or by telephone, the
utility shall promptly conduct an investigation and report its finding(s)
to the complainant.
(2) In the event the complainant is dissatisfied with
the utility's report, the utility shall advise the complainant of
recourse through the Public Utility Commission of Texas complaint
process. The commission encourages all complaints to be made in writing
to assist the commission in maintaining records on the quality of
service of each utility.
(3) Each utility shall make an initial response to
the commission within 15 days of receipt of a complaint from the commission
on behalf of a customer or service applicant. The commission may require
a utility to provide a written response to the complainant, to the
commission, or both. Pending resolution of a complaint, the commission
may require continuation or restoration of service.
(4) The utility shall keep a record of all complaints
for a period of two years following the final settlement of each complaint.
The record of complaint must include the name and address of the complainant,
the date the complaint was received by the utility, a description
of the nature of the complaint, and the adjustment or disposition
of the complaint.
(c) Telephone number. For each of the systems it operates,
the utility shall maintain and note on the customer's monthly bill
either a local or toll free telephone number (or numbers) to which
a customer can direct questions about their utility service.
(d) Local office.
(1) Unless otherwise authorized by the commission in
response to a written request, each utility shall have an office in
the county or immediate area (within 20 miles) of a portion of its
utility service area in which it keeps all books, records, tariffs,
and memoranda required by the commission.
(2) Unless otherwise authorized by the commission in
response to a written request, each utility shall make available and
notify customers of a business location where applications for service
can be submitted and payments can be made to prevent disconnection
of service or to restore service after disconnection for nonpayment,
nonuse, or other reasons specified in §24.167 of this title (relating
to Discontinuance of Service). The business location must be located:
(A) in each county where utility service is provided;
or
(B) not more than 20 miles from any residential customer
if there is no location to receive payments in that county.
(3) Upon request by the utility, the requirement for
a local office may be waived by the commission if the utility can
demonstrate that these requirements would cause a rate increase or
otherwise harm or inconvenience customers. Unless otherwise authorized
by the commission in response to a written request, such utility shall
make available and notify customers of a location within 20 miles
of each of its utility service facilities where applications for service
can be submitted and payments can be made to prevent disconnection
of service or restore service after disconnection for nonpayment,
nonuse, or other reasons specified in §24.167 of this title.
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