220 ILCS 5/9-253
2021 Illinois Compiled Statutes|Chapter 220 - UTILITIES|220 ILCS 5/ - Public Utilities Act.|Article IX - Rates

(220 ILCS 5/9-253)Sec. 9-253.     Refunds.(a) If the Commission or a court  determines that a public utility has overcharged its customers  and orders that a refund be made to customers of the utility, a  portion of the refund shall be set aside  during the refund period  or for 120 days after the refund is ordered, whichever is longer,  and shall be used to pay  refunds to customers who were overcharged and are no longer  customers of the utility.  The Commission shall determine the  amount to be set aside for refunds to former customers.  The  Commission shall periodically review the appropriateness of the  amount of funds set aside for purposes of compensating former  customers and make adjustments as needed.(b) The utility ordered to make the refund shall notify the  public in the form designated by the Commission.  In determining  the form of the notice, the Commission shall take into account  the effectiveness of the format in reaching former customers as  well as the administrative costs of notifying past customers.(c) A portion of the funds set aside for refunds to former  customers may be used to cover administrative costs of the  refund.  The Commission shall determine the reasonableness of  such administrative costs and shall establish a formula for  determining how much of the funds may be used for administrative  costs.(d) Only a former customer who was a customer of the utility during the  period of the overcharges and who files a claim with the utility during the  refund period or within 120 days after the refund is ordered, whichever is  longer,  and proves that he was a customer of the utility during the period of  overcharges shall be entitled to a refund under this Section.  A claim for a  refund shall be in writing on a form provided by the utility.  For purposes of  this Section,  "prove" means providing a copy of a past bill for utility services  which shows that the claimant was a customer of record of the utility during  the period of overcharges.  The claimant shall not be obligated to provide a  past bill if there is less than 24 months between the date of the refund and  the period of the service to which the refund applies.(e) If a former customer claims a refund and owes a past due  amount to the utility, the refund amount shall be reduced by the  amount the customer owes the utility and that past due amount  shall be returned to the utility.(f) Interest shall accrue on the funds set aside until all moneys  have been paid out to customers.(g) At the end of the refund period or 120 days after the refund is  ordered, whichever is longer, any balance remaining after all legitimate  claims for  refunds have been paid shall be refunded to current customers of  the utility as a credit on their bills.(h) The Commission shall determine the formula on how amounts for refunds  to former customers shall be calculated.(i) This Section does not apply to refunds which were ordered  prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1994.(j) This Section does not apply to refunds ordered in reconciliation  proceedings pursuant to Section 9-220 of the Public Utilities Act.    (Source: P.A. 88-639, eff. 9-9-94.)