Texas Administrative Code › Title 16 - ECONOMIC REGULATION › Part 1 - RAILROAD COMMISSION OF TEXAS › Chapter 7 - GAS SERVICES › Subchapter D - CUSTOMER SERVICE AND PROTECTION › Section 7.450 - Gas Distribution in Mobile Home Parks, Apartment Houses, and Apartment Units

Current through Reg. 49, No. 28; July 12, 2024
(a) Applicability.
				  This section shall not apply to any mobile home park, apartment house, or
				  apartment unit within a municipality that has a municipal ordinance, charter,
				  franchise agreement, or service rule in substantial compliance with the
				  provisions of this section. Such ordinance, charter, franchise agreement, or
				  service rule shall be subject to review by the Commission upon written
				  complaint by an owner, operator, manager, or mobile home park resident, or
				  resident of an apartment house or unit, that it does not substantially comply
				  with the provisions of this section.
(b) Delivery of gas. An owner, operator, or
				  manager of a mobile home park, apartment house, or apartment unit may purchase
				  natural gas through a master meter and deliver that gas through a submeter to
				  an individual mobile home or homes in the park or to apartment units within the
				  apartment house for domestic use by residents or occupants for the purpose of
				  fairly allocating the cost of each unit's gas consumption. The natural gas
				  shall not be delivered, sold, or resold to resident or occupant at a profit. An
				  owner, operator, or manager of a mobile home park, apartment house, or
				  apartment unit may not allocate or charge a resident for common areas, such as
				  laundry or recreational areas, unless the resident's or occupant's unit rate is
				  calculated based on amount of total gas through the master meter.
(c) Charges. Any sale or resale made by such
				  owner, operator, or manager shall be based solely on the monthly average cost
				  of gas on a volumetric basis to the owner, operator, or manager and on the
				  amount of usage by the mobile home park resident, or apartment house or
				  apartment unit occupant, plus a submeter fee or surcharge for each bill
				  rendered of not to exceed $3.00 per month. The computation of the average cost
				  of gas shall not include any penalties charged to the owner, operator, or
				  manager for late payment. No other charges shall be made to the mobile home
				  resident, apartment house, or apartment unit occupant in connection with the
				  delivery of natural gas to a submeter. The owner, operator, or manager shall
				  prepare and deliver or send a bill to each mobile home resident, apartment
				  house, or apartment unit occupant. The owner, operator, or manager, by
				  contractual agreement only, may collect reasonable deposits for gas service,
				  returned check fees, and late charges from its tenants. Any change in the
				  initial deposit, fees, or charges shall be approved by the
				  Commission.
(d) Recordkeeping. The
				  owner, operator, or manager shall keep adequate records in connection with
				  sales or resales of natural gas to mobile home residents, apartment house, or
				  apartment unit residents. The owner, operator, or manager shall make these
				  records available to the mobile home park, apartment house, or apartment unit
				  during regular business hours. Such records shall include the following:
(1) the billings from the supplier of the gas
				  to the owner, operator, or manager of the mobile home park for the current
				  month and the 12 preceding months;
(2) the computation of the average cost of
				  gas per month to the owner, operator, or manager for the current month and the
				  12 preceding months; and
(3) all
				  submeter readings and mobile home park residents, apartment house residents, or
				  apartment units residents billings for the current month and the 12 preceding
				  months.