Terms not otherwise defined in these rules shall be understood to have their usual meanings.
"Bridge period" means the period between the most recent calendar year and the beginning of the proposed future test year.
"Commission" means the Iowa utilities commission or a majority of its members.
"Commission staff" means the staff employed by the commission.
"Commodity" or "commodities" means water, sanitary sewage disposal, storm water drainage, electricity, or natural gas.
"Effective date" means the date, approved by the commission, on which the utility may begin charging a new rate or charge or implementing tariff changes approved by the commission.
"Future test year" means any 12-month period beginning no later than the date on which a proposed rate change is expected to take effect.
"Historic test year" means a 12-month period preceding when the application for a general rate increase is filed for which verifiable data exists concerning the utility's costs and revenues.
"Rates" means the per-unit or per-occurrence amounts billed to customers for a recurring or nonrecurring service or commodity rendered or offered by the utility, and any charge, schedule, or regulation which a utility includes in a tariff approved by the commission.
"Subsequent proceeding" means the proceeding the commission is required to conduct subsequent to the effective date of the rates approved by the commission based upon a future test year.
"Utility" means an investor-owned public utility subject to rate regulation by the commission pursuant to Iowa Code chapter 476.
"Verification period" means the 12-month period of data required to be filed as part of the subsequent proceeding. The 12-month period begins the first day of the month following the month in which the rates approved by the commission become effective.
"Written notice" means any form of written communication, including first-class mail or electronic mail if a customer has agreed to receive electronic notices from the utility for matters other than billing.
Iowa Admin. Code r. 199-26.2