Mich. Admin. Code R. 460.102 - Definitions; A to F
Rule 2. As used in these rules:
(a) "Actual meter reading" means a natural
gas or electric meter reading that is based on the customer's actual energy use
during the period reported and that complies with 1 of the following:
(i) Performed by a utility
representative.
(ii) Performed by
the customer and communicated to the company by mail, telephone, fax, on a
secure company website, or other reasonable means.
(iii) Transmitted to the utility from the
meter through a secure communication channel or by an automated or remote meter
reading device.
(b)
"Aggregate data" means any customer account information from which all
identifying information has been removed so that the individual data or
information of a customer cannot be associated with that customer without
extraordinary effort.
(c) "Answer"
means that a utility representative, voice response unit, or automated operator
system is ready to render assistance or ready to accept information necessary
to process the call.
(d) "Applicant"
means an emancipated minor, an individual 18 years of age or older, or a
business entity requesting utility electric or natural gas service in the name
of that individual or entity.
(e)
"Billing error" means an undercharge or overcharge that is caused by any of the
following:
(i) An incorrect actual meter
reading by a company representative.
(ii) An incorrect remote meter
reading.
(iii) An incorrect meter
constant or pressure factor.
(iv)
An incorrect calculation of the applicable rate.
(v) A meter switched by the utility or a
utility representative.
(vi) An
incorrect application of the rate schedule.
(vii) Failure to provide a monthly bill to
the customer at the end of a billing cycle except as provided in these rules or
other relevant tariffs.
(viii)
Another similar act or omission by the utility in determining the amount of a
customer's bill. An undercharge or overcharge that is caused by a
non-registering meter, a meter error, or the use of an estimated meter reading
or a customer reading is not a billing error.
(f) "Billing month" means a natural gas or
electric consumption period of not less than 26 days or more than 35
days.
(g) "Billing specialist" means
a representative of a utility who investigates and resolves meter reading
discrepancies or errors.
(h) "Call"
means a measurable effort by a customer to obtain a telephone connection
whether the connection is completed or not.
(i) "Call blockage factor" means the
percentage of calls that do not get answered.
(j) "Commission" means the Michigan public
service commission.
(k) "Complaint
determination" means the written decision of a hearing officer after a customer
hearing.
(l) "Complaint response" or
"response" means a communication between the utility and the customer that
identifies the problem and a solution to the complaint.
(m) "Complaint response factor" means the
annual percentage of the complaints forwarded to a utility by the commission
that are responded to within the time period prescribed by these
rules.
(n) "Critical care customer"
means any customer that requires, or has a household member who requires, home
medical equipment or a life support system, and that, on an annual basis,
provides a commission-approved medical certification form from a physician or
medical facility to the utility identifying the medical equipment or life
support system and certifying that an interruption of service would be
immediately life-threatening.
(o)
"Customer" means an account holder that purchases electric or natural gas
service from a utility.
(p)
"Customer hearing" means a hearing on a disputed matter before a hearing
officer that a utility offers to a customer under the provisions of
R 460.155.
(q) "Cycle billing" means a system that
renders bills for utility service to various customers on different days of a
calendar month.
(r) "Delinquent
account" means an account with charges for utility service that remains unpaid
5 days or more after the due date.
(s) "Eligible low-income customer" means a
utility customer whose household income does not exceed 150% of the federal
poverty guidelines as published annually in the Federal Register by the United
States Department of Health and Human Services under its authority to revise
the poverty line under 42
USC 9902, or who receives any of the
following:
(i) Supplemental security income
from the Social Security Administration or low-income assistance through the
department of health and human services or a successor agency.
(ii) Food stamps.
(iii) Medicaid.
(t) "Eligible military customer" means a
utility customer or spouse of a customer who is in the military and who meets
all of the following:
(i) Is on full-time
active duty.
(ii) Is deployed
overseas in response to a declared war or undeclared hostilities or is deployed
within the United States in response to a declared national or state emergency
and the household income is reduced as a result.
(iii) Notifies the utility of his or her
eligibility.
(iv) Provides
verification of eligibility if requested by the utility.
(u) "Eligible senior citizen customer" means
a utility customer who meets both of the following criteria:
(i) Is 65 years of age or older.
(ii) Advises the utility of his or her
eligibility.
(v) "Energy
assistance program" means a program that provides financial assistance or
assistance in improving residential energy efficiency and energy
conservation.
(w) "Energy usage"
means the consumption of electricity or natural gas.
(x) "Estimated bill" means a bill for service
at the premises that is not based on an actual meter reading for the period
being billed but that is based on calculations of how much natural gas or
electricity a customer likely used during the billing period.
(y) "Formal hearing" means a dispute
resolution process administered by an administrative law judge pursuant to
these rules, applicable tariffs, and
R 792.10101 to
R 792.11903 concerning practice and
procedure before the commission.
(z)
"Formal hearing request" means a document describing how a regulated utility
has violated these rules, a commission order, or a tariff that is presented in
writing to the executive secretary of the commission.
Notes
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