Base rate.
The rate stated in this division for each kilowatt beyond the minimum usage.
Church customer.
Any facility receiving electrical service which is owned by an established church and not used for living quarters or business purposes.
City limits.
The city limits of the City of Bellville, Texas.
Demand.
Each time electrical usage of ten (10) kW or greater is recorded and such rate of use continues for a period of fifteen (15) minutes or longer.
kW.
Kilowatt.
kWh.
Kilowatt hour.
Large commercial customer.
Any entity receiving electrical service not meeting the definition of a residential customer or municipal customer and which has demands of greater than ten (10) kilowatts.
Month.
The thirty (30) day billing period, and does not necessarily coincide with the calendar month.
Municipal customer.
Any entity receiving electrical service which has been duly incorporated as a city, town or village under the laws of the state.
Power cost adjustment (PCA).
The difference, expressed in cost per kilowatt hour, between the cost of power and related costs actually charged to the city by its wholesale supplier at the time of billing and the cost of power and related costs charged to the city at the time of the adoption of this division. The PCA shall be computed as follows:
PCA = A - B + (-) C/kWh
A = Total purchased power cost.
B = Total purchased power cost included in the city’s current base rates computed as follows:
B = D x kWh
D = Power cost per kWh sold included in city’s current base rates ($0.04482/kWh).
kWh = Estimated kWh sales for billing period.
C = Adjustment to be applied to the current monthly billing to account for differences in actual power costs and related costs from the prior billing period.
Residential customer.
Any person receiving electrical service provided to a dwelling used by a person or persons as living quarters and at which place no business for profit is conducted.
Small commercial customer.
Any entity receiving electrical service which does not meet the definition of a residential customer and which has demands less than ten (10) kilowatts.
(1994 Code, sec. 11.501)
(a) 
(1) 
Basic electrical service for residential and commercial customers shall be overhead service. Subject to the limitations hereafter set forth, the city will provide overhead electrical service to the meter socket nearest the property line of the customer without cost. The meter socket shall be located at the site designated by the city. A meter pedestal, in substantially the same configuration as shown in exhibit A attached to Ordinance 1088 and incorporated herein, is the preferred method of installation. Other configurations may be approved by the electrical superintendent.
(2) 
Under its standard service, the city shall provide one span not to exceed 300 feet of primary wire, one 75 kVA distribution transformer and one 200 amp meter for single phase and 400 feet and primary metering for three phases. The meter and meter socket shall be furnished by the city and shall remain city property. All equipment, line and labor necessary to provide service above and beyond the basic service, including the cost of upgrading service to underground service, shall be the responsibility of the customer. The policy of the city is that it will not install or maintain secondary underground electrical service. The customer may, at his expense, install secondary underground electrical service and shall solely be responsible for its maintenance.
(b) 
All work necessary to bring electric service from the transformer or meter socket located at a meter pedestal to the structure shall be performed by a licensed electrician at the cost of the customer. It shall be the responsibility of the customer to hire and pay the electrician. The electrical contractor must coordinate all construction through the electrical superintendent or his designee.
(c) 
Subject to the limitation set forth hereafter for commercial or industrial accounts, the cost of any upgrade or extension beyond the service offered by the city as basic service shall be payable to the city in advance of any work being performed based on a good faith estimate made by the electrical superintendent. The customer shall be given a credit for the cost avoided by the city in not providing the basic service.
(d) 
For any service over and above basic service, at the request of the customer, the electrical superintendent shall review the actual revenue generated to the city based on the use of electricity for the preceding twelve months. In the event that the revenue generated from the sale of electricity is in excess of $8,000.00 per month, the city shall provide a credit equal to the actual cost incurred in providing all the equipment and line necessary to supply the electricity. In the event the revenue is over $4,000.00 per month but less than $8,000.00, the city shall rebate one-half of the cost of the equipment and line necessary to supply the electricity. In the event the revenue is less than $4,000.00, no rebate shall be available.
(e) 
The city hereby abandons any non-dedicated electrical easement located within the city limits that is being used solely in connection with underground secondary electrical service and the equipment located thereon. After the effective date of this section, the property owner shall be solely responsible for all line and other equipment located entirely on his private property. Notwithstanding the above, the meter shall remain the property of the city.
(f) 
Notwithstanding the abandonment of the easement and equipment as stated herein, each electrical customer of the city, by requesting service, grants permission to the city to come onto any portion of the property to read the meter and to verify the safe and correct wiring, metering and connection of electrical service. In the event of an emergency outage, the customer grants permission to the city to lay a temporary line until repairs can be effected. The customer assumes full responsibility of the operation of the temporary line and shall indemnify and hold the city harmless from all claims arising from the use of the temporary line. The temporary line is to be used only until repairs can be made and in no event longer than a 48-hour period. It shall be the customer’s responsibility to obtain the services of a licensed electrician to make the repairs. In the event the customer is unable to have the repairs made within the forty-eight-hour period, the city shall have the option to either disconnect the service or to make the minimum repairs necessary to safely restore the electrical service. In absence of gross negligence, the city shall not be responsible to repair or replace any improvement removed or damaged in connection with repair of electrical services. By way of example and without the same being construed in any manner to be a limitation on the waiver of responsibility, the city shall not be required to repair or replace grass, shrubbery, fencing, decking, or any other improvement built by the customer on or over the electrical service. The customer shall be responsible for all labor, material and overhead incurred by the city in making the repairs. In the event the cost of repairs is not paid on or before the delinquency date of the next billing cycle, the service shall be disconnected.
(1994 Code, sec. 11.506)
(a) 
All entities receiving electrical service shall be classified as follows:
(1) 
Residential customers;
(2) 
Small commercial customers;
(3) 
Large commercial customers;
(4) 
Municipal customers;
(5) 
Church customers.
(b) 
If any customer fails to meet any of the definitions given above, that customer shall be classified in the category which most nearly reflects their use of electricity.
(c) 
In addition to the above, each customer shall be determined to be inside or outside the city limits and classified accordingly.
(1994 Code, sec. 11.502)
(a) 
Each residential customer inside the city limits shall be charged as provided for in the fee schedule found in appendix A of this code. The base rate shall be adjusted monthly in accordance with the power cost adjustment.
(b) 
Each residential customer outside the city limits shall be charged as provided for in the fee schedule found in appendix A of this code. The base rate shall be adjusted monthly in accordance with the power cost adjustment.
(c) 
Each small commercial customer inside the city limits shall be charged as provided for in the fee schedule found in appendix A of this code. The base rate shall be adjusted in accordance with the power cost adjustment.
(d) 
Each small commercial customer outside the city limits shall be charged as provided for in the fee schedule found in appendix A of this code. The base rate shall be adjusted monthly in accordance with the power cost adjustment.
(e) 
Each large commercial customer inside the city limits shall be charged as provided for in the fee schedule found in appendix A of this code. The base rate shall be adjusted monthly in accordance with the power cost adjustment.
(f) 
Each large commercial customer outside the city limits shall be charged as provided for in the fee schedule found in appendix A of this code. The base rate shall be adjusted monthly in accordance with the power cost adjustment.
(g) 
Each municipal customer shall be charged as provided for in the fee schedule found in appendix A of this code. The base rate shall be adjusted monthly in accordance with the power cost adjustment.
(1994 Code, sec. 11.503)
All rates described herein are net rates; gross rates begin ten percent (10%) higher. In the event a current monthly bill is not paid within ten (10) days of the date of the bill, gross rates shall apply. Any account delinquent for more than ten (10) days is subject to disconnection. A reconnection fee as provided for in the fee schedule found in appendix A of this code shall be charged to reconnect service to any account disconnected.
(1994 Code, sec. 11.505(b))
All taxes imposed by any governmental entity on electrical services supplied herein shall be collected in addition to charges required under this division.
(1994 Code, sec. 11.505(d))
(a) 
If reasonable and practical, security lights shall be installed at the request of the customer. The cost shall be as provided for in the fee schedule found in appendix A of this code. The city may in addition impose a reasonable fee per month to enable the city to recoup the cost of lights and related equipment.
(b) 
Any customer requesting an ordered security light be discontinued within twelve (12) months from the installation date shall be charged with a minimum fee equivalent to the cost of the security light for one (1) year.
(1994 Code, sec. 11.505(f), (g))