Section En 1203.02 - Information to Customers(a) Upon receiving a request for new service, the utility shall: (1) Provide information as to what might be the most advantageous utility rate or rates available to the customer;(2) Provide the customer with the current utility default energy service rate;(3) Inform the customer that energy service can be provided through the utility or through a competitive supplier; and(4) Provide the customer with the website address for the department's webpage on choosing an energy supplier.(b) Upon a customer's request, each utility shall provide a written description of the utility's method of reading meters and deriving billing therefrom.(c) All utilities that file an application with the commission for a general rate change shall send to each of its customers a clear and concise statement of the rate schedules applied for and indicate which schedules are applicable to that customer.(d) The information required to be distributed to customers under (c) above shall be distributed no later than 45 calendar days from the date of filing.(e) Upon application for service and no less frequently than annually, each customer shall be provided with the existing rate schedules or notified of how to obtain the existing rate schedules.(f) If a utility provides the existing rate schedules in (e) above, the rate schedules shall be provided using one of the following methods: (g) If a utility provides notice of how to obtain rate schedules in (e) above, notice shall be provided using one of the following methods:(h) Gas and electric utilities shall indicate in the statements required by (e) above:(1) Whether the rate schedules are subject to any periodic rate adjustment clause; and(2) The frequency with which rates under these clauses are subject to change.(i) The statements required by (c) and (e) above shall include the toll-free number of the department's consumer division.(j) With the exception of sewer utilities, each utility shall provide notice on or with customer bills no less frequently than 2 times a year regarding medical emergency certification. The notice shall be consistent with the statement contained in En 1203.11(b)(2)l.(k) All information required under En 1203.02 shall also be provided in a particular foreign language when 25% or more of the population within the utility's franchise area speaks that particular foreign language as its primary language. The determination of the percentage shall be made by the department based upon data obtained from the state agency responsible for maintaining the state data center.(l) Electric and gas utilities shall provide residential customers with copies of the department-prepared pamphlet "Consumers' Rights and Responsibilities" in the following manner:(1) The pamphlet shall be available and displayed prominently on the website of each electric and gas utility;(2) Printed copies of the pamphlet shall be available and provided to any person requesting a copy at no charge;(3) Notice that the pamphlet is available on the utility website and in printed form shall be provided a minimum of 3 times each year in or on all residential bills;(4) The cost of printing and distributing the pamphlets shall be borne by the gas and electric utilities in percentage amounts equal to the ratio representing the individual utility's gross revenues compared to the total gross revenues for all gas and electric utilities; and(5) A gas or electric utility's decision to independently incur additional costs to distribute copies or provide notice of the pamphlet's availability more frequently than required by these rules shall be deemed by the department an appropriate expense of doing business.(m) Water and sewer utilities shall provide residential customers with notice of the department-prepared pamphlet "Consumers' Rights and Responsibilities" in the following manner: (1) The pamphlet shall be available and displayed prominently on the website of each water and sewer utility if the utility maintains a website; and(2) Notice that the pamphlet is available on the department's website, and the utility website where applicable, shall be provided a minimum of 2 times each year in or on all residential bills.N.H. Admin. Code § En 1203.02
Derived from Number 24, Filed June 13, 2024, Proposed by #13986, Effective 5/30/2024, Expires5/30/2034 (see Revision Note at chapter heading for En 1200).