(a) Availability. Any residential customer may elect to pay a monthly payment equal to one-twelfth of the average cost of energy services for the previous 12 months, adjusted for current or anticipated fuel costs and rates. The customer may be placed on the equalized payment plan during any month of the year. The account is balanced with each July billing or when service is disconnected or the customer is removed from the equalized payment plan. The City reserves the right to cancel the customer's participation in the plan should the customer fail to pay the equalized payment by the due date of the monthly bill. The customer may cancel the agreement to participate in this plan by giving 30 days' written notice to the City and by paying any necessary billing to make the account current.
(b) Payment Determination. Accumulate the number of months and meter billings to determine the average cost per month per meter on account. Total the average cost per meter per month for the account. Adjust the average cost per month to reflect current or anticipated fuel costs and rates. Round upward to the nearest whole dollar to determine the monthly equalized payment plan.
(1) Accumulation of number of months must include at least one year of billings at the customer's location. Previous customer's billing for the same location may be used.
(2) Meter billings include gas, water, sewer and garbage collection service, State utility tax and utility surcharge fees.
(3) Any customer commencing the equalized payment plan during any month other than August must pay, before commencing participation in the plan, the amount by which the total equalized payment plan payments from the prior August to date (assuming participation) exceeds the total payments actually made during such period. If more has been paid than the equalized payment plan payments would have required, the difference shall be credited to the customer's next billings until fully applied.
(c) Adjustments. Equalized payment plan accounts will be mechanically reviewed and adjusted every 12 months on the anniversary date. The July billing shall be considered the anniversary date. A new equalized payment plan amount will be calculated using the last 12 months' history. From the sixth through the tenth months subsequent to the anniversary date, an audit may be mechanically processed. Any account which has a debit balance greater than twice the equalized payment plan payment will be placed on this audit report. This report will include the following: name, account number, current equalized payment plan payment amount and status. Payments may be adjusted based upon review. Any debit balance for the last 12 months' listings will be billed with the July billing. Any credit balance will be credited toward the customer's next billings.
(d) General. Except for the equalizing of the customer's payments for service, all other provisions, terms and conditions of the applicable rate schedule shall continue to be applicable. Where a customer is using more than one public utility service not at a specified location, the equalized payment plan must be utilized for all services collectively. The City reserves the right to designate a budget period other than the normal budget period for application to customers whose service is seasonal in character. A method of payment determination applicable to the designated budget period would be applied.
(Ord. 2016-01-1. Passed 1-13-16.)