Rhode Island Code of Regulations › Title 810 - Public Utilities Commission › Chapter 10 - Consumer Protection › Subchapter 00 - N/A › Part 1 - Rules and Regulations Governing the Termination of Residential Electric, Gas and Water Service (810-RICR-10-00-1) › Section 810-RICR-10-00-1.12 - Proof of Financial Hardship

Current through June 14, 2024
A. Each public
				 utility customer who seeks enrollment in a residential payment plan under the
				 financial hardship category shall annually affirm in writing that his or her
				 family or group income is at or below the annual or quarterly gross income levels
				 established for financial hardship in these Rules and Regulations. The utility
				 will provide customers with a copy of the Financial Hardship Statement (See Form
				 V in §
										1.21     of this Part (Appendix
				 B)) on an annual basis in a separate mailing. The notice included in the mailing
				 will explain the purpose of the Statement and indicate that the Statement must be
				 returned within forty (40) days of the mailing date.
B. Affirmation forms for implementation of
				 paragraph 6A above shall be prepared by each public utility and shall be approved
				 prior to use by the Division of Public Utilities and Carriers.
C. If the utility has reason to believe that a
				 customer, who has applied for enrollment, or who has enrolled, in a residential
				 payment plan under the financial hardship category, does not in fact qualify for
				 the financial hardship category, the public utility shall inform the Division of
				 Public Utilities and Carriers. The Division of Public Utilities and Carriers
				 shall then investigate and promptly determine whether the customer qualifies for
				 the financial hardship category. In the course of its investigation the Division
				 of Public Utilities and Carriers may require that the customer provide copies of
				 such documentation as is necessary to accurately establish the customer's annual
				 or quarterly family or group income. The Division of Public Utilities and
				 Carriers shall send written notice of the results of its investigation to the
				 public utility and customer along with a notice of the customer's right to appeal
				 such a decision pursuant to §
										1.13(D)(2)     of
				 this Part. The public utility and customer shall abide by the results of the
				 Division of Public Utilities and Carriers investigation unless revised on
				 appeal.
D. Within ten (10) days after
				 receiving written notice pursuant to §
										1.12(C)     of
				 this Part above, a customer or public utility aggrieved by the results of the
				 Division of Public Utilities and Carriers investigation shall request a hearing
				 before the Administrator of the Division of Public Utilities and Carriers or
				 designee of the Administrator of the Division of Public Utilities and Carriers.
				 Such hearing shall be conducted in accord with §
										1.14     of this Part.
E. During the pendency of a Division of Public
				 Utilities and Carriers investigation pursuant to §
										1.12(C)     of
				 this Part above, or during the pendency of a hearing pursuant to §
										1.12(D)     of
				 this Part above, the public utility may not refuse the customer enrollment in a
				 residential payment plan under the financial hardship category if that customer
				 complies with all other requirements of these Rules and Regulations.