N.J. Admin. Code § 14:3-7.1
Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 21, November 4, 2024
Section 14:3-7.1 - Billing general provisions(a) The customer(s) of record, as defined at 14:3-1.1, shall be responsible for payment for all utility service rendered.(b) Except pursuant to (c) below, each utility shall provide an option for discontinuance notices in Spanish, by including on each bill a statement, written in Spanish, informing the customer that they may request that any notice of discontinuance be provided to them in Spanish. The bill shall provide a toll free telephone number for the customer to call in order to make such a request. Once the utility receives a request to provide a written notice of discontinuance in Spanish, all subsequent written notices of discontinuance to the requesting customer shall be provided in both Spanish and English.(c) A utility that provides all written notices of discontinuance in both Spanish and English shall not be required to provide the option and toll free telephone numbers for Spanish discontinuance notices, required under (b) above. Such a utility shall instead demonstrate to the Board that it provides all discontinuance notices in Spanish, as well as English. The utility shall submit copies of the notices, and shall certify that the utility's notice practices provide Spanish speaking customers with a notice of discontinuance that is equivalent to or better than that which would be provided through compliance with (b) above. If such a utility stops providing all written notices of discontinuance in both Spanish and English, the utility shall provide the option and toll free telephone number in accordance with (b) above.(d) A public utility shall pay or credit interest at the rate prescribed by the Board in 14:3-3.5, Return of deposits, on any overpayment made by a residential customer due to a billing error, unless the overpayment is fully refunded or credited to the customer's account within two billing cycles after the customer notifies the utility in writing, identifying, describing and documenting the error in detail. The following shall apply to this provision:1. For purposes of this subsection, "billing error" shall mean a charge to a residential customer in excess of that approved by the Board for the type of service supplied to that customer or in excess of the charge due for the service supplied to that customer as measured or recorded by a meter or other device; except that neither the amount of any estimated bill in and of itself, nor the amount due on a budget account installment shall constitute a billing error;2. The period of time constituting "two billing cycles" shall be determined by the billing practices of the public utility in place at the time of receipt by the utility of the written notification by the customer of the error. In no event shall such period be considered to be less than 60 days; and3. Each public utility shall annually provide written notice of the requirements in this subsection to each of its residential customers.(e) A utility shall not assess a late payment charge on a residential customer, or on a State, county or municipal government entity. In addition, a utility shall not apply a late payment charge sooner than 25 days after a bill is rendered.(g) If a notice of discontinuance is not in Spanish, the notice shall include a statement in Spanish, in boldface type, identifying the notice as a discontinuance notice, and providing the toll-free number required under 14:3-7.1(b).N.J. Admin. Code § 14:3-7.1
Repeal and New Rule, R.2008 d.119, effective 5/19/2008.
See: 39 N.J.R. 4077(b) , 40 N.J.R. 2481(a) .
Section was "Deposits for metered and telephone service".
Amended by R.2009 d.15, effective 1/5/2009.
See: 40 N.J.R. 2414(a) , 41 N.J.R. 270(a) .
In (f), substituted "Arial bold font, at least 18 points in size" for "type no less than one-half inch in height (36 points)"; and added (g).
Amended by R.2010 d.200, effective 9/20/2010.
See: 41 N.J.R. 3204(a) , 42 N.J.R. 2271(a).
Reserved (f).