(A) All bills are due and payable when rendered on or before the date specified on the consumer's bill for electric service. If all accounts of the consumer are not so paid, the gross rates set forth in rate schedule are payable.
(B) The utility will allow at least ten days between the date of bill and the final payment date specified on the consumer's bill.
(C) Bills are payable in person or by mail at the main or branch offices of the utility or at any authorized and designated collection agency of the utility on or before the date or time limit specified on the bill. Failure to receive bill or the existence of a consumer deposit will not entitle the consumer to any discount or to the remission of any charge for non-payment within the date of time limit specified.
(D) The word “month” or “regular billing period”, as used herein, are hereby defined to be the elapsed time between two successive meter readings, approximately 30 days apart.
(E) The utility may bill at other than monthly intervals, in which event the length of the rate blocks and the applicable minimum and service charge will be multiplied by the number of months between meter readings.
(F) In the event of meter stoppage or the failure of any meter to register the full amount of current the consumer, the consumer will be billed for such period on an estimated consumption based upon his or her use of current in the similar period of like use.
(G) Consumers who intend to move from premises or discontinue the use of electricity or in any way terminate their liability hereunder shall give the utility reasonable notice of such intention. The consumer or property owner will be liable in accordance with the laws of this state for all electricity used upon the premises until such notice is given and the utility has or have furnished the final meter reading and service has been disconnected.
(H) Budget billing for all electric homes: where the consumer's use of electric service during a 12-month period is 12,000 kWh or more, the consumer shall have the option of paying his or her bills monthly, in conformance to the utility's budget plan, which is as follows:
(1) Based on actual experience (or estimated by the utility's heating consultant where actual experience is not available), the 12 months determined billing will be divided by 12 and the result shall be the “average monthly budget bill.”
(2) Beginning September of each year, the consumer will receive ten monthly budget bills which shall be paid in the regular manner. Any difference between the amount paid under the budget plan and the billing based on actual kWh used shall be adjusted as a charge or credit on the July and August bills.
(3) The budget amount is to be paid regularly each month and if any monthly payments are not made, the utility may, at its option, remove the account from the budget plan and thereafter bill, based on current monthly kWh use basis, with all accounts brought up to date.
(4) The utility reserves the right to readjust the budget bill to conform to actual experience.
(I) Annual billing for small accounts: for small single-phase or 120 or 120/240 volt accounts and where the 12 months total usage does not exceed 1,000 kWh, the utility reserves the right to bill such service as follows:
(1) The 12 months monthly minimum or service charge shall be paid in advance by the consumer to the utility. Such deposit shall continue as long as service is connected.
(2) The utility shall read the meter at the end of each six-month period. For billing purposes, the service charge, minimum charge and the kWh set forth in each rate block shall be multiplied by six. All billings shall be subject to the power supply cost adjustment as specified in “Rider “A” - Power Supply Cost Adjustment,” as set forth in § 50.057.
(3) The resultant six months billing shall be paid in the regular manner so that, at all times, the amount specified in division (A) of this section is on deposit with the utility.
(J) Billing for a partial month's service under residential and general service rates: where either the initial billing period after service is first established or the final billing period up to time of service discontinuance by the consumer is less than the regular billing period of approximately 30 days, the following billing procedure shall apply:
(1) Where the initial service period is five days or less of the utility's regular billing period, the consumer's initial kWh usage will be carried over into the next succeeding regular billing period at the same location and shall be combined with and be considered as part of the first full month's regular billing period.
(2) Where the initial service period is six days or longer and for all final bills regardless of days of service, the bill shall be calculated in accordance with the charges as set forth in the applicable rate schedule, with no proration of service or minimum charges or rate blocks to be made.
(K) For partial month's service under all schedules where demand or capacity charges are involved:
(1) Where the initial period of service is five days or less, the entire billing will be combined and considered as part of-the next succeeding billing period for the same location.
(2) Where the initial period of service is from six to 15 days inclusive, the billing kW or kVar demand or capacity and resultant minimum or other charged will be billed on a 50% pro-rated basis. However, all energy charges shall be billed as actually specified in the rate schedule itself, without any pro-ration of the rate blocks.
(3) Where the initial period of service is 16 days or more and, in all cases, where a final bill is involved (irrespective of days of service), the billing shall be as set forth in rate schedule with no proration of demand, capacity, energy or minimum charges whatever.
(L) (1) For service supplied direct to trailer courts, marinas or other temporary or portable dwelling units, the service application shall be in the property owner's name on whose land the mobile home, trailer or other portable structure is located. At the property owner's written request, the utility may, at its option, send bills to the attention of occupant, but this procedure shall in no manner relieve the property owner of his or her responsibility for payment of all bills. Permanent mobile home installations will be billed in the same manner as other permanent dwelling units.
(2) In all cases, the utility shall determine if the mobile home is to be classified as a permanent installation as defined in § 50.003(D). All mobile home units that do not meet the test of permanency shall be considered as temporary service and so billed.
(3) Where each unit is individually metered, as provided for in § 50.003, the utility reserves the right to send all bills to the attention of property owner or operator, but this procedure shall in no manner relieve the property owner of his or her responsibility for the payment of all bills for electric service used on the premises. In such an event, each individual unit location shall be properly identified by the property owner or operator and will be billed month under the applicable residential rate.
(4) In order to avoid frequent and unnecessary meter readings and billings for mobile homes or trailer courts, the utility reserves the right to read meters and bill each service location only once for each regular billing period. In all cases, the property owner shall be responsible for payment of all bills.
(5) All reconnections and disconnections of service shall be subject to the utility's charge for special services as set forth in § 50.072.
(M) Consumers who intend to move from premises or discontinue the use of electricity or in any way terminate their liability hereunder shall give the utility reasonable notice of such intention. The consumer or property owner will be liable in accordance with the laws of this state for all electricity used upon the premises until such notice is given and the utility has or have furnished the final meter reading and service has been disconnected.
(Ord. 10-85, passed 10-7-85; Am. Ord. 8-93, passed 7-19-93)