New Mexico Administrative Code › Title 17 - PUBLIC UTILITIES AND UTILITY SERVICES › Chapter 5 - UTILITY INTERCONNECTIVITY AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS › Part 410 - RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER SERVICE BY GAS, ELECTRIC AND RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE UTILITIES › Section 17.5.410.15 - ESTIMATED BILLS

Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 13, July 16, 2024
A. A utility
				may render a bill based on estimated usage to a seasonally billed residential
				customer if an appropriate tariff is on file with the commission and an actual
				reading is obtained before each change in the seasonal cycle.
B. A utility may render a bill based on
				estimated usage to a residential customer other than a seasonably billed
				residential customer if the utility through no fault of its own is unable to
				obtain access to the residential customer's premises for the purpose of reading
				the meter or in situations where the residential customer makes reading the
				meter unnecessarily difficult; a meter is defective or has been evidently
				tampered with or bypassed; or weather conditions prohibit meter readings or
				where other force majeure conditions exist. If the utility is unable to obtain
				an actual meter reading for these reasons it shall attempt to contact the
				residential customer to obtain access to the premises, or it shall undertake
				reasonably practical alternatives to obtain a meter reading.
C. Notwithstanding the provisions of
				Subsection B of 17.5.410.15 NMAC, a utility may not render a bill based on
				estimated usage for more than two (2) consecutive billing periods without prior
				notification to the commission, nor for an initial or final bill for service,
				unless otherwise agreed to by the residential customer and the
				utility.
D. The estimating
				procedures employed by the utility must be contained in a tariff on file with
				the commission.
E. The utility
				must, for no less than twelve (12) months, maintain accurate records of the
				reasons for each estimate and the efforts made to secure an actual
				reading.
F. If a utility
				underestimates a residential customer's usage and subsequently seeks to correct
				the bill, the residential customer shall be given an opportunity to participate
				in an installment agreement with regard to the underestimated amount.
G. Upon request, a utility shall explain to
				any residential customer how to read and report electric or gas usage. Upon an
				agreement between a residential customer and a utility, a residential customer
				may read and report the electric or gas usage as long as such usage is reported
				on a regular and accurate basis. The utility shall provide a reasonable means
				for the residential customer to report meter readings. In such a case, at least
				annually, a utility shall obtain an actual meter reading of residential
				customer usage in order to verify the accuracy of readings reported in this
				manner. 17.5.410 NMAC shall not prevent a utility from reading meters on a
				regular basis.
H. A utility's
				tariff may provide for a residential customer to read and report the electric
				or gas usage on a regular and accurate basis.
I. Notwithstanding Subsections B, C and H of
				17.5.410.15 NMAC, a utility may estimate a billing in the event that a
				residential customer fails to timely and accurately report the
				self-reading.