Missouri Code of State Regulations
Title 20 - DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND INSURANCE
Division 4240 - Public Service Commission
Chapter 13 - Service and Billing Practices for Residential Customers of Electric, Gas, Sewer, and Water Utilities
Section 20 CSR 4240-13.015 - Definitions
Universal Citation: 20 MO Code of State Regs 4240-13.015
Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 6, March 15, 2024
PURPOSE: This rule defines various terms that are used in this chapter.
(1) The following definitions shall apply to this chapter:
(A) Applicant means an individual(s) or other
legal entity who has applied to receive service;
(B) Bill means a written demand, including,
if agreed to by the customer and the utility, an electronic demand, for payment
for service or equipment and the taxes, surcharges, and franchise
fees;
(C) Billing period means a
normal usage period of not less than twenty-six (26) nor more than thirty-five
(35) days for a monthly billed customer nor more than one hundred (100) days
for a quarterly billed customer, except for initial, corrected, or final
bills;
(D) Complaint means an
informal or formal complaint under
4 CSR
240-2.070;
(E) Corrected bill means any bill issued for
a previously rendered bill;
(F)
Credit score means a score, grade, or value that is derived by using data from
a nationally known commercial credit source that uses data from a credit
history model developed for the purpose of grading or ranking credit report
data;
(G) Customer means a person
or legal entity responsible for payment for service, except one (1) denoted as
a guarantor;
(H) Cycle billing
means a system which results in the rendition of bills to various customers on
different days of a month;
(I)
Delinquent charge means a charge for utility service that remains unpaid for at
least twenty-one (21) days for a monthly-billed customer and for at least
sixteen (16) days by a quarterly billed customer from the date the utility
renders the bill, or a charge remaining unpaid after the preferred payment date
selected by the customer;
(J)
Delinquent date means the date stated on a bill, which shall be at least
twenty-one (21) days for a monthly billed customer, and at least sixteen (16)
days for a quarterly billed customer from the rendition date of the bill or the
preferred payment date selected by the customer, after which the utility may
assess a commission approved late payment charge in accordance with the
utility's tariff on file with the commission;
(K) Denial of service means the utility's
refusal to commence service upon an applicant's request for service at a
particular location;
(L) Deposit
means a money advance to a utility for the purpose of securing payment of
delinquent charges which might accrue to the customer who made the
advance;
(M) Discontinuance of
service or discontinuance means a cessation of service not requested by a
customer;
(N) Due date means the
date stated on a bill when the charge is considered due and payable;
(O) Estimated bill means a charge for utility
service which is not based on an actual reading of the meter or other
registering device by an authorized utility representative;
(P) Final bill means a bill rendered for
services through the final date of service;
(Q) Guarantee means a written promise from a
third party to assume liability up to a specified amount for delinquent charges
which might accrue to a particular customer;
(R) Initial bill means the first bill
rendered by a utility for a customer's service;
(S) In dispute means to question and request
examination of utility bills or services rendered;
(T) Inquiry means a question or request for
information related to utility charges, services, practices, or
procedures;
(U) Late payment charge
means an assessment on a delinquent charge in accordance with a utility tariff
on file with the commission and in addition to the delinquent charge;
(V) Payment means cash, draft of good and
sufficient funds, or electronic transfer;
(W) Payment agreement means a payment plan
entered into by a customer and a utility;
(X) Preferred payment date plan means a
commission-approved plan offered at the utility's option in which the
delinquent date for the charges stated on a bill shall occur on the same day
during each billing period as selected by the customer;
(Y) Purchased gas adjustment (PGA) clause
means the adjustment procedure approved by the commission to recognize
variations in the cost of purchased gas;
(Z) Rendition of a bill occurs on the date
mailed, sent electronically, or hand delivered;
(AA) Residential service or service means the
provision of or use of a utility service for domestic purposes;
(BB) Seasonally billed customer means a
residential customer billed on a seasonal basis in accordance with a utility
tariff on file with the commission;
(CC) Settlement agreement means an agreement
between a customer and a utility which resolves any matter in dispute between
the parties or provides for the payment of undisputed charges over a period
longer than the customer's normal billing period;
(DD) Tariff means a schedule of rates,
services, and rules describing a utility's service, filed by a utility and
approved by commission order or operation of law;
(EE) Termination of service or termination
means a cessation of service requested by a customer;
(FF) Utility means an electric, gas, sewer,
or water corporation as those terms are defined in section
386.020, RSMo;
and
(GG) Utility charges mean the
rates for utility service and other charges authorized by the
commission.
*Original authority: 386.250(6), RSMo 1939, amended 1963, 1967, 1977, 1980, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996 and 393.140(11), RSMo 1939, amended 1949, 1967.
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