Ariz. Admin. Code § 14-2-310

Current through Register Vol. 30, No. 24, June 14, 2024

Section R14-2-310 - Billing and Collection

A. Frequency and estimated bills

1. Each utility shall bill monthly for services rendered. Meter readings shall be scheduled for periods of not less than 25 days or more than 35 days.

2. If the utility is unable to read the meter on the scheduled meter read date, the utility will estimate the consumption for the billing period giving consideration to the following factors where applicable:

a. The customer's usage during the same month of the previous year

b. The amount of usage during the preceding month.

3. After the second consecutive month of estimating the customer's bill for reasons other than severe weather, the utility will attempt to secure an accurate reading of the meter.

4. Failure on the part of the customer to comply with a reasonable request by the utility for access to its meter may lead to the discontinuance of service.

5. Estimated bills will be issued only under the following conditions:

a. Failure of a customer who read his own meter to deliver his meter reading card to the utility in accordance with the requirements of the utility billing cycle.

b. Severe weather conditions which prevent the utility from reading the meter.

c. Circumstances that make it impossible to read the meter, i.e., locked gates, blocked meters, vicious or dangerous animals, etc.

6. Each bill based on estimated usage will indicate that it is an estimated bill.

B. Combining meters, minimum bill information

1. Each meter at a customer's premises will be considered separately for billing purposes, and the readings of two or more meters will not be combined except those approved by the utility.

2. Each bill for residential service will contain the following minimum information:

a. Date and meter reading at the start of billing period or number of days in the billing period

b. Date and meter reading at the end of the billing period

c. Billed usage

d. Rate schedule number

e. Utility telephone number

f. Customer's name

g. Service account number

h. Amount due and due date

i. Past due amount

j. Adjustment factor, where applicable

k. Taxes

l. The Arizona Corporation Commission and address, thereof.

C. Billing terms

1. All bills for utility services are due and payable no later than 10 days from the date the bill is rendered. Any payment not received within this time-frame shall be considered past due.

2. For purposes of this rule, the date a bill is rendered may be evidenced by:

a. The postmark date

b. The mailing date

c. The billing date shown on the bill (however, the billing date shall not differ from the postmark or mailing date by more than two days).

3. All past due bills for utility services are due and payable within 15 days. Any payment not received within this time-frame shall be considered delinquent.

4. All delinquent bills for which payment has not been received within five days shall be subject to the provisions of the utility's termination procedures.

5. All payments shall be made at or mailed to the office of the utility or to the utility's duly authorized representative.

D. Applicable tariffs, prepayment, failure to receive, commencement date, taxes

1. Each customer shall be billed under the applicable tariff indicated in the customer's application for service.

2. Each utility shall make provisions for advance payment of utility services.

3. Failure to receive bills or notices which have been properly placed in the United States mail shall not prevent such bills from becoming delinquent nor relieve the customer of his obligations therein.

4. Charges for service commence when the service is installed and connection made, whether used or not.

E. Meter error corrections

1. If any meter after testing is found to be more than 3% in error, either fast or slow, proper correction between 3% and the amount of the error shall be made of previous readings and adjusted bills shall be rendered according to the following terms:

a. For the period of three months immediately preceding the removal of such meter from service for test or from the time the meter was in service since last tested, but not exceeding three months since the meter shall have been shown to be in error by such test.

b. From the date the error occurred, if the date of the cause can be definitely fixed.

2. No adjustment shall be made by the utility except to the customer last served by the meter tested.

F. Insufficient funds (NSF) checks

1. A utility shall be allowed to recover a fee, as approved by the Commission in a tariff proceeding, for each instance where a customer tenders payment for utility service with an insufficient funds check.

2. When the utility is notified by the customer's bank that there are insufficient funds to cover the check tendered for utility service, the utility may require the customer to make payment in cash, by money order, certified check, or other means which guarantee the customer's payment to the utility.

3. A customer who tenders an insufficient check shall in no way be relieved of the obligation to render payment to the utility under the original terms of the bill nor defer the utility's provision for termination of service for nonpayment of bills.

G. Levelized billing plan

1. Each utility may, at its option, offer its residential customers a levelized billing plan.

2. Each utility offering a levelized billing plan shall develop upon customer request an estimate of the customer's levelized billing for a 12-month period based upon:

a. Customer's actual consumption history, which may be adjusted for abnormal conditions such as weather variations.

b. For new customers, the utility will estimate consumption based on the customer's anticipated load requirements.

c. The utility's tariff schedules approved by the Commission applicable to that customer's class of service.

3. The utility shall provide the customer a concise explanation of how the levelized billing estimate was developed, the impact of levelized billing on a customer's monthly utility bill, and the utility's right to adjust the customer's billing for any variation between the utility's estimated billing and actual billing.

4. For those customers being billed under a levelized billing plan, the utility shall show, at a minimum, the following information on the customer's monthly bill:

a. Actual consumption

b. Amount due for actual consumption

c. Levelized billing amount due

d. Accumulated variation in actual versus levelized billing amount.

5. The utility may adjust the customer's levelized billing in the event the utility's estimate of the customer's usage and/or cost should vary significantly from the customer's actual usage and/or cost; such review to adjust the amount of the levelized billing may be initiated by the utility or upon customer request.

H. Elevation/pressure adjustment. Each gas utility shall, as a part of a general rate proceeding, file an adjustment factor to be applied to customer meter recordings to adjust for differences in pressure due to elevation.

I. Deferred payment plan

1. Each utility may, prior to termination, offer to qualifying residential customers a deferred payment plan for the customer to retire unpaid bills for utility service.

2. Each deferred payment agreement entered into by the utility and the customer due to the customer's inability to pay an outstanding bill in full shall provide that service will not be discontinued if:

a. Customer agrees to pay a reasonable amount of the outstanding bill at the time the parties enter into the deferred payment agreement.

b. Customer agrees to pay all future bills for utility service in accordance with the billing and collection tariffs of the utility.

c. Customer agrees to pay a reasonable portion of the remaining outstanding balance in installments over a period not to exceed six months.

3. For the purposes of determining a reasonable installment payment schedule under these rules, the utility and the customer shall give consideration to the following conditions:

a. Size of the delinquent account

b. Customer's ability to pay

c. Customer's payment history

d. Length of time that the debt has been outstanding

e. Circumstances which resulted in the debt being outstanding

f. Any other relevant factors related to the circumstances of the customer.

4. Any customer who desires to enter into a deferred payment agreement shall establish such agreement prior to the utility's scheduled termination date for nonpayment of bills; customer failure to execute a deferred payment agreement prior to the scheduled termination date shall not prevent the utility from discontinuing service for nonpayment.

5. Deferred payment agreements may be in writing and may be signed by the customer and an authorized utility representative.

6. A deferred payment agreement may include a finance charge as approved by the Commission in a tariff proceeding.

7. If a customer has not fulfilled the terms of a deferred payment agreement, the utility shall have the right to disconnect service pursuant to the utility's termination of service rules and, under such circumstances, it shall not be required to offer subsequent negotiation of a deferred payment agreement prior to disconnection.

J. Change of occupancy

1. Not less than three working days advance notice must be given in person, in writing, or by telephone at the utility's office to discontinue service or to change occupancy.

2. The outgoing party shall be responsible for all utility services provided and/or consumed up to the scheduled turn-off date.

Ariz. Admin. Code § R14-2-310

Adopted effective March 2, 1982 (Supp. 82-2). Amended to correct subsection numbering (Supp. 99-4).