Texas Administrative Code › Title 16 - ECONOMIC REGULATION › Part 2 - PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION OF TEXAS › Chapter 25 - SUBSTANTIVE RULES APPLICABLE TO ELECTRIC SERVICE PROVIDERS › Subchapter B - CUSTOMER SERVICE AND PROTECTION › Section 25.25 - Issuance and Format of Bills

Current through Reg. 49, No. 28; July 12, 2024
(a)
				  Frequency of bills. An electric utility shall issue bills monthly, unless
				  otherwise authorized by the Public Utility Commission, or unless service is
				  provided for a period less than one month. Bills shall be issued as promptly as
				  possible after reading meters.
(b)
				  Billing information. The electric utility shall provide free to the customer a
				  breakdown of charges at the time the service is initially installed or modified
				  and upon request by the customer as well as the applicable rate
				  schedule.
(c) Bill content. Each
				  customer's bill shall include all the following information:
(1) if the meter is read by the electric
				  utility, the date and reading of the meter at the beginning and at the end of
				  the billing period;
(2) the due
				  date of the bill, as specified in §
											RSA
				  25.28 of this title (relating to Bill Payment
				  and Adjustments);
(3) the number
				  and kind of units metered;
(4) the
				  applicable rate schedule and title or code should be provided upon request by
				  the customer;
(5) the total amount
				  due after addition of any penalty for nonpayment within a designated period.
				  The terms "gross bill" and "net bill" or other similar terms implying the
				  granting of a discount for prompt payment shall be used only when an actual
				  discount for prompt payment is granted. The terms shall not be used when a
				  penalty is added for nonpayment within a designated period;
(6) the word "Estimated" prominently
				  displayed to identify an estimated bill;
(7) any conversions from meter reading units
				  to billing units, or any other calculations to determine billing units from
				  recording or other devices, or any other factors used in determining the bill;
				  and
(8) any amount owed under a
				  written guarantee contract provided the guarantor was previously notified in
				  writing by the electric utility as required by §
											RSA
				  25.24 of this title (relating to Credit
				  Requirements and Deposits).
(9) To
				  the extent that a utility applies a charge to the customer's bill that is
				  consistent with one of the terms set out in this paragraph, the term shall be
				  used in identifying charges on customer's bills, and the definitions in this
				  paragraph shall be easily located on the utility's website. A utility may not
				  use a different term for a charge that is defined in this paragraph.
(A) Advanced metering charge--A charge to
				  recover the costs of an advanced metering system;
(B) Energy Charge--Any charge, other than a
				  tax or other fee, that is assessed on the basis of the customer's energy
				  consumption.
(C) Energy Efficiency
				  Cost Recovery Factor--A charge approved by the Public Utility Commission to
				  recover the electric utility's cost of providing energy efficiency
				  programs.
(D) Fuel Charge--A charge
				  approved by the Public Utility Commission for the recovery of the utility's
				  costs for the fuel used to generate electricity.
(E) Meter Number--The number assigned by the
				  utility to the customer's meter.
(F) Meter Charge--A charge approved by the
				  Public Utility Commission for metering a customer's consumption.
(G) Miscellaneous Gross Receipts Fee--A fee
				  assessed to recover the miscellaneous gross receipts tax imposed on utilities
				  operating in an incorporated city or town having a population of more than
				  1,000.
(H) Municipal Franchise
				  Fee--A fee assessed to compensate municipalities for the utility's use of
				  public rights-of-way.
(I) Nuclear
				  Decommissioning Fee--A charge approved by the Public Utility Commission to
				  provide funds for decommissioning of nuclear generating sites.
(J) PUC Assessment--A fee assessed to recover
				  the statutory fee for administering the Public Utility Regulatory
				  Act.
(K) Sales tax--Sales tax
				  collected by authorized taxing authorities, such as the state, cities, and
				  special purpose districts.
(10) To the extent that a utility uses the
				  concepts identified in this paragraph in a customer's bill, it shall use the
				  term set out in this paragraph, and the definitions in this paragraph shall be
				  easily located on the utility's website. A utility may not use a different term
				  for a charge that is defined in this paragraph.
(A) Current Meter Read--The meter reading at
				  the end of the period for which the customer is being billed;
(B) kW--Kilowatt, the standard unit for
				  measuring electricity demand, equal to 1,000 watts;
(C) kWh--Kilowatt-hour, the standard unit for
				  measuring electricity energy consumption, equal to 1,000 watt-hours;
				  and
(D) Previous Meter Read--The
				  reading on the beginning the period for which the customer is being
				  billed.