Arizona Administrative Code › Title 14 - PUBLIC SERVICE CORPORATIONS; CORPORATIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS; SECURITIES REGULATION › Chapter 2 - CORPORATION COMMISSION - FIXED UTILITIES › Article 2 - ELECTRIC UTILITIES › Section R14-2-210 - Billing and Collection

Current through Register Vol. 30, No. 28, July 12, 2024
A.
				Frequency and estimated bills
1. Unless
				otherwise approved by the Commission, the utility or billing entity shall
				render a bill for each billing period to every customer in accordance with its
				applicable rate schedule and may offer billing options for the services
				rendered. Meter readings shall be scheduled for periods of not less than 25
				days or more than 35 days without customer authorization. If the utility or
				Meter Reading Service Provider changes a meter reading route or schedule
				resulting in a significant alteration of billing cycles, notice shall be given
				to the affected customers.
2. Each
				billing statement rendered by the utility or billing entity shall be computed
				on the actual usage during the billing period. If the utility or Meter Reading
				Service Provider is unable to obtain an actual reading, the utility or billing
				entity may estimate the consumption for the billing period giving consideration
				the following factors where applicable:
a.
				The customer's usage during the same month of the previous year,
b. The amount of usage during the preceding
				month.
3. Estimated
				bills will be issued only under the following conditions unless otherwise
				approved by the Commission:
a. When extreme
				weather conditions, emergencies, or work stoppages prevent actual meter
				readings.
b. Failure of a customer
				who reads his own meter to deliver his meter reading to the utility or Meter
				Reading Service Provider in accordance with the requirements of the utility or
				Meter Reading Service Provider billing cycle.
c. When the utility or Meter Reading Service
				Provider is unable to obtain access to the customer's premises for the purpose
				of reading the meter, or in situations where the customer makes it
				unnecessarily difficult to gain access to the meter, that is, locked gates,
				blocked meters, vicious or dangerous animals. If the utility or Meter Reading
				Service Provider is unable to obtain an actual reading for these reasons, it
				shall undertake reasonable alternatives to obtain a customer reading of the
				meter.
d. Due to customer equipment
				failure, a one-month estimation will be allowed. Failure to remedy the customer
				equipment condition will result in penalties for Meter Service Providers as
				imposed by the Commission.
e. To
				facilitate timely billing for customers using load profiles.
4. After the third consecutive
				month of estimating the customer's bill due to lack of meter access, the
				utility or Meter Reading Service Provider will attempt to secure an accurate
				reading of the meter. Failure on the part of the customer to comply with a
				reasonable request for meter access may lead to discontinuance of
				service.
5. A utility or billing
				entity may not render a bill based on estimated usage if:
a. The estimating procedures employed by the
				utility or billing entity have not been approved by the Commission.
b. The billing would be the customer's first
				or final bill for service.
c. The
				customer is a direct-access customer requiring load data.
d. The utility can obtain customer-supplied
				meter readings to determine usage.
6. When a utility or billing entity renders
				an estimated bill in accordance with these rules, it shall:
a. Maintain accurate records of the reasons
				therefor and efforts made to secure an actual reading;
b. Clearly and conspicuously indicate that it
				is an estimated bill and note the reason for its estimation.