Rules & Regulations of the State of Tennessee
Title 1220 - Tennessee Public Utility Commission
Subtitle 1220-04 - Division of Public Utilities
Chapter 1220-04-05 - Regulations for Gas Companies
Section 1220-04-05-.18 - REASONS FOR TERMINATION OF SERVICE OR DENIAL OF SERVICE
Universal Citation: TN Comp Rules and Regs 1220-04-05-.18
Current through September 24, 2024
(1) Service may be refused or discontinued for any of the reasons listed below. Unless otherwise stated, the utility shall comply with the notice requirements before service is discontinued. However, no service shall be discontinued on the day or a date preceding a day or days on which the services of the utility are not available to the general public for the purpose of reconnecting the discontinued service, except as provided in Rule 1220-4-5-.18(1) (a), (b), (c) and (d).
(a) Without notice in the event of a
condition determined by the utility to be hazardous.
(b) Without notice in the event of customer
use of equipment in such a manner as to adversely affect the utility's
equipment or the utility's service to others.
(c) Without notice if there is evidence of
tampering with the equipment furnished and owned by the utility.
(d) Without notice if there is evidence of
unauthorized use.
(e) For violation
of and/or non-compliance with the utility's rules on file with and approved by
the Authority.
(f) For failure of
the customer to fulfill his/her contractual obligations for service and/or
facilities subject to regulation by the Authority.
(g) For failure of the customer to permit the
utility reasonable access to its equipment.
(h) For non-payment of a delinquent
account.
(i) For failure of the
customer to provide the utility with a deposit as authorized by Rule 1220-4-5
-. 14.
(2) Notice of Termination of Service. Gas service to any gas customer may not be terminated without reasonable prior notice and the customer being given reasonable opportunity to dispute the reasons for such termination.
(a) Content of the notice which may be
included in the customer's bill, shall be clearly legible and contain the
following information:
1. The name and address
of the customer and the address of the service, if different.
2. A clear and concise statement of the
reason for the proposed termination of service.
3. The date on which service will be
terminated unless the customer takes appropriate action. The date of the
proposed termination by the utility shall be at least seven (7) days after the
utility sends the notice by first class mail. The mailing of the notice of
termination as set forth above, shall constitute reasonable prior notice within
the meaning of this rule.
4.
Information concerning the reconnection fee.
5. The telephone number and address of the
utility where the customer may make inquiry, enter into a service continuation
agreement or file a complaint.
6.
This notice shall also contain the name and address of the Tennessee Regulatory
Authority and a statement to the effect that the Tennessee Regulatory Authority
is the regulatory authority for this service.
7. In cases where the termination is based on
the failure to pay, the notice shall state if the bill is the actual or
estimated, the amount owed, and the time period over which the amount was
incurred.
(b)
Notwithstanding any other provisions of these rules, a utility shall postpone
the physical termination of utility service to a residential customer for a
period of thirty (30) days in the event a physician, public health officer or
social service official certifies in writing that discontinuation of the
service will aggravate an existing medical emergency of the customer or other
permanent resident of the premises where service is rendered. During the thirty
(30) day extension the customer or other permanent resident of the premises
where service is rendered shall be referred to social service agencies for
investigation, confirmation of need and guarantee of payment. The local utility
shall supply customers with names of agencies providing assistance.
(c) All customers shall be provided with the
option of a Third Party Notification service and shall be notified annually by
the utility of its availability. The Third Party Notification will provide any
customer with the opportunity to designate a third party who will receive a
duplicate of any termination notice.
(3) Statement of Termination Policy. The utility shall provide a general policy statement detailing its termination policies to all existing customers annually and to all new customers when they initiate service. This policy statement shall be filed by the utility for approval by the Authority within sixty (60) days of the effective date of this rule. The general policy statement shall include the following information in clear and understandable language:
(a) Grounds
for termination.
(b) The time
allowed to pay outstanding bills.
(c) Steps which must occur before service may
be terminated for non-payment.
(d)
Steps necessary to have service reinstated.
(e) Instructions for residential customers to
designate the following:
1. A third party
(agency or individual) to receive a copy, by first class mail, of all
termination notices;
2. Presence of
appliances at the service address which are critical for maintenance of health
of one or more of the residents.
(f) A notice of rights and remedies which
should contain the following:
1. The time
allowed to initiate a complaint;
2.
Appropriate administrative or other action to take in order to avoid
termination;
3. Procedures to
dispute and appeal the termination notice, including the office address and
telephone number of the utility representatives available to handle inquiries
or complaints;
4. A statement that
households which have appliances critical for health are responsible for
notifying the utility of such fact;
5. Provide information and steps necessary to
qualify for alternative payment arrangements available to residential customers
who maintain that they are temporarily unable to pay their bills;
6. The name of a social service agency the
customer can call to inquire about a source or sources of financial assistance
in paying residential utility bills;
7. Procedures to dispute and appeal an
unfavorable decision of the utility, including the address and toll-free
telephone number of the Tennessee Regulatory Authority and its representatives,
who are available to handle complaints and inquiries; and
8. A statement that a customer does not have
to pay that portion of a bill which is in dispute while the dispute process is
underway.
Authority: T.C.A. §§ 65-2-102, 65-4-104, and 65-4-106.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Tennessee may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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