Oregon Administrative Rules › Chapter 860 - PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION › Division 21 - UTILITY REGULATION › Section 860-021-0205 - Deposit Payment Arrangements for Residential Energy Utility Service

Current through Register Vol. 63, No. 7, July 1, 2024
(1) Except as
			 provided in OAR 860-021-0335(1) and (2), when an energy utility requires a
			 deposit, the customer or applicant may pay the deposit in full or in three
			 installments. The first installment is due immediately; the remaining
			 installments are due with the subsequent two monthly bills after the first
			 installment payment. Except for the last payment, installments shall be the
			 greater of $30 or one-third of the deposit. An energy utility shall not require
			 a low-income residential customer to pay a deposit.
(2) When an installment payment or a deposit
			 is made with a payment for energy utility service, the amount paid shall first
			 be applied toward payment of the amount due for deposit.
(3) When the energy utility requires the
			 customer or applicant to pay an additional deposit, the customer shall pay
			 one-third of the total deposit, or at least $30, whichever is greater, within
			 five days. The remainder of the deposit is due under the terms of section (1)
			 of this rule. If the customer has an existing deposit installment agreement,
			 the remaining installment payments will be adjusted to include the additional
			 deposit; however, two installment payments cannot be required within the same
			 billing period.
(4) When a customer
			 or applicant enters into an installment agreement for payment of a deposit
			 under section (1) of this rule, the energy utility shall provide written notice
			 explaining its deposit requirements. The notice shall specify that each
			 installment payment shall be due with each of the subsequent two monthly bills
			 for utility service and shall include a statement printed in bold-face type
			 informing the customer or applicant that utility service will be disconnected
			 if the energy utility does not receive the payment when due. The notice shall
			 also set forth the name and telephone number of the appropriate unit within the
			 Department of Human Services or other agencies which may be able to help the
			 customer obtain financial aid.
(5)
			 If a customer fails to abide by the terms of a deposit installment agreement,
			 the energy utility may disconnect service after a five-day notice. The notice
			 shall contain the information set forth in OAR 860-021-0405(2)(a), (b), (c),
			 (e), (f), and (g)  and shall be served as required by 860-021-0405(5).
(6) When good cause exists, the Commission or
			 the energy utility may provide more liberal arrangements for payment of
			 deposits than those set forth in this rule. The energy utility shall keep a
			 written record of the reasons for such action.
(7) If disconnection for nonpayment of a
			 deposit occurs, the customer disconnected shall pay the full amount of the
			 deposit, any applicable reconnection fee, late-payment fee, and one-half the
			 past due amount before service is restored. The customer shall pay the balance
			 of the past-due amount within 30 days of the date service is restored. A
			 customer may continue with an existing time-payment agreement by paying all
			 past-due installments, the full deposit, and other applicable fees.
Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 183, ORS 756, ORS 757 & OL
				  1987, Ch. 290
Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS
				  756.040 & OL
				  1987, Ch. 290