Mich. Admin. Code R. 460.109

Current through Vol. 24-21, December 1, 2024

Section R. 460.109 - Deposit for residential customer

Rule 9.

(1) A utility may require a deposit as a condition of providing, restoring, or continuing residential service to an applicant or customer if any of the following provisions apply:

(a) At the time of the request for service, the applicant or customer has an unpaid balance for electric or natural gas service that accrued within the last 6 years and that remains unpaid and is not in dispute.

(b) The applicant or customer misrepresents his or her identity or credit standing.

(c) The applicant or customer fails to provide positive identification information upon request at the time of applying for new service.

(d) The applicant or customer requests service for a location at which he or she does not reside.

(e) The applicant or customer engaged in unauthorized use of utility service within the last 6 years, if the finding of unauthorized use of utility service was made after notice and an opportunity for a hearing and is not in dispute.

(f) The utility has had 1 or more checks issued from the customer's account returned from a financial institution for insufficient funds or no account or has had 1 or more payments from the customer's debit or credit card or other form of payment denied within the last 12 months, excluding financial institution error.

(g) The customer or applicant has sought relief under federal bankruptcy laws within the last 6 years.

(h) Within the past 3 years, the customer or applicant lived in a residence with a person under all of the following circumstances:

(i) The person accrued a delinquent account for electric or natural gas service to the shared residence during the time the customer or applicant lived there.

(ii) The delinquent account remains unpaid and is not in dispute.

(iii) The person with the delinquent account now resides with the applicant.

(2) Notwithstanding any of the provisions of subrule (1) of this rule, a utility shall not require a deposit as a condition of providing service or continuing service to a current residential customer if any of the following provisions apply:

(a) The department of health and human services or its successor agency is currently making or has committed to making a payment or payments to the utility on behalf of the applicant.

(b) The applicant or customer secures a guarantor who is a customer in good standing with the utility.

(c) The applicant is 65 years of age or older and has a satisfactory payment history for the past 3 years with any natural gas or electric utility.

Mich. Admin. Code R. 460.109

2007 AACS; 2017 MR 22, Eff. 12/11/2017