Illinois Administrative Code › Title 83 - PUBLIC UTILITIES › Part 280 - PROCEDURES FOR GAS, ELECTRIC, WATER AND SANITARY SEWER UTILITIES GOVERNING ELIGIBILITY FOR SERVICE, DEPOSITS, BILLING, PAYMENTS, REFUNDS AND DISCONNECTION OF SERVICE › Subpart K - RECONNECTION › Section 280.180 - Reconnection of Former Residential Customers for the Heating Season

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 28, July 12, 2024
a
Any former residential customer whose
				gas or electric service was used to provide or control the primary source of space
				heating in the dwelling and whose service is disconnected for non-payment of a bill
				or a deposit from December 1 of the prior winter's heating season through April 1 of
				the current heating season shall be eligible for reconnection and a deferred payment
				arrangement under the provisions of this Section.
Under this Section, a
				former residential customer shall also include a former customer who has moved to a
				new location after the service at the customer's former premises was disconnected.
				However, it shall be the responsibility of the former customer to notify the utility
				of his or her need for service at the new premises, and a utility shall not be
				obliged to search for former customers who have moved for the purpose of subsection
				(g).
b Limitations:
A utility
				shall not be required to reconnect service to and enter into a deferred payment
				arrangement with a former customer under the provisions of this Section:
1
Except between November 1 and April 1 of
				the current heating season for former customers who do not have applications pending
				for the program described in Section 6 of the Energy Assistance Act
[305
				ILCS 20/6 ],
and except between October 1 and April
				1 of the current heating season for all former customers who do have applications
				pending for the program described in Section 6 of the Energy Assistance Act and who
				provide proof of application with the utility.
2
In two consecutive
				years;
3
Unless that
				former customer has paid at least 33
1/3
percent of the amount
				billed for utility service rendered by that utility subsequent to December 1 of the
				prior year.
A former customer who did not pay the required amount prior to
				disconnection may establish eligibility by paying the required amount when seeking
				reconnection under this Section. In addition to calculating the 331/3 percent the
				former customer must pay to establish eligibility, the utility shall calculate the
				amount the customer must pay to enter into a payment agreement. For purpose of
				simplification, the utility shall inform the customer of the total amount needed for
				reconnection, including amounts required under subsections (b)(3), (b)(4), (d) and
				(e). The utility shall accept multiple sources of payment, including but not limited
				to energy assistance program payments, for purposes of satisfying this
				requirement
.
4 Until
				the customer pays the charges associated with the tampering,
in any instance
				where the utility can show that there has been tampering with the utility's wires,
				pipes, meters (including locking devices), or other service equipment and further
				shows that the former customer enjoyed the benefit of utility service in the
				aforesaid manner.