Alabama Administrative Code › Title 770 - ALABAMA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION › Chapter 770-X-1 - GENERAL RULES › Section 770-X-1-.12 - Collection Of Delinquent Accounts And Discontinuance Of Service To Customers For Nonpayment

Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 9, June 28, 2024
(1) A
					customer's bill for telecommunications services may include a past due or
					delinquent date not earlier than fifteen (15) days after the billing date. For
					other utilities, any customer's bill for service not paid within ten (10) days
					from the due date of the bill shall then be delinquent. At any time after such
					bill becomes delinquent, the Utility may dispatch its collector to the premises
					of the customer for the purpose of collecting such delinquent account and, in
					event such dispatching is done, a collection fee in amount authorized by the
					Commission for the respective Utility shall be added to customer's delinquent
					account to cover in part the additional collection expense incurred by the
					Utility, provided this fee shall not be charged more than one time in any
					billing period. In event the collector is unable to contact the customer or his
					representative on the premises, notice of his visit should be left in a
					suitable location on the premises.
(2) At any time after a customer's account
					has become delinquent, the Utility shall give to the customer at least five (5)
					days' written notice of the Utility's intention to discontinue service of his
					account, including any subsequently rendered bill for service which has also
					become delinquent, if not paid in full. After the lapse of the period specified
					in the written notice, if the account for regulated utility service has not
					been paid in full, the Utility, notwithstanding any deposit referred to in
					770-X-1-.08 hereof, may then discontinue service without further notice,
					subject to the following specific provisions:
(a) The customer shall have the right of
					paying such delinquent account, which shall include any subsequent bill for
					service which has become delinquent, at any time prior to the actual
					disconnection of his service.
(b)
					Payment by the customer, as set out in (1) above, at a collection office of the
					Utility shall not affect the Utility's right during the day such payment is
					received to disconnect service for nonpayment, if such payment was unknown to
					the employee disconnecting service.
(c) The customer making payment in accordance
					with (2) above will not, in case his service is disconnected following payment,
					the same day, be required to pay any reconnection charge. A reconnection charge
					may apply if the company has certain knowledge that payment was made following
					disconnect.
(d) No service shall be
					cut off for nonpayment after 3:30 P.M. on any day immediately preceding a day
					or days when the Utility's office will be closed.
(e) No residential electric or natural gas
					service shall be disconnected for nonpayment when the temperature at that
					location is forecasted to be 32 degrees Fahrenheit or below for that calendar
					day. The controlling forecasted temperature for a particular location shall be
					the temperature forecasted by the National Weather Service for that location on
					the calendar day in question.