65-407-815 Me. Code R. § 6
A utility may not refuse to provide service to an applicant, except as provided for below.
A utility may deny service to a residential applicant who fails to meet any of the following conditions.
A utility may deny service to a non-residential applicant that fails to meet any of the following conditions:
A utility should provide service to an applicant as soon as possible, but must provide service by the end of the next business day after the request for service is received, or a deposit and/or unpaid account balance is paid, provided that facilities exist to provide service within that timeframe. If facilities do not exist, such as in the case where a line extension must be constructed, the utility must initiate its standard procedures to provide service by the end of the next business day after the request for service is received.
Except as provided for in this Section, a utility may not require an applicant to pay for service provided in another person's name unless a court or other administrative agency has determined that the applicant is legally obligated to pay for that service. To prevent the practice of "name swapping," a utility may transfer a residential account balance that was incurred for service provided by that utility within the prior six years from the date of the application in the name of another person to the applicant's new account when both people:
A utility has 60 days from the date the applicant applies for service to transfer the account balance to the applicant's account. If the transfer does not take place within this time period, the utility cannot transfer the account balance. When a utility decides to transfer an existing account balance to an applicant's new account, the utility must add the previous customer's name to the account, in addition to the applicant's name and provide written notice to the applicant of the transfer that includes the evidence demonstrating 1 through 3 above (typically the evidence is obtained through telephone calls from both persons). The notice must be provided at least seven days prior to the transfer and, must provide the applicant the opportunity to challenge the transfer, first to the utility and if not resolved to the customer's satisfaction, to the CASD. The utility must maintain a record of its investigation of the challenge pursuant to Section 13(E).
A utility may deny service to an applicant where the service location for which the applicant is seeking service already has an active customer who does not wish to terminate service.
A utility must disclose the following information at the time an applicant requests service:
An applicant or customer may notify the utility in writing that the customer is designating a third party to receive disconnection notices concerning the customer's account, as well as notices of planned and unplanned outages. The utility must keep a record of the third party's name, address and telephone number. Whenever the utility contacts the customer about matters related to deposits, disconnections, overdue amounts or hazardous conditions of utility service, and planned or unplanned service interruptions, the utility must make every reasonable effort to contact the third party and provide the same information at the same time it is provided to the customer. Any notice of disconnection provided to the third party must contain the disclosures required by Section 10(J). Nothing in this subsection obligates the third party to make payment of any amount owed by the customer, unless there is independent evidence of an obligation to pay. Every utility must inform new customers of their right to designate a third party to receive notices pursuant to Section 5.
65-407 C.M.R. ch. 815, § 6