South Carolina Code of Regulations
Chapter 103 - PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
Article 3 - ELECTRIC SYSTEMS
Subarticle 4 - CUSTOMER RELATIONS
Section 103-340 - Adjustment of Bills
Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 3, March 22, 2024
If it is found that an electrical utility has directly or indirectly, by any device whatsoever, demanded, charged, collected or received from any customer a greater or lesser compensation for any service rendered or to be rendered by such electrical utility than that prescribed in the schedules of such electrical utility applicable thereto, then filed in the manner provided in Chapter 27 of Title 58 of the South Carolina Code of Laws; or if it is found that any customer has received or accepted any service from an electrical utility for a compensation greater or lesser than that prescribed in such schedules; or if, for any reason, billing error has resulted in a greater or lesser charge than that incurred by the customer for the actual service rendered, then the method of adjustment for such overcharge or undercharge shall be as provided by the following:
1. Fast or Slow Meters. If the overcharge or undercharge is the result of a fast or slow meter, then the method of compensation shall be as follows:
2. Customer Willfully Overcharged. If the electrical utility has willfully overcharged any customer, except as provided for in 1 of this rule then the method of adjustment shall be as provided in the S. C. Code Ann. Section 58-27-960, and Section 58-27-2410 et seq. (1976).
3. Customer Inadvertently Overcharged. If the electrical utility has inadvertently overcharged a customer as a result of a misapplied schedule, an error in reading the meter, a skipped meter reading, or any other human or machine error, except as provided in 1 of this rule, the electrical utility shall, at the customer's option, credit or refund the excess amount paid by that customer or credit the amount billed as provided by the following:
4. Customer Undercharged Due to Willfully Misleading Company. If the electrical utility has undercharged any customer as a result of a fraudulent or willfully misleading action of that customer, or any such action by any person (other than the employees or agents of the electrical utility), such as tampering with, or bypassing the meter when it is evident that such tampering or bypassing occurred during the residency of that customer, or if it is evident that a customer has knowledge of being undercharged without notifying the electrical utility as such, then notwithstanding 1 of this rule, the electrical utility shall recover the deficient amount provided as follows:
5. Equal Payment Plans. An electrical utility may provide payment plans wherein the charge for each billing period is the estimated total annual bill divided by the number of billing periods prescribed by the plan. The difference between the actual and estimated annual bill is to be resolved by one payment at the end of the equal payment plan year, unless otherwise approved by the commission. However, any incorrect billing under equal payment plans shall be subject to this rule.
6. Customer Undercharged Due to Human or Machine Error. If the electrical utility has undercharged any customer as a result of a misapplied schedule, an error in reading the meter, a skipped meter reading, or any human or machine error, except as provided in 1, 2 and 4 of this rule then the electrical utility may recover the deficient amount as provided as follows: