Missouri Code of State Regulations › Title 20 - DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND INSURANCE › Division 4240 - Public Service Commission › Chapter 13 - Service and Billing Practices for Residential Customers of Electric, Gas, Sewer, and Water Utilities › Section 20 CSR 4240-13.015 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 14, July 15, 2024
PURPOSE: This rule defines various terms that are
				  used in this chapter.
(1) The
				following definitions shall apply to this chapter:
(A) Applicant means an individual(s) or other
				legal entity who has applied to receive service;
(B) Bill means a written demand, including,
				if agreed to by the customer and the utility, an electronic demand, for payment
				for service or equipment and the taxes, surcharges, and franchise
				fees;
(C) Billing period means a
				normal usage period of not less than twenty-six (26) nor more than thirty-five
				(35) days for a monthly billed customer nor more than one hundred (100) days
				for a quarterly billed customer, except for initial, corrected, or final
				bills;
(D) Complaint means an
				informal or formal complaint under
				4 CSR
				240-2.070;
(E) Corrected bill means any bill issued for
				a previously rendered bill;
(F)
				Credit score means a score, grade, or value that is derived by using data from
				a nationally known commercial credit source that uses data from a credit
				history model developed for the purpose of grading or ranking credit report
				data;
(G) Customer means a person
				or legal entity responsible for payment for service, except one (1) denoted as
				a guarantor;
(H) Cycle billing
				means a system which results in the rendition of bills to various customers on
				different days of a month;
(I)
				Delinquent charge means a charge for utility service that remains unpaid for at
				least twenty-one (21) days for a monthly-billed customer and for at least
				sixteen (16) days by a quarterly billed customer from the date the utility
				renders the bill, or a charge remaining unpaid after the preferred payment date
				selected by the customer;
(J)
				Delinquent date means the date stated on a bill, which shall be at least
				twenty-one (21) days for a monthly billed customer, and at least sixteen (16)
				days for a quarterly billed customer from the rendition date of the bill or the
				preferred payment date selected by the customer, after which the utility may
				assess a commission approved late payment charge in accordance with the
				utility's tariff on file with the commission;
(K) Denial of service means the utility's
				refusal to commence service upon an applicant's request for service at a
				particular location;
(L) Deposit
				means a money advance to a utility for the purpose of securing payment of
				delinquent charges which might accrue to the customer who made the
				advance;
(M) Discontinuance of
				service or discontinuance means a cessation of service not requested by a
				customer;
(N) Due date means the
				date stated on a bill when the charge is considered due and payable;
(O) Estimated bill means a charge for utility
				service which is not based on an actual reading of the meter or other
				registering device by an authorized utility representative;
(P) Final bill means a bill rendered for
				services through the final date of service;
(Q) Guarantee means a written promise from a
				third party to assume liability up to a specified amount for delinquent charges
				which might accrue to a particular customer;
(R) Initial bill means the first bill
				rendered by a utility for a customer's service;
(S) In dispute means to question and request
				examination of utility bills or services rendered;
(T) Inquiry means a question or request for
				information related to utility charges, services, practices, or
				procedures;
(U) Late payment charge
				means an assessment on a delinquent charge in accordance with a utility tariff
				on file with the commission and in addition to the delinquent charge;
(V) Payment means cash, draft of good and
				sufficient funds, or electronic transfer;
(W) Payment agreement means a payment plan
				entered into by a customer and a utility;
(X) Preferred payment date plan means a
				commission-approved plan offered at the utility's option in which the
				delinquent date for the charges stated on a bill shall occur on the same day
				during each billing period as selected by the customer;
(Y) Purchased gas adjustment (PGA) clause
				means the adjustment procedure approved by the commission to recognize
				variations in the cost of purchased gas;
(Z) Rendition of a bill occurs on the date
				mailed, sent electronically, or hand delivered;
(AA) Residential service or service means the
				provision of or use of a utility service for domestic purposes;
(BB) Seasonally billed customer means a
				residential customer billed on a seasonal basis in accordance with a utility
				tariff on file with the commission;
(CC) Settlement agreement means an agreement
				between a customer and a utility which resolves any matter in dispute between
				the parties or provides for the payment of undisputed charges over a period
				longer than the customer's normal billing period;
(DD) Tariff means a schedule of rates,
				services, and rules describing a utility's service, filed by a utility and
				approved by commission order or operation of law;
(EE) Termination of service or termination
				means a cessation of service requested by a customer;
(FF) Utility means an electric, gas, sewer,
				or water corporation as those terms are defined in section
				386.020, RSMo;
				and
(GG) Utility charges mean the
				rates for utility service and other charges authorized by the
				commission.