Missouri Code of State Regulations › Title 20 - DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND INSURANCE › Division 4240 - Public Service Commission › Chapter 14 - Utility Promotional Practices › Section 20 CSR 4240-14.020 - Prohibited Promotional Practices

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 14, July 15, 2024
PURPOSE: This rule sets forth those promotional
				  practices of gas and electric utilities which are prohibited by the Public
				  Service Commission.
(1) No
				public utility shall offer or grant any of the following promotional practices
				for the purpose of inducing any person to select and use the service or use
				additional service of the utility:
(A) The
				financing of real property, including the construction of any building, when
				the property is not owned or otherwise possessed by the utility or its
				affiliate;
(B) The furnishing of
				consideration to any architect, builder, engineer, subdivider, developer or
				other person for work done or to be done on property not owned or otherwise
				possessed by the utility or its affiliate, except for studies to determine
				comparative capital costs and expenses to show the desirability or feasibility
				of selecting one (1) form of energy over another;
(C) The acquisition from any builder,
				sub-divider, developer or other person of any easement, right-of-way, license,
				lease or other property for consideration in excess of the reasonable cost or
				value;
(D) The furnishing of
				consideration to any dealer, architect, builder, engineer, subdi-vider,
				developer or other person for the sale, installation or use of appliances or
				equipment;
(E) The provision of
				free, or less than cost or value, wiring, piping, appliances or equipment to
				any other person; provided, that a utility, engaged in an appliance
				merchandising sales program, shall not be precluded from conducting legitimate
				closeouts of appliances, clearance sales and sales of damaged or returned
				appliances;
(F) The provision of
				free, or less than cost or value, installation, operation, repair, modification
				or maintenance of appliances, equipment, wiring or piping of any other
				person;
(G) The granting of a
				trade-in allowance on the purchase of any appliance or equipment in excess of
				the market value of the trade-in as well as the granting of an allowance for
				the appliance or equipment when the allowance varies by the type of energy
				consumed in the appliance or equipment;
(H) The financing of the acquisition of any
				appliance or equipment at a rate of interest or on terms more favorable than
				those generally applicable to sales by nonutility dealers in the appliances or
				equipment, except sales to company employees;
(I) The furnishing of consideration to any
				person for any advertising or publicity purpose of that person, except for
				payments not exceeding one-half (1/2) of the reasonable cost or value for joint
				advertising or publicity with a dealer in appliances or equipment for the sale
				or other provision of same if the utility is prominently identified as a
				sponsor of the advertisement; and
(J) The guaranteeing of the maximum cost of
				electric or gas utility service, except the guaranteeing of the cost of space
				heating or cooling for a single season, when the cost is at or above the cost
				of providing service and when the guarantee is for the purpose of improving the
				utility's off-peak season load factor.