Mich. Admin. Code R. 460.123 - Payment of bill
Rule 23.
(1) A
utility shall permit each customer a period of not less than 21 days from the
date the bill was sent to pay in full, unless the customer and the utility
agree on a different due date. A utility shall not withdraw funds from a
customers account before the due date in cases where a customer uses an
automatic bill payment plan unless the customer agrees to a different
period.
(2) Except as otherwise
provided in subrule (3) of this rule, a utility shall not attempt to recover
from a customer any outstanding bills or other charges due upon the account of
any other person, unless that customer has entered into a lawful guarantee
under
R 460.112, or another lawful
agreement to pay those bills and charges.
(3) To avoid shut off of residential service
pursuant to
R
460.137(2)(b), when an occupant has
lived with a residential customer within the last 3 years, currently resides
with the customer, and the customer has a delinquent account that remains
unpaid, is not in dispute, and accrued during shared residency, both are
equally responsible for the unpaid bill. The utility shall advise the customer
and occupant of the process by which the customer may refute this claim unless
that customer has entered into a guarantee under
R 460.112, or another agreement to
pay those bills and charges.
(4) The
customer has the right to pay any delinquent account at any time prior to the
shut off of service date to preserve uninterrupted service. After proper notice
of shut off under
R
460.139 and
R
460.140 has been provided, it shall be the customer's
responsibility to contact the utility and arrange payment before
disconnection.
(5) The utility may
authorize an agent to accept payments on behalf of the utility. The authorized
agent shall accept payment and provide payment verification, without request,
that may be used by the customer to verify payment with the utility. The
payment verification shall clearly state all of the following:
(a) That the payment may not be credited to
the customer's account for up to 2 business days.
(b) Any charges or fees for use of the
authorized agent services.
(c) That
to avoid shutoff, the customer must contact the utility with verification of
payment made to an authorized agent.
(6) The authorized agent shall remit payments
to the utility every other business day, at a minimum, and the company shall
credit those payments to customer accounts within 1 business day of receiving
them from the payment agent. Authorized agent locations shall be clearly marked
as "Authorized Agent for [Company]." The utility shall provide information on
bills every 6 months that warns customers not to use unauthorized payment
centers.
(7) Except in situations of
unauthorized use of utility service, a combination utility company, when
requested, shall permit eligible low-income customers to do any of the
following:
(a) Designate how partial payments
shall be applied to their account.
(b) Choose to retain either the electric
service or natural gas service if faced with a shutoff, provided that the
customer allows the utility to have access to the non-chosen service for
shutoff.
(c) Protect the retained
service from shut off during the heating season, provided that payments for
current usage are made on the retained service and the customer is in good
standing with the utility on any payment plan for which the customer
qualifies.
(8) Whenever
an eligible low-income customer of a combination utility company receives a
disconnect notice, the notice shall clearly show the customer has both of the
following options:
(a) An extended payment
plan for both gas and electric service.
(b) An extended payment plan to retain either
gas or electric service as chosen by the customer.
Notes
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