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 4240-13.020 - Billing and Payment Standards
Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 6, March 15, 2024
PURPOSE: This rule establishes reasonable and uniform billing and payment standards for residential service to be observed by utilities and customers.
(1) A utility shall render a bill for each billing period to every residential customer in accordance with commission rules and its approved tariff.
(2) Each billing statement rendered by a utility shall be computed on the actual usage during the billing period except as follows:
(3) If a utility is unable to obtain an actual meter reading for three (3) consecutive billing periods, the utility shall advise the customer by first class mail or personal delivery that the bills being rendered are estimated, that estimation may not reflect the actual usage, and that the customer may read and report their electric, gas, sewer, or water usage to the utility on a regular basis. A utility shall explain to the customer the procedure by which this reading and reporting may be initiated. At least annually, a utility shall attempt to secure an actual meter reading from customers who are reporting their own usage, except for quarterly-billing utilities in which case it shall be every two (2) years. These attempts shall include personal contact with the customer to advise the customer of the regular meter reading day. The utility shall offer appointments for meter readings on Saturday or prior to 9:00 p.m. on weekdays. The utility's obligation to make appointments shall begin only after a tariff, describing the appointment process, has been filed with and approved by the commission. Discontinuance of the service of a customer who is reading and reporting usage on a regular basis because of inability to secure an actual meter reading shall not be required.
(4) If a customer fails to report usage to the utility, the company shall obtain a meter reading at least annually. The utility shall notify the customer that if usage is not reported regularly by the customer and if the customer fails, after written request, to grant access to the meter, then service may be discontinued pursuant to 4 CSR 240-13.050.
(5) Notwithstanding section (2) of this rule, a utility may bill its customers in accordance with equal payment billing programs at the election of the utility customer, provided the equal payment billing program tariff has been previously approved by the commission.
(6) A utility may bill its customers on a cyclical basis if the individual customer receives each billing on or about the same day of each billing period. If a utility changes a meter reading route or schedule which results in a change of nine (9) days or more of a billing cycle, notice shall be given to the affected customer at least fifteen (15) days prior to the date the customer receives a bill based on the new cycle.
(7) A monthly-billed customer shall have at least twenty-one (21) days and a quarterly-billed customer shall have at least sixteen (16) days from the rendition of the bill to pay the utility charges, unless a customer has selected a preferred payment date in accordance with a utility's preferred payment date plan. If the due date or delinquent date falls upon a Sunday, legal holiday, or any other day when the offices of the utility regularly used for the payment of customer bills are not open to the general public, the due date or delinquent date shall be extended through the next business day. The date of payment for remittance by mail is the date on which the utility receives the remittance. A utility shall not base an assessment of a deposit or delinquent charge, or a discontinuance of service, on a payment that was made to a payment agent on or before the due date or delinquent date.
(8) A utility shall not assess an additional charge upon a customer by reason of the customer's failure to pay any balance due and owing prior to the delinquent date unless this additional charge has been approved by the commission as a part of the utility's commission-approved tariffs.
(9) Every bill for residential utility service shall clearly state-
(10) A utility shall render a separate billing for service provided at each address unless otherwise requested by the customer and agreed to by the utility.
(11) A utility may include charges for special services together with utility charges on the same bill if the charges for special services are designated clearly and separately from utility charges. If partial payment is made, the utility shall first credit all payments to the balance outstanding for gas, electric, sewer, or water charges, before crediting a deposit.
(12) During the billing period prior to any tariffed seasonal rate change, a utility shall notify each affected customer, on the bill or on a notice accompanying the bill, of the expected effect of the upcoming seasonal rate change on the customer's bill and the months during which the forthcoming seasonal rate will be in effect.
(13) No utility may enter into any contractual or authorized pay agent relationship with any entity engaged in the business of making unsecured loans of five hundred dollars ($500) or less, with original payment terms of thirty-one (31) days, or less, or where repayment of the loan is secured by the borrower's postdated check. This restriction shall not apply if the lending entity offers such loans at an aggregate, effective annual percentage interest rate of less than thirty-six percent (36%). Any utility currently in a contractual or authorized pay agent relationship that is forbidden by this section shall terminate that relationship no later than sixty (60) days after this rule becomes effective.
*Original authority: 386.250(6), RSMo 1939, amended 1963, 1967, 1980, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996 and 393.140(11), RSMo 1939, amended 1949, 1967.