Texas Administrative Code › Title 16 - ECONOMIC REGULATION › Part 2 - PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION OF TEXAS › Chapter 24 - SUBSTANTIVE RULES APPLICABLE TO WATER AND SEWER SERVICE PROVIDERS › Subchapter I - WATER UTILITY SUBMETERING AND ALLOCATION › Section 24.281 - Charges and Calculations

Current through Reg. 49, No. 28; July 12, 2024
(a)
				  Prohibited charges. Charges billed to tenants for submetered or allocated
				  utility service may only include bills for water or wastewater from the retail
				  public utility and must not include any fees billed to the owner by the retail
				  public utility for any deposit, disconnect, reconnect, late payment, or other
				  similar fees.
(b) Dwelling unit
				  base charge. If the retail public utility's rate structure includes a dwelling
				  unit base charge, the owner shall bill each dwelling unit for the base charge
				  applicable to that unit. The owner may not bill tenants for any dwelling unit
				  base charges applicable to unoccupied dwelling units.
(c) Customer service charge. If the retail
				  public utility's rate structure includes a customer service charge, the owner
				  shall bill each dwelling unit the amount of the customer service charge divided
				  by the total number of dwelling units, including vacant units, that can receive
				  service through the master meter serving the tenants.
(d) Calculations for submetered utility
				  service. The tenant's submetered charges must include the dwelling unit base
				  charge and customer service charge, if applicable, and the gallonage charge and
				  must be calculated each month as follows:
(1)
				  water utility service: the retail public utility's total monthly charges for
				  water service (less dwelling unit base charges or customer service charges, if
				  applicable), divided by the total monthly water consumption measured by the
				  retail public utility to obtain an average water cost per gallon, liter, or
				  cubic foot, multiplied by the tenant's monthly consumption or the volumetric
				  rate charged by the retail public utility to the owner multiplied by the
				  tenant's monthly water consumption;
(2) wastewater utility service: the retail
				  public utility's total monthly charges for wastewater service (less dwelling
				  unit base charges or customer service charges, if applicable), divided by the
				  total monthly water consumption measured by the retail public utility,
				  multiplied by the tenant's monthly consumption or the volumetric wastewater
				  rate charged by the retail public utility to the owner multiplied by the
				  tenant's monthly water consumption;
(3) service charge for manufactured home
				  rental community or the owner or manager of apartment house: a manufactured
				  home rental community or apartment house may charge a service charge in an
				  amount not to exceed 9% of the tenant's charge for submetered water and
				  wastewater service, except when;
(A) the
				  resident resides in a unit of an apartment house that has received an
				  allocation of low income housing tax credits under Texas Government Code,
				  Chapter 2306, Subchapter DD; or
(B)
				  the apartment resident receives tenant-based voucher assistance under United
				  States Housing Act of 1937 Section 8, (42 United States Code,
				  §
													1437f); and
(4) final bill on move-out for submetered
				  service: if a tenant moves out during a billing period, the owner may calculate
				  a final bill for the tenant before the owner receives the bill for that period
				  from the retail public utility. If the owner is billing using the average water
				  or wastewater cost per gallon, liter, or cubic foot as described in paragraph
				  (1) of this subsection, the owner may calculate the tenant's bill by
				  calculating the tenant's average volumetric rate for the last three months and
				  multiplying that average volumetric rate by the tenant's consumption for the
				  billing period.