Current through August 26, 2024
(1) For each bill provided by the utility,
the customer's receipt shall show for each meter the following information:
(a) The billing address, and service address,
if different from the billing address;
(b) The customer's account number;
(c) The present and last preceding meter
readings;
(d) The present and last
preceding meter reading dates;
(e)
The number of units consumed;
(f)
The rate schedule under which the bill is calculated including the itemized
calculations of the rate schedule component including, but not limited to, such
items as customer charge, volume blocks, demand charges, minimum bills, and all
other billing factors necessary for the customer to check the calculation of
the bill. In lieu of including the rate schedule on the bill the utility may,
whenever a rate change becomes effective and at least once a year, supply each
customer with the schedule of rates at which the bills are computed and any
other rates that might be applicable;
(g) Clear itemization of the amount of the
bill for the present billing period and any unpaid balance from previous
billing periods including any late payment charges;
(h) Clear itemization of other utility
charges and credits.
(1m) A public utility that calculates its
volume charges in units of cubic feet shall include customer usage in both
cubic feet and gallons on the customer bill or provide a formula for converting
usage in cubic feet to gallons on the customer bill. In lieu of providing the
information on the customer bill, a public utility may provide the information
in a document provided to each customer under sub. (1) (f).
(3) Estimated bills shall be distinctly
marked as such.
(4) Any partial
payments received should be applied to the customer's account in the following
order:
(a) Current utility service;
(b) Current deferred payment
agreement;
(c) Utility service
arrears;
(d) Miscellaneous utility
charges;
(e) Nonutility charges
(e.g., charges for municipal fees or licenses, contracted sewer billing
services, or penalties levied under municipal ordinances).
(5) Where the billings also include charges
for other utility services, including sewer service billed on a volumetric
basis, payment for current service or arrears should be applied on a prorata
basis.
(6) Upon customer request,
or at the discretion of the utility, partial payments may be allocated
differently than set forth above provided that such allocation does not result
in a disconnection of service or the imposition of a late payment penalty which
would not have occurred under the allocation methodology set forth
above.
(7) Costs or fees incurred
by and awarded to the utility by a court of law, for pursuing bill collection
through other agencies, such as small claims courts, or extraordinary
collection charges as allowed and specified in the utility's tariffs filed with
the commission, may be included on the utility service bill. Such tariffs shall
be established on the basis of rate case proceedings or generic proceedings to
establish the reasonableness of such charges.
(8) The commission may authorize the utility
to make late payment charges to any portion of customer's utility service bill
that is not paid in full based on the order of payment application as provided
in sub. (4), within 20 days following issuance of the bill. The late payment
charge may be either a one-time charge as provided in sub. (9) or a monthly
charge as provided in sub. (10). The utility shall receive approval from the
commission of the method it desires to use and shall not change methods without
commission approval.
(9) If the
utility is authorized to make a one-time late payment charge, such charge shall
comply with the following requirements:
(a)
The bill shall clearly indicate the amount of the late payment charge and the
date after which the late payment charge shall be applied;
(b) Except as provided in par. (h), late
payment charges shall be applied no sooner than 20 days after the date of
issuance of the bill;
(c) The
amount of the late payment charge shall be 3% of the unpaid bill, except a
minimum charge of $0.50 shall apply. The utility need not calculate a late
payment charge on unpaid amounts of less than $20.00, if allowed by utility
tariff;
(d) Late payment charges
shall be applied to all customer classes and rate classifications;
(e) Unless otherwise authorized by the
commission the utility shall not waive any properly applied late payment
charges;
(f) A late payment charge
shall be applied only once to any given amount outstanding;
(g) If a customer disputes a bill for utility
service and does not pay the disputed bill in full within 20 days following
issuance of the bill, the late payment charge shall be applied only to that
portion of the disputed bill later found to be correct and payable to the
utility;
(h) Bills issued for
utility service previously unbilled because of meter diversion or tampering
with the proper metering of the account may include a late payment charge when
issued.
(10) If the
utility is authorized to make monthly late payment charges, such charges shall
comply with the following requirements:
(a)
The amount of the charge shall be no more than one percent per month for late
charges related to service provided for the utility's residential class of
customers, and shall be no more than one and one-half percent per month for
late charges related to service provided for all other purposes. The amount of
the charge shall be filed with and approved by the commission before it may be
applied;
(b) The late payment
charge shall be applied to the total unpaid balance for utility service
including unpaid late payment charges;
(c) Except as provided in par. (h), the late
payment charge shall be applied no sooner than 20 days after the date of
issuance of the bill;
(d) The late
payment charge shall be applied to all customer classes and rate
classifications;
(e) If a customer
disputes a bill for utility service and does not pay the disputed bill in full
within 20 days following issuance of the bill, the late payment charge shall be
applied only to that portion of the disputed bill later found to be correct and
payable to the utility;
(f) The
utility shall not waive any properly applied late payment charge;
(g) No additional late payment charge may be
applied to a delinquent account for utility service after the date on which the
delinquent account was written off by the utility as uncollectible;
(h) Bills issued for utility service that was
previously unbilled because of meter diversion or tampering with the proper
metering of the account may include a late payment charge when issued. The late
payment charge may be applied from the estimated date that the diversion or
tampering began.
(11) If
a utility changes the type of late payment charge, or initiates a late payment
charge, the new charge shall apply only to utility service provided after the
effective date of the change or initiation.
(12) A delinquent amount including late
payment charges covered by a deferred payment agreement shall not be subject to
additional late payment charges if the customer meets the payment schedule
including the current bill as required by the agreement. However, if a customer
defaults on a deferred payment agreement, the amount remaining shall be subject
to any applicable monthly late payment charge.
(13)
(a) If
the billing period is longer or shorter than allowed by s.
PSC 185.32, the bill shall be prorated on a daily basis
unless other provision is made in the utility's filed rules.
(b) The utility may leave a meter reading
form when access to a meter cannot be gained. If requested by the customer, the
utility shall provide such a form. If no form is left on the premises, or if
the form is not returned in time to be processed in the billing cycle, a
minimum or estimated bill may be rendered. In cases of emergency the utility
may render minimum or estimated bills without reading meters or supplying meter
reading forms to customers. Except in unusual cases, a meter reading by the
customer or the utility shall be obtained after no more than 3 consecutive
estimated or minimum bills have been rendered.
(c) When an actual meter reading indicates
that a previous estimated bill was abnormally high or low, the utility shall
calculate the bill for the entire period as if use of service was normally
distributed throughout the period. The previous estimated charge shall be
deducted from the recomputed total. If there is evidence to indicate that
actual use was not uniform throughout the period, the billing shall be adjusted
according to available information.
(14)
(a)
Credits due a customer because of meter inaccuracies, errors in billing, or
misapplication of rates shall be shown separately and identified.
(b) Adjustments to past bills rendered
because of meter inaccuracies, errors in billing, or misapplication of rates
shall be separated from the current regular billing and the charges explained
in detail.
(15) Each
bill for service shall be computed at the proper filed rate.
(16) A utility may offer a budget payment
plan to residential customers. Any such plan shall conform to the guidelines
set forth in pars. (a) through (g).
(a) A
budget payment plan tariff shall be on file with the commission, applicable
only to charges for utility services under commission jurisdiction.
(b) A budget payment plan may be established
at any time of the year. The budget amount shall be calculated on the basis of
the estimated consumption and estimated applicable rates. If the budget period
is a fixed year, then prospective and existing customers requesting a budget
payment plan after the start of the fixed year shall have their initial monthly
budget amount determined on the basis of the number of months remaining in the
current budget year.
(c) An
applicant for a budget plan shall be informed at the time of application that
budget amounts shall be reviewed and changed every 12 months, if necessary, in
order to reflect current circumstances. Adjustments to the budget amount shall
be made with the objective that the customer's underbilled or overbilled
balance at the end of the budget year shall be less than one month's budget
amount.
(d) Customers on the budget
payment plan shall be notified of adjustments by means of a bill insert, a
message printed on the bill itself, or both. The customer shall be adequately
informed of the adjustment at the same time the bill containing the adjustment
is rendered.
(e) Customers who have
arrearages shall be allowed to establish a budget payment plan by signing a
deferred payment agreement for the arrears, according to the provisions of s.
PSC 185.38.
(f) Budget payment plans shall be subject to
the late payment charge provisions. In addition, if a budget payment is not
paid, the customer shall be notified with the next billing that if proper
payment is not received subsequent to this notification, the next regular
billing may effectuate the removal of the customer from the budget plan and
reflect the appropriate amount due.
(g) At the end of a budget year, if an
underbilled or overbilled balance exists in the account, the balance shall be
handled as follows:
1. A customer's debit
balance shall be paid in full or, at the customer's option, on a deferred
basis;
2. A customer's credit
balance shall be applied, at the customer's option, against the customer's
account credited in installments to the customer's account over the course of
the next budget year, or refunded to the customer.
(17) An occupant, or other
responsible party who uses utility service but does not apply for it, may be
billed an estimated or actual amount at a later date for service used prior to
the time of application. The utility shall have reasonable grounds to establish
responsibility for the backbilling. Failure to pay charges resulting from this
backbilling may result in disconnection of service. The utility shall inform
the occupant of the right to dispute the billing through the dispute procedures
set forth in s.
PSC 185.39.
(19)
(a) A
utility shall pay interest on customer overpayments not refunded to the
customer within 60 days of the determination by the utility or commission that
refund is due, if the net amount refunded exceeds $20.00 per refund and the
overpayment was made to the utility due to:
1. Meters registering fast as defined in s.
PSC 185.35;
2.
Billing based on a switched-meter condition where the customer was billed on
the incorrect meter;
3.
Misapplication of rates;
4. Other
billing errors.
(b) A
utility is not required to pay interest to customers for overpayments made for:
1. Financing of service extensions or other
equipment;
2. Budget payment
plans;
3. Estimated
bills;
4. Customer overpayments or
advances.
(c) The rate
of interest to be paid shall be calculated in the same manner as provided for
in s.
PSC 185.36(9)
(b). Interest shall be paid from the date a
refund is determined to be due until the date the overpayment is refunded.
Interest shall be calculated on the net amount overpaid in each calendar
year.
(d) Nothing in this chapter
shall prevent the commission or its staff from requiring the payment of
interest on amounts returned to customers in those instances where the
commission or its staff finds that such payment is necessary for a fair and
equitable resolution of an individual complaint.
