S.C. Code Regs. § § 103-431

Current through Register Vol. 48, 12, December 27, 2024

Section 103-431 - Customer Deposits

A. Each gas utility may require from any customer or from any prospective customer, a deposit intended to guarantee payment of bills for service, if any of the following conditions exist:

1. The customer's past payment record to a gas utility shows delinquent payment practice, i.e., customer has had two consecutive thirty-day arrears, or more than two non-consecutive thirty-day arrears in the past twenty-four months, or

2. A new customer cannot demonstrate that he is a satisfactory credit risk by appropriate means including, but not limited to, letters of good credit from a utility, or references which may be quickly and inexpensively checked by the Company or cannot furnish an acceptable cosigner or guarantor on the same system within the state of South Carolina to guarantee payment, up to the amount of the maximum deposit, or

3. A customer has no deposit and presently is delinquent in payments, i.e., has had two consecutive thirty-day arrears, or more than two non-consecutive thirty-day arrears in the past twenty-four months, or

4. A customer has had the customer's service terminated for non-payment or fraudulent use.

5. A non-residential customer or its parent company is experiencing financial difficulties as determined by a gas utility using its respective internal credit risk rating criteria (even if the customer has not yet defaulted or caused a default on a payment obligation to the utility) and has not negotiated an alternative payment plan designed to mitigate the utility's risk of loss. The gas utility may use a variety of security options other than the payment of a two-month cash deposit, including but not limited to, accelerated payment plans, surety bonds, bank letters of credit or some combination of the above. All gas utilities engaging in negotiated payment solutions must provide a copy of their respective internal credit risk rating criteria upon request by the Office of Regulatory Staff.

B. If the gas utility elects to require a deposit under Subsection (A)(5) of this Rule, then the gas utility shall inform the affected customer of the provisions of this Rule.

S.C. Code Regs. § 103-431

Amended by State Register Volume 14, Issue No. 3, eff March 23, 1990; State Register Volume 32, Issue No. 5, eff May 23, 2008; State Register Volume 48, Issue No. 05, eff. 5/24/2024.