Ohio Admin. Code 4901:1-18-01 - Definitions

For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply:

(A) "Applicant" means any person who requests or makes application with a utility company for any of the following residential services: electric, gas, or natural gas.

(B) "Arrearages" means for each percentage of income payment plan plus (PIPP plus) customer such customer's accrued charges at the time the customer enrolls in the PIPP plus program, plus accumulated charges while enrolled in PIPP plus, but does not include current or past due monthly PIPP plus payments.

(C) "Bona fide dispute" means a complaint registered with the commission's call center or a formal complaint filed with the commission's docketing division.

(D) "Collection charge" means a tariffed charge assessed to a residential customer by a utility company when payment or proof of payment is given to a utility company authorized agent or employee sent to disconnect the service and who is authorized to accept payment in lieu of disconnection.

(E) "Commission" means the public utilities commission of Ohio.

(F) "Consumer" means any person who is an ultimate user of electric, gas, or natural gas utility service.

(G) "Customer" means any person who enters into an agreement, whether by contract or under a tariff, to purchase: electric, gas, or natural gas utility service.

(H) "Customer premise" means the service address where the customer receives the residential electric, gas, or natural gas utility service.

(I) "Default" means the failure to make the required payment on an extended payment plan by the due date.

(J) "Extended payment plan" means an agreement between the customer and the company that requires the customer to make payments over a set period of time to the company on unpaid amounts owed to the company.

(K) "Former percentage of income payment plan plus customer" (former PIPP plus customer) means a customer that (1) remains within the electric gas or natural gas utility company's service territory; (2) who either elects to terminate participation in the percentage of income payment plan PIPP plus program or is no longer eligible to participate in the percentage of income payment plan PIPP plus as a result of an increase in the household income or change in the household size; and (3) is not in a graduate percentage of income payment plan PIPP plus.

(L) "Fraudulent act" means an intentional misrepresentation or concealment by the customer or consumer of a material fact that the electric, gas, or natural gas utility company relies on to its detriment. "Fraudulent act" does not include tampering.

(M) "Graduate percentage of income payment plan plus customer" (graduate PIPP plus customer) means a customer who was previously enrolled in a percentage of income payment plan PIPP plus and who meets the requirements, as set forth in rule 4901:1-18-16 of the Administrative Code, to participate in the transitional phase of the income-based payment plan for low-income, residential customers served by regulated electric, gas, and natural gas utility companies.

(N) "Household income" has the meaning attributed to it by the Ohio department of development, office of community services, in the administration of the home energy assistance program.

(O) "On-time payment" means for the purpose of applying incentive credits, a PIPP plus installment received by the gas or natural gas company prior to the date that the next bill is issued.

(P) "Percentage of income payment plan plus" (PIPP plus) means the income-based payment plan for low-income, residential customers served by regulated electric, gas, and natural gas utility companies.

(Q) "PIPP plus anniversary date" means the calendar date by which the PIPP plus customer must be current on his or her income-based PIPP plus payments to continue participation in PIPP plus. The anniversary date shall be at or about every twelve months from when the customer enrolled in PIPP plus. This date is used to calculate whne when any missed income-based PIPP plus payments are due for continued PIPP plus program participation. This date is used to review and recalculate the arrearage credit, if necessary..

(R) "PIPP plus customer" means the customer currently enrolled in PIPP plus.

(S) "PIPP plus reverification date" means the calendar date by which the PIPP plus customer must document his or her household income and household size to continue participation in the PIPP plus program or participate in the graduate PIPP plus program. The reverification date shall be every twelve months from when the customer last reverified.

(T) "Tampering" means to interfere with, damage, or by-pass a utility meter, conduit, or attachment with the intent to impede the correct registration of a meter or the proper functions of a conduit or attachment so as to reduce the amount of utility service that is registered on the meter. Tampering includes the unauthorized reconnection of an electric, gas, or natural gas meter, or a conduit or attachment that has been disconnected by the utility company.

(U) "Utility company" means all persons, firms, or corporations engaged in the business of providing electric, gas, or natural gas service to consumers as defined in division (A)(06) of section 4928.01, division (A)(4) of section 4905.03, and division (G) of section 4929.01 of the Revised Code, respectively.

(V) "Winter heating season" means the time period from November first through April fifteenth.

Notes

Ohio Admin. Code 4901:1-18-01

Effective: 11/1/2021
Five Year Review (FYR) Dates: 6/30/2021 and 09/22/2026
Promulgated Under: 111.15
Statutory Authority: 4905.04, 4905.28
Rule Amplifies: 4905.06, 4905.22, 4933.12, 4933.121, 4933.122
Prior Effective Dates: 03/22/1980, 01/19/1984, 09/01/2004, 11/01/2010, 02/03/2011, 04/15/2015