Section PSC 113.012 - Definitions In this chapter:
(1) "Ability to pay" means a customer's financial capacity to meet his or her utility service obligation, considering all of the following factors: (a) Size of the delinquent account.(b) Customer's payment history.(c) Period of time the debt has been outstanding.(d) Reasons why the debt has been outstanding.(e) Any other relevant factors concerning the customer's circumstances, as household size, income and expenses.(2) "Complaint" means a statement or question by any person whether a utility customer or not, concerning a wrong, grievance, injury, dissatisfaction, illegal action or procedure, dangerous condition or action, or failure of a utility to meet a utility obligation.(3) "Customer" means the party billed for payment of bills issued for use of utility service at a given premises.(4) "Customer-requested termination" means that the customer or occupant has asked the utility to cease providing utility service to a premises.(5) "Denied or refused service" means that a utility has refused to provide present or future service to a customer, occupant or premises.(6) "Disconnection" means preventing a specific customer from receiving electrical power through a specific action taken by the utility or its agents. This does not include temporary outages for maintenance purposes, storms, or other unplanned outages, or a customer-requested termination of service. "Disconnection" includes but is not limited to: the removal or sealing of an electric meter, severance of the connection between the distribution system and the service facilities or the customer's internal wiring, or the transmission of an electronic signal to the metering equipment which would deactivate the meter and prevent the flow of electrical current.(6m) "Potential power line natural hazards" means trees or tree parts located in or reasonably proximate to a utility distribution or transmission line easement that are likely to interfere with the utility's operations, including distribution or transmission lines, within the utility's next maintenance cycle.(7) "Installment payment agreement" means an arrangement between a utility and a commercial or farm customer for payment of a deposit in installments.(7m) "Jointly-metered property" means a premises where electric service is measured jointly for 2 or more rental dwelling units, pursuant to s. 196.643(2), Stats.(7n) "Low-income customer" means a customer whose household income is at or below the federal poverty income guidelines for eligibility for federal energy assistance.(8) "New residential customer" means a customer who has not received utility service in his or her name during the previous 6 months from the utility from which service is requested.(9) "Occupant" means the resident or residents of a premises to which utility service is provided.(10) "Prompt payment" means payment prior to the time when a utility could issue a notice of disconnection for nonpayment of an amount not in dispute.(11) "Protective service emergency" means a threat to the health or safety of a resident because of the infirmities of aging, other developmental or intellectual disabilities, or like infirmities incurred at any age, or the frailties associated with being very young.(12) "Voucher agreement" means a payment agreement guaranteed by a third party who has access to or control over the benefits and/or finances of a public assistance recipient. Included without limitation are:(a) Wisconsin Works (W-2) or Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) restrictive payment arrangements.(b) Social Security Representative Payee.(c) General Relief voucher payment systems.Wis. Admin. Code Public Service Commission PSC 113.012
CR Register, July, 2000, No. 535, eff. 8-1-00.Amended by, 2019 Wis. Act 1: am. (11) Register May 2019 No. 761, eff. 6/1/2019