100.04 Customer Bill of Rights & Responsibilities

   The Department of Public Utilities (DPU) of the city of Toledo wants its customers to know their rights and responsibilities and whom to contact for assistance when they have questions or problems regarding DPU's utility services. While not a full interpretation of DPU's Rules & Regulations which appears in its entirety in TMC Part 9, Title 3, Appendix C, this recap should give customers some valuable guidance in this regard. Appendix C can be found at this internet address:
www.toledo.oh.gov/dpurules.

BE AN INFORMED CUSTOMER. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

   1.   As a general rule, you have the right to establish water service if you meet all of these criteria: a.) You properly and fully complete the application process for utility services from DPU as shown in TMC App. C, Ch.101; b.) Neither you nor any member of your household is indebted to DPU for previously furnished utility services; c.) You provide DPU with the necessary inside access to the premises to be served; and d.) You agree to pay for all services received and to abide by all of the Director's Rules and Regulations which can be found in TMC Part 9, Title 3, Appendix C.

   2.   Customers with no history or good payment history with DPU have the right not to pay a security deposit to secure utility services. However, for customers who have experienced a termination of service due to lack of payment or any involvement with water theft, unauthorized use of utility services or tampering with DPU's equipment, a deposit will be charged. You will generally be deemed a customer with good credit history after you establish twelve (12) months of timely payments for services from the Department of Public Utilities. (See App. C, Sec. 101.02 D.)

   3.   If you are required to tender a security deposit in accordance with App. C, Sec. 101.02 D., you have the right to have your security deposit credited to your account when you discontinue services if you provide access for an inside meter reading and pay the final bill per App. C, Sec. 102.01 E. and App. C, Sec. 102.03. That notwithstanding, you have the right to have your security deposit credited to your account after one year if you have paid all bills in a timely manner, without any dunning activity having occurred and without any payments having been rejected by DPU for insufficient funds.

   4.   You have the right to pay your bill without incurring late-payment charges if DPU receives your payment in full by the due date shown on your utility bill per App. C, Sec. 104.01 A.

   5.   Although DPU bills most customers on a quarterly basis, per App. C, Sec. 104.01 A. customers have the right to make monthly payments in any amount if they prefer making smaller, more frequent payments for utility services just so long as the entire balance is paid in full by the due date on the periodic invoice.

   6.   You have the right to call in your meter reading to ensure you are paying for actual usage. Customers who receive an estimated bill always have the option to read their inside (actual) meter and provide the numbers to Customer Service who will reissue a corrected statement based upon this customer-furnished reading. That notwithstanding, per App. C, Sec. 104.04 all usage that passes through an inside meter must be paid for by the customer even if it is properly billed later by utilizing an actual DPU-obtained reading. (See App. C, Sec. 104.01 F & 104.03 D.)

   7.   You have the right to be given written notice from DPU in accordance with App. C, Ch. 103 before your water service can be disconnected for non-payment. Such notice may be mailed to you or delivered to the service address by field personnel and placed onto the front door of the structure.

   8.   Prior to a disconnection of your service, qualified customers have the right to apply for an Installment Payment Plan which would allow them to make installment payments to pay off a delinquency. Installment plan recipients will not receive monthly reminders and must timely remit the installment due each month before the due date shown on a schedule given to the customer when the installment plan is created. Failure to make any required installment payment when due and to make full payment on all normal monthly or quarterly bills will automatically cause the installment plan to default. Such default will cause all delinquencies to be immediately due and payable and your water service will be at risk for termination. Installment Payment Plans may be offered to qualified customers once every two years.

   9.   Per App. C, Sec. 102.01 C., 104.03 D. & 104.04, you are responsible to ensure that the numbers on the remote register (on the exterior of the building) match the numbers on the actual meter inside the building by checking these readings once or twice per year and reporting any irregularities to DPU Customer Service.

   10.   Per App. C, Ch. 104, you have the responsibility to pay for unbilled consumption which may occur when a remote register is not working properly and a corrected bill is issued to reflect actual water usage based upon the inside meter reading. You have the right to pay for heretofore unbilled consumption over a period of time equal to the length of time that the consumption went unbilled except in cases of Unauthorized Use of Utility Services, Tampering with DPU-owned equipment or Theft of Utility Services. Reasons generally affecting unbilled consumption are identified in App. C, Ch. 104.

   11.   You have the right to have DPU test your DPU-owned meter for accuracy if a malfunction is suspected per App. C, Sec. 104.05. You have the right to be furnished with the written results of the meter test.

   12.   You have the right to a credit on your account or refund on a final bill in cases of verified overpayment per App. C, Sec. 104.03 C.

   13.   You have the right to contact DPU's Customer Service Section during normal business hours at 419-245-1800. To report an emergency situation during or after normal business hours, please call the Water Emergency line [phone].

   14.   Per App. C, Sec. 105.01, you have the right to have a Customer Service Representative explain to you aspects of your bill that you do not understand. This explanation may be limited to a reasonable period of time when other customers are waiting for access to DPU's representatives.

   15.   You have the right to appeal certain amounts billed for DPU's utility services to DPU's Customer Service Section per App. C, Ch. 105. Please refer to App. C, Ch. 104 for guidance regarding criteria which can be appealed and which criteria cannot be appealed. If you wish to appeal a decision of the Customer Service Section to DPU's Adjustment Committee, you have that right if you comply with all criteria in App. C, Ch. 105. A further appeal of any decision made pursuant to DPU's appeals process is addressed under Ohio Revised Code 2506 by the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas. DPU's appeal process (App. C, Ch. 105) may be accessed in the Department of Public Utilities' webpage, is displayed for public viewing in DPU's Utilities Administration offices and is available by request from DPU's Customer Service Section.

   16.   Property owners who wish to discontinue utility services must contact DPU to: a.) Schedule a final inside meter reading; b.) Provide safe inside access to field personnel for meter-reading and infrastructure inspection; and c.) Agree to timely pay final bill(s) when rendered. Actual termination of utility services by the account holder will only occur upon receipt by Customer Service of actual evidence that the account owner of record has ordered termination of utility services. Otherwise, charges will continue to accrue and bills will continue to be issued on the active account until it is properly terminated. Regardless, please note that storm water charges will continue to be billed for all accounts. (See App. C, Sec. 102.04)

   17.   Per App. C, Sec. 200.13, property owners are responsible for the condition of and maintenance to the entire length of the service pipe from the curb box into their structure, which also includes shut-off valves and the balance of all plumbing on private property.

   18.   While water meter equipment and remote registers are generally owned by DPU, per App. C, Sec. 201.06 property owners are responsible to ensure that meters do not freeze by providing adequate insulation if needed, and also by ensuring that they are not tampered with or damaged in any way.

   19.   You have the right to request information regarding water main breaks or boil advisories in your area per App. C, Ch. 107. Please call the city's Call City Hall number at [phone] to do so.

   20.    If there are no water lines near your home, please contact Call City Hall at [phone] to initiate the process of finding out if water lines can be extended to your premises pursuant to App. C, Ch. 205.

(Ord. 198-13. Passed 10-29-13.)