Washington Administrative Code › Title 480 - Utilities and Transportation Commission › Chapter 480-100 - Electric companies › Part II - CONSUMER RULES › Section 480-100-194 - Publication of proposed tariff changes to increase charges or restrict access to services

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
Each electric utility offering service under tariff must
				  publish or provide electronically all proposed changes to its tariff for at
				  least thirty days, as required by
				  RCW
				  80.28.060. For any proposed tariff change
				  that would increase recurring or per-occurrence charges or restrict access to
				  services (e.g., discontinue a service, or limit access to service by imposing a
				  new usage level on existing services), a utility must fulfill the requirements
				  of subsection (1), (2), or (3) of this section. For any other proposed tariffs,
				  the utility must fulfill the requirements of WAC
				  480-100-195. The utility will not
				  be required to accomplish publication under this section if it has agreed to
				  suspend its tariff filing and to provide notice as provided under WAC
				  480-100-197. The utility may
				  provide the information in an electronic format consistent with provisions in
				  this chapter governing the use of electronic information.
(1)
Thirty-day notice to individual
				customers.
To comply under this method, the utility must, at least
				thirty days before the stated effective date of the proposed change, mail or
				provide electronically the posting to each customer that would be affected by
				the proposed change. The posting must include the information listed in
				subsection (4) of this section. The utility may provide this information in an
				electronic format consistent with provisions in this chapter governing the use
				of electronic information.
(2)
Published notice.
To comply
				under this method, the utility must, at least thirty days before the stated
				effective date of the proposed change, publish notice of the proposed change
				within the geographical areas where it offers service. To meet minimum
				publication requirements, a utility must:
(a)
				Distribute copies of the published notice to community agencies and
				organizations in the geographic area where it offers service for posting and
				publication by the agency or organization. The utility must include in its
				distribution list any agency or organization that requests these
				notices;
(b) Cause to be printed in
				large print, as a paid advertisement, a complete copy of the published notice
				in the daily newspaper of general circulation with the greatest number of
				subscribers in each geographic area or each of the areas affected by the
				proposed tariff;
(c) Provide to the
				news editor of every newspaper, television station, and radio station in the
				geographic area within which it offers service a news release or public service
				announcement summarizing the published notice. The release or announcement must
				include a toll-free number that customers can use to obtain more information
				from the electric utility. The commission will maintain a list of area
				newspapers, television, and radio stations and will provide it on request to
				any utility; and
(d) Post a
				complete copy of the published notice on an Internet web site accessible to the
				public using generally available browser software.