Section 69-09-01-18.1 - Discontinuance of gas service1. A utility may disconnect service if the customer is delinquent in payment for services rendered. However, no utility shall discontinue service to a customer for failure to pay for such service until the utility shall first have given the customer notice of its intention to discontinue such service on account of delinquency. The notice shall: a. Be sent by first-class mail addressed to the customer at the place where service is rendered, except that in the case of residential customers sixty-five years of age or older, or for handicapped customers, personal notice by delivery is required. A copy of each notice must also be mailed to the nearest social service office and to any other appropriate financial assistance agency, providing that prior approval has been given by the customer pursuant to subsection 2. b. Show the amount of the delinquency. c. Include the telephone number of the public service commission. d. Advise the customer of the customer's rights and remedies, including the right of the customer to stay termination for up to thirty days if the customer advises the utility within the ten-day notice period that dangerous health conditions exist or that the customer is sixty-five years of age or older or that the customer is handicapped. In addition, the notice shall advise the customer of the customer's right to work out a satisfactory deferred installment agreement for delinquent accounts and of the opportunity to enter into equal monthly payment plans for future service. e. Inform the customer that service will be discontinued if the delinquent account is not paid within ten calendar days from the date of mailing or personal delivery of the notice, or if a satisfactory installment agreement is not made with the utility for payment of the delinquent bill. If the customer elects to enter into a deferred installment agreement for delinquent accounts, service may not be terminated; however, the utility may discontinue service without further notice if the customer fails to pay the delinquent account on or before the date specified in the notice, or in accordance with the deferred installment agreement. The customer shall have the privilege of paying the delinquent account at any time prior to the actual disconnection of service, and the person directed by the utility to make the disconnection shall be deemed authorized and shall accept payment of the delinquent account if tendered to the person by the customer before actual disconnection of service is made.
2. It shall be the responsibility of all residential customers sixty-five years of age or older, handicapped, or having an emergency medical problem in the household, including life-sustaining appliances, such as kidney dialysis, to notify the utility of such status. To assist in such notification, all utilities shall annually include a preaddressed postage-paid postcard in the monthly billing mailed to all residential customers during the billing period ending October first. Such notice shall also be provided to all new customers in that service area when they are first provided service by the utility. The postcard shall include the following questions:
| YES | NO |
| 1. Is any member of your household 65 years of age or older, or handicapped? | __ | __ |
| 2. Do you have any emergency medical problem in your household? | __ | __ |
| 3. Do you desire that the area social service office or other appropriate financial assistance agency be notified in the event of a proposed disconnect? | __ | __ |
| 4. Do you desire that some other third party be contacted in the event of a disconnect? If so, name and address of person __________________________________________________ | __ | __ |
| 5. If you are having difficulty paying your utility bill, please contact our local service representative or business office so that we can work with you on your problem. | | |
| Utility Telephone Number _________________ | | |
| Office Address ___________________________ | | |
| Date ______ Name _____________________ | | |
| Address __________________ __________________________ | | |
| Signature | | |
3. Service shall not be disconnected under this section on weekends, Fridays, state holidays, the day before a state holiday, or after twelve noon on any day. A report describing the total number of actual disconnects, date and time, type of customer, and amount of delinquency for each disconnected customer shall be filed monthly with the commission within ten days after the last day of each month. 4. Whenever service has been disconnected for nonpayment of a bill, before reconnection is made the customer shall pay the reconnection fee established in the utility's rate schedules; make a deposit pursuant to section 69-09-02-04 if all or a part of the previous deposit was used in settlement of the delinquent bill; and make a satisfactory settlement for the delinquent bill and for service rendered between the last meter reading date and the date service was disconnected. 5. In the event the customer disputes the amount of a bill for service, the customer may, to prevent disconnection for nonpayment, pay the disputed bill under protest to the utility. Alternatively, the customer may request a formal hearing pursuant to section 69-02-02-02 in which case the utility shall not disconnect service for nonpayment of the disputed bill until a final decision has been issued by the commission. The utility shall immediately give the commission notice of the dispute and the commission may investigate the dispute. The utility shall refund to the customer any part of such payment made under protest found by the commission to be excessive. 6. A utility may not disconnect service to a customer for failure of the customer to pay for merchandise purchased from the utility; to pay for a different class of service furnished by the utility; to pay for service rendered to a previous occupant of the premises; or to pay the bill of another customer as guarantor thereof. 7. A utility may discontinue service to a customer for failure to comply with regulations of the utility on file with the commission pertaining to installation and operation of utilization equipment, or for use of equipment which interferes with, or adversely affects, the service to other customers, provided the customer has first been notified and afforded reasonable opportunity to change or disconnect such equipment. 8. A utility may discontinue service to a customer upon ten days' written notice if the meter or other equipment installed by the utility has been tampered with, or if there has been a diversion of service, or if the customer is utilizing gas before the energy has passed through a meter installed by the utility. 9. When a customer who has tenants is including the cost of utility services in the rent charged and the utility bill becomes delinquent, the utility before disconnecting service must also notify the tenants in writing at least ten days prior to the proposed termination date. The utility must allow each tenant to apply to become the customer of the utility in the tenant's own name, to have the service to the rental facility continued or resumed, and to pay the pro rata share of future bills. Such tenant-customer shall be subject to all the provisions of this chapter. 10. A utility may not discontinue service to a customer for nonpayment of a deposit. N.D. Admin Code 69-09-01-18.1
Effective October 1, 1980; amended effective May 1, 1996; July 1, 1997; April 1, 2001; January 1, 2002.General Authority: NDCC 49-02-11
Law Implemented: NDCC 49-02-11