Bills for service will be rendered monthly unless otherwise
specified. The term "month" for billing purposes will be the period
between any two consecutive readings of the meters by the Utility,
such readings to be taken as nearly as practicable every 30 days within
the provisions of § PSC 113.0405, Wis. Adm. Code.
A.
A budget payment plan is available to all prospective and existing
residential customers and to all commercial accounts for which the
primary purpose of the service is to provide for residential living
(for example, a residential apartment building). This budget plan
is in accordance with § PSC 113.0406(5), Wis. Adm. Code.
B.
A budget payment plan may be established at any time of the year.
The monthly budget amount shall be calculated by the Utility on the
basis of the estimated consumption and estimated applicable rates
through the end of the budget year. A budget year begins and ends
on September 1 and ends on August 31.
C.
An applicant for a budget plan shall be informed at the time of application
that the budget amount shall be reviewed and changed every six months,
if necessary, in order to reflect current circumstances. Existing
budget plan customers shall be notified on at least a quarterly basis
that budget amounts shall be reviewed every six months, if necessary,
in order to reflect current circumstances. Adjustments to the budget
amount will be made with the objective that the customer's under-billed
or over-billed balance at the end of the budget year shall be less
than one month's budget amount. Customers on the budget payment
plan shall be notified of adjustments through either a bill insert
or message on the bill. When an adjustment is made to a budget payment
amount, the customer will be informed of the adjustment at the same
time the bill containing the adjustment is rendered.
D.
Customers who have arrearages shall be allowed to establish a budget
payment plan by signing a deferred payment agreement for the arrears.
Budget payment plans shall be subject to the late payment charge.
In addition, if a budget payment is not paid, the customer shall be
notified with the next billing that, if proper payment is not received
subsequent to this notification, the next regular billing may effectuate
the removal of the customer from the budget plan and reflect the appropriate
amount due.
E.
At the end of a budget year, if an under-billed or over-billed balance
exists in a customer's account, the balance shall be handled
as follows:
If the Utility cannot gain access to read the meter, the Utility
may, or if requested by the customer, leave meter reading forms. If
no form is left or if the form is not returned in time for the billing
operation, an estimated bill will be rendered. In estimating a bill,
due consideration will be given to previous month's consumption and
also consumption in similar periods of other years. Only in unusual
cases or when written approval is received from the customer will
more than three consecutive estimated bills be rendered.
When a customer commences or discontinues service between regular
monthly meter reading dates, the Utility will bill the customer as
follows:
A.
When a customer discontinues service 10 days or less from the previous
month's meter readings, the consumption will be added to the
previous month's consumption and a new bill calculated and rendered.
B.
When a customer commenced service 10 days or less from the following
month's meter reading, the consumption will be included in the
following month's billing.
C.
When a customer commences service more than 10 days before the month's
regular meter reading or discontinues service more than 10 days after
the previous month's meter reading, the service will be billed
as regular monthly service.
In all cases where a Utility meter, because of improper adjustment
or defective parts, is found to be registering in excess of the two-percent
allowable error as prescribed by the Public Service Commission of
Wisconsin, correction in the customer's billing will be made
as follows:
A.
The company will refund or charge the customer the difference between
the actual billing and the billing corrected for the error for each
month when such over-registration or under-registration is known to
have existed. In the absence of definite information, adjustment will
be made for 1/2 of the entire period since the last test.
B.
In making the adjustments for errors in meter registrations, due
consideration will be given to immediate previous month's consumption,
consumption in similar periods of other years, comparative uses and
sizes of connected loads and any other relevant facts.
A.
Where accidental grounds occur on the customer's equipment,
the Utility will bill the customer for total usage on the meter at
the rate currently in effect for his service. No discounting will
be made for these losses.
B.
The Utility assumes no responsibility for damages or losses due to
grounds on customer installations and reserves the right to disconnect
a customer for failure to clear such grounds after reasonable notice.
The demand used for billing purposes shall be the greatest fifteen-minute
integrated load preserved or recorded during the month, subject to
modifications as set forth in the applicable rate schedule.
A.
Where the Utility has reasonable evidence that a customer is obtaining
his supply of electricity, in whole or in part, by means of devices
or methods used to stop or interfere with the proper metering of the
Utility service being delivered to his equipment, the Utility reserves
the right to estimate and present immediately a bill for service unmetered
as a result of such interference, and such bill shall be payable to
disconnection of service.
B.
When the Utility has disconnected the customer for such reason, the
Utility will reconnect the customer upon the following conditions:
(1)
The customer will be required to deposit with the Utility an amount
sufficient to guarantee the payment of the customer's bill for
Utility service.
(2)
The customer will be required to pay the Utility for any and all
damages to its equipment on the customer's premises due to such
stoppage or interference with its metering.
(3)
The customer must further agree to comply with reasonable requirements
to protect the Utility against further losses.
C.
When stoppage or interference is in connection with electric service
metering, the customer may be required, at the customer's own
expense, to place all of the customer's inside service wires
up to the meter in rigid conduit and to agree to reimburse the Utility
for the purchase price and installation costs of a meter socket of
a type to be selected by the Utility.
D.
Should the Utility subsequently have reasonable evidence that such
customer is receiving Utility service, either wholly or partly unmetered,
either in the customer's name or for the customer's use,
the Utility reserves the right to discontinue all Utility service
to such customer or for the customer's use and to refuse further
service until proper restitution has been made.
