(A) Some residential customers may use TCED's budget plan, which allows them to level out seasonal variations in their bill.
(B) The customers must meet the following qualifications at the time the application for budget payment plan is processed:
(1) The customer must have received 12 months of continuous service at the same service location.
(2) The customer must not have been late or delinquent in payment during the previous 12 months.
(3) The customer must have a zero account balance.
(4) The customer must appear at the office and sign a budget payment plan agreement.
(C) The budget plan payment amount will be the total of the last 12 months of service divided by 11, taxes included. The customer may request an adjustment in the budget amount at the end of each 12-month period. TCED may require an adjustment in the budget amount at the end of each 12-month period.
(D) The customer must pay the budget amount billed, including tax, each month by the due date shown on the bill. Budget plan customers who are late more than two months consecutively, or who are delinquent and subject to disconnect, will be removed from the budget plan.
(E) The customers who are removed from the budget plan and who owe a balance due must pay the balance due by the due date shown on the next bill.
(F) The customers who are removed from the budget plan and who have a credit balance due will have the balance credited against their next regular billing. If the customer's credit balance due exceeds their next regular billing, the balance will be credited against the subsequent regular billings or refunded to the customer upon request.
(G) Applications for budget billing will be processed on a first come first serve basis, except for referrals from public assistance agencies, which will be processed on a priority basis.
(H) Applications for budget plan payment will be approved for residential service only.
(I) The budget plan agreement provides for a maximum monthly billing amount. TCED may, at its discretion, remove the customer from the budget payment plan if any monthly bill exceeds the maximum bill stated in the budget payment plan agreement.
(J) The minimum budget payment plan term will be 12 months. The term starts on the first billing date for which the customer is billed under the budget payment plan.
(K) A customer who has violated the budget payment plan agreement will not be returned to the budget plan in the future.
(L) The budget plan agreement applies to the address or location shown on the agreement, and may not be moved to another location or address. The customers who move should reapply for service at their new address. At its sole discretion TCED may approve the application prior to the expiration of the 12-month service requirement.
(Res. R990419d, passed - - )