Code of Vermont Rules › Agency 30 - PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION › Sub-Agency 000 - GENERAL › Chapter 043 - GENERAL ORDER NO. 43 RULES AND REGULATIONS PRESCRIBING STANDARDS FOR GAS UTILITIES › Section 30 000 043 - GENERAL ORDER NO. 43 RULES AND REGULATIONS PRESCRIBING STANDARDS FOR GAS UTILITIES

Current through June, 2024
It is HEREBY ORDERED that the following Rules and
				Regulations Prescribing Standards for Gas Utilities are adopted by
				the Public Utility Commission, effective March 30, 1965.
These Rules and Regulations shall apply to every
				person, firm, company, corporation, and municipality engaged in the
				business of manufacturing, distributing, selling, or transmitting gas
				in the State of Vermont and which is or shall become subject to the
				jurisdiction of this Commission.
Section
			 1 DEFINITIONS
In the interpretation of these Rules
				the following definitions shall apply: "Commission" shall mean the
				Public Utility Commission of the State of Vermont.
"Customer" shall mean any person, company,
				corporation, municipality, or other agency supplied with gas by any
				utility.
"Cubic Foot" shall mean, for the purpose of
				measurement to a customer, the amount of gas which occupies a volume
				of one (1) cubic foot under the conditions existing in such
				customer's meter as and where installed, provided such meter is not
				subjected to abnormal temperature conditions unless the meter is
				designed with temperature compensation. For the purpose of
				measurement for testing, "Cubic Foot" shall mean that quantity of gas
				which occupies one (1) cubic foot at a temperature of sixty degrees
				Fahrenheit (60 F), when saturated with water vapor, and under a
				pressure of thirty (30) inches of mercury.
"Gas" shall mean any manufactured fuel gas, including
				propane-air mixtures, propane or natural gas, or any combination
				thereof.
"Liquefied Petroleum Gas" shall mean a fuel gas
				composed predominantly of any or a mixture of the following:
Propane, Propylene, Normal Butane, Iso Butane, and
				Butylenes
"Total Heating Value" shall mean the number of
				British Thermal Units (BTU) produced by the combustion, at constant
				pressure, of the amount of gas that would occupy a volume of one (1)
				cubic foot at a temperature of sixty degrees Fahrenheit (60 F) and
				under a pressure equivalent to that of thirty (30) inches of mercury,
				with air at the same temperature and pressure as the gas, when the
				products of combustion are cooled to the initial temperature of the
				gas and air, and when the water formed by the combustion is condensed
				to the liquid state.
"Utility" shall mean any person,
				firm, association, partnership, company, corporation, their lessees,
				trustees, or receivers appointed by any court, who come within the
				jurisdiction of the Public Utility Commission and own, operate, or
				manage any plant or equipment, or any part of same, for the
				manufacture and/or furnishing of gas for domestic, commercial, and
				industrial users within the State.
Section 2 MODIFICATIONS OR
			 REVISIONS
Upon its own motion, or upon application, and for good
				cause shown, the Commission may modify, suspend, or repeal the
				provisions of any Rule herein. Application may be made to the
				Commission for the modification of any Rule or for temporary or
				permanent exemption from its provisions, provided however, that no
				utility shall submit such application for modification or exemption
				unless submitted therewith is a full and complete justification for
				the proposed change.
Section
			 3 FILING OF TARIFFS
No utility shall render
				service to any customer until a complete tariff containing rules,
				regulations, terms and conditions, and rate schedules, shall be
				published and filed with the Commission in accordance with the Rules
				governing the filing of tariffs as prescribed by the
				Commission.
Section
			 4 APPLICATION FOR SERVICE
An applicant desiring
				service under the utility's filed tariff may be required to make
				application for such service in writing, in accordance with the forms
				prescribed by the utility.
Whenever an applicant desires service of a character
				for which there is no rate of general application on file, a contract
				shall be executed between the applicant and the utility, and it shall
				become effective only after prior approval by the Commission.
Section 5 INFORMATION TO
			 CUSTOMERS
Each utility shall, upon request, give to its
				customers such information and assistance as is reasonable, in order
				that the customers may secure safe and efficient service at the most
				advantageous rate.
Each utility shall, upon request, explain to any
				customer the method of reading his meter and the calculation of his
				bill.
Section 6
			 DEPOSIT REQUIREMENTS
A utility, to protect against loss, may
				require a satisfactory deposit before rendering service to any
				customer. This deposit shall be not less than five dollars ($ 5.00)
				nor more than the estimated bill to cover a period of sixty (60) days
				of normal billing.
Section
			 7 MEASUREMENT OF SERVICE
All gas sold by a utility
				shall be charged for on a metered basis except when otherwise
				authorized by the Commission.
Section 8 METER READING AND BILL
			 FORMS
Each service meter of the displacement type shall indicate
				clearly the quantity of gas registered. When gas is measured under
				high pressure or when the quantity is determined by calculation from
				recording devices, the utility shall, upon request, supply to the
				customer all information needed to make clear to the customer the
				method used to determine the quantity of gas registered. All meter
				constants shall be plainly marked on the meter.
All service meters shall be read insofar as practical
				at regular intervals.
Bills shall be rendered at regular intervals and
				shall show the meter readings at the start and the end of the period
				for which the bill is rendered, the amount of gas registered, the
				date and the amount of the bill.
All bill forms for Domestic and General Service
				customers shall have thereon a notice to the effect that all rates
				are on file at the office of the utility and also with the Public
				Utility Commission.
Each utility having prepayment meters in service
				shall, upon request, at the end of each collection period inform the
				customer of the meter readings at the start and at the end of the
				period, and the amount of money taken from the meter for the period
				corresponding to the readings.
Each utility shall keep an accurate account of all
				charges for service billed to each customer and shall maintain
				records showing information from which each bill rendered may be
				readily computed.
Section
			 9 COMPLAINTS BY CUSTOMERS
Each utility shall make a
				prompt investigation of complaints received from customers including
				unsatisfactory pressure conditions, leaks and any other
				unsatisfactory or hazardous conditions. A record shall be kept
				including the name of the complainant, the date and character of the
				complaint, and the action required. This record shall not include
				data on service calls. The records of complaints shall be kept on
				file at least two (2) years and shall not be destroyed until a
				summary has been made for permanent record indicating the character
				of complaints made and the number of each type received each
				month.
Section 10
			 CHANGE IN CHARACTER OF SERVICE
In the event that any substantial
				change is contemplated by any utility in the composition of the gas,
				the pressure, or other service conditions that would necessitate
				adjustment of gas appliances, the appliances of all customers in the
				affected area shall be readjusted for the new conditions with a
				minimum of delay by the utility and without charge to the customers.
				In the event of any such proposed change the Commission shall be
				notified before the change is made.
Section 11 DISCONTINUANCE OF
			 SERVICE
A. By Customer. A customer
			 may be required to give reasonable notice of his intention to
			 discontinue service in accordance with tariff provisions and shall be
			 responsible for all charges for service until the expiration of such
			 notice period.
B. By
			 Utility
(1)
For
			 Non-payment of Bills
. A utility may require, in
			 accordance with tariff provisions, that bills be paid within a
			 specified time after presentation. Service may be disconnected for
			 nonpayment of bill following the expiration of the grace period
			 provided the customer has been given written notice at least five (5)
			 days prior to disconnection of service. If the service is
			 disconnected for non-payment of bill the utility may make a
			 reasonable charge to reconnect the service, the amount of such charge
			 to be specified in the terms of the filed tariff.
(2)
For Violation
			 of Rules
. No utility shall discontinue service to
			 a customer for violation of any rule without written notice to the
			 customer at least five (5) days prior to the disconnection of service
			 except that service may be terminated immediately and without such
			 notice when the violation of the rules is such as to cause a hazard
			 to life and/or property. Such notice to a customer concerning
			 proposed discontinuation of service for violation of any rule shall
			 specify to the customer the character of the violation.
(3)
For
			 Fraudulent Use of Service
. Any utility may
			 discontinue service without notice to the customer whenever a
			 fraudulent use of the service by the customer is detected.