(A) Classification.
(1) Customers shall be classified according to how they use electric service.
(2) Classification shall conform to the availability provisions contained in the city's rate schedules.
(3) The available customer service and rate schedule classifications shall be as follows:
(a) Residential;
(b) Commercial single-phase;
(c) Commercial 3-phase;
(d) Large power; and
(e) Large industrial.
(4) Standard retail electric rate schedules are based on exclusive use of the city's service. None of the city's rate schedules are available for emergency, standby or supplementary service except as may be provided by appropriate contract and rate sheet riders.
(B) Service resale prohibited. Under no conditions will service be available for resale by the customer. Service will only be offered to the ultimate consumer, except as otherwise permitted herein where the consumer is the occupant of a rental area where service is furnished as an undefined part of the fixed rental fee.
(C) Residential service.
(1) Electric service for residential customers will be provided on the standard residential rate schedules at a secondary voltage according to § 54.15, provided that any motor in excess of 5 horsepower shall not be served on a residential service rate unless the installation has received prior approval of the city.
(2) Each apartment unit will be metered separately. The applicable standard residential rate shall apply for each unit.
(3) The residential service rate will apply in the general use areas of the apartment complex such as lighting in halls, laundry facilities and garages which are available for the direct benefit and general use of the tenants and for the care and operations of the apartment complex.
(D) Commercial service.
(1) In multiple occupancy commercial buildings, each tenant will be metered and billed individually by the city.
(2) All service for general building use will also be metered and billed separately. Service may be secured by an owner or single lessee of a building for use of tenants as an undefined part of the fixed rental and for general building operation through a single meter.
(3) Service will be billed at the applicable commercial service rate.
(4) Commercial service shall be divided into single-phase and 3-phase service. Rates for each are shown on the rate schedule in § 54.15.
(E) Large power service.
(1) A large power customer is defined to include those customers (generally commercial, industrial or institutional) who receive service under the city's large power schedule.
(2) No energy used either wholly or in part for residential purposes shall be sold under this rate classification, except as provided in the following:
(b) Where the owner/operator of a business enterprise occupies a single residential unit in a common building with a commercial enterprise. On all new construction after January 1, 1985, the residential unit must be wired in a manner so as to readily permit separate metering of the residential unit in the event the owner/operator-resident relationship changes from that permitted above. In the event wiring modifications for separate metering shall be at customer's expense; and
(c) Service may be rendered to large power customers at secondary or primary voltage depending upon the capacity and voltage required and the voltage and capacity available, and under the conditions stated in the applicable rate schedules.
1. Metering will be at secondary voltage except that primary voltage metering may be furnished when, at the city's option, service conditions warrant multiple primary points of service or more than 1 secondary voltage.
2. The city reserves the right to supply secondary voltage when conditions do not warrant rendering service at primary voltage.
3. A customer may be required to own the transformers necessary to supply the customer's load, and take service at primary voltage if the customer's load is a highly fluctuating load on either a short-term (less than a year) basis or annual basis or when the customer's load is spread out over a large area such that service from 1 delivery point cannot be distributed at secondary voltage, thus making it necessary for the customer to take and distribute the service at primary voltage to various distribution load centers.
(F) Customer's choice of rates. If 2 or more rate schedules for the same class of service are or become available according to the availability provisions of the rate schedule, the customer shall have a choice of rates, however, not more than 1 rate charge will be made within any 12-month period for any customer.
(G) Assisting customers in rate selection.
(1) While the city will endeavor to assist the customer in choosing the most advantageous rate schedule, either for initial or subsequent service, it does not guarantee that the customer will be served under the most favorable rate at all times.
(2) The city will not refund the difference in charges between the rate for which service was actually billed and another rate which is or may subsequently become available.
(H) Rates and provisions of service subject to change.
(1) The rates, terms and conditions of all service rendered by the city, including those covered by written agreements, shall be subject to change.
(2) Any changes in rate schedule shall apply to all customers served on the schedule.
(3) For those customers served under written agreement, the revised rate schedule shall become effective for the remainder of the contract term.
(I) Eligibility for single meter service.
(1) For clarification in rate applications of commercial service and large power service where a question exists on qualification for single meter service, this division shall determine when all service may be measured through a single meter.
(2) A single business establishment will be entitled to a single metered service in the same manner as any single business establishment if each of the following qualifications are met:
(a) The customer must extend or install all interconnecting electric facilities from a single common delivery point to serve every building or outdoor load center requiring electric service;
(b) All buildings or outdoor load centers are actually a part of the customer's business enterprise;
(c) If all buildings are located on property that is actually contiguous except for intervening streets or alleys, the customer must receive permission from controlling governmental authorities to extend and construct electric facilities over, under and/or across the public streets or alleys; and
(d) Each separate building, or any part or parts of a common building structure, used by separate business enterprises which, pursuant to this section, are collectively served from a single metered installation as a single business establishment shall be wired to serve all electrical loads within each building space occupied by a separate business enterprise by a single branch feeder circuit that can readily be converted to a separately metered service in the event a separate business enterprise should subsequently be sold, leased or rented for operation by a different person (or legal entity).
1. In this event, all wiring modifications required for separately metered service shall be made by either the existing or prospective customer at his or her expense and, in no event, will the expense be the city's responsibility.
2. Resale of energy or inclusion of electric energy as part of the rental charge will not be permitted in the event of a subsequent management change in the business enterprise due to sale or rental of any portion of the premises previously so served from a single metered service as part of a single business establishment.
(J) Temporary service.
(1) The city will provide temporary service in accordance with applicable codes to be used for construction purposes for a maximum of 1 year upon application for a permit.
(2) This service will only be provided on existing distribution facilities when available or on a pole located not more than 50 feet from its existing distribution facilities. The consumer will pay the estimated cost of the extension less salvage of any temporary extension in excess of 50 feet in advance of installation.
(3) The city reserves the right to require any customer applying for temporary service to make a security deposit, in addition to paying the service connection charge, in an amount equal to the estimated bill or bills for service during the temporary service period to guarantee payment of service bills.
(1987 Code, § 304.03)