Indiana Administrative Code
Title 170 - INDIANA UTILITY REGULATORY COMMISSION
Article 5 - GAS UTILITIES
Rule 1 - Standards of Service
Section 1-15 - Creditworthiness of customer; deposit; refund
Current through December 25, 2024
Authority: IC 8-1-1-3
Affected: IC 8-1-2-87; IC 12-14-11; IC 32-34-1-20
Sec. 15.
(a) Each utility shall determine the creditworthiness of residential applicants or customers in an equitable and nondiscriminatory method:
(b) Each new applicant for residential gas service shall be deemed creditworthy and shall not be required to make a deposit as a condition of receiving service if the applicant satisfies the following criteria:
(c) Deposits for residential customers shall be assessed as follows:
(d) If a utility requires a deposit as a condition of providing service, then the utility must:
(e) In the event the required deposit from a utility serving at least thirty-five thousand (35,000) residential customers, or its affiliate, is in excess of one hundred fifty dollars ($150), the utility shall advise the customer that he or she may pay the deposit in installments, the initial installment being one hundred fifty dollars ($150), with subsequent payments of the deposit balance paid over a period of up to twelve (12) weeks, except where the deposit is required as a result of a disconnection for nonpayment, in which case full payment of the deposit may be required prior to reconnection. The utility shall record the terms of any payment arrangement by selecting one (1) of the following methods:
(f) Requirements for interest upon deposits shall be as follows:
(g) Requirements for refunds shall be as follows:
The public utility shall provide a reasonable method by which a customer who is unable to locate his or her receipt may establish that he or she is entitled to a refund of the deposit and payment of interest thereon.
(h) The commission may require that data be reported by utilities in order to determine whether a utility is providing service consistent with this rule. The utility shall respond to any survey that is issued by the commission in a timely manner and provide copies of such survey responses to the office of the utility consumer counselor. Requested information in the survey may include, but is not limited to, the following: