16 Tex. Admin. Code § 7.460 - Suspension of Gas Utility Service Disconnection During an Extreme Weather Emergency
(a) Applicability
and scope. This rule applies to gas utilities, as defined in Texas Utilities
Code, §
101.003(7)
and §
121.001, and to
owners, operators, and managers of mobile home parks or apartment houses who
purchase natural gas through a master meter for delivery to a dwelling unit in
a mobile home park or apartment house, pursuant to Texas Utilities Code,
§§
124.001 -
124.002, within the
jurisdiction of the Railroad Commission pursuant to Texas Utilities Code,
§
102.001. For purposes
of this section, all such gas utilities and owners, operators and managers of
master meter systems shall be referred to as "providers." Providers shall
comply with the following service standards. A gas distribution utility shall
file amended service rules incorporating these standards with the Railroad
Commission in the manner prescribed by law.
(b) Disconnection prohibited. Except where
there is a known dangerous condition or a use of natural gas service in a
manner that is dangerous or unreasonably interferes with service to others, a
provider shall not disconnect natural gas service in the following
circumstances.
(1) A provider shall not
disconnect a delinquent residential customer during an extreme weather
emergency. An extreme weather emergency means a day when the previous day's
highest temperature did not exceed 32 degrees Fahrenheit and the temperature is
predicted to remain at or below that level for the next 24 hours according to
the nearest National Weather Station for the county where the customer takes
service.
(2) A provider shall not
disconnect a delinquent residential customer for a billing period in which the
provider receives a written pledge, letter of intent, purchase order, or other
written notification from an energy assistance provider that it is forwarding
sufficient payment to continue service.
(3) A provider shall not disconnect a
delinquent residential customer on a weekend day, unless personnel or agents of
the provider are available for the purpose of receiving payment or making
collections and reconnecting service.
(c) Payment plans. Providers shall defer
collection of the full payment of bills that are due during an extreme weather
emergency until after the emergency is over, and shall work with customers to
establish a payment schedule for deferred bills as set forth in §
7.45 of this title (relating to
Quality of Service).
(d) Notice.
Beginning in the September or October billing periods utilities and owners,
operators, or managers of master metered systems shall give notice as follows:
(1) Each utility shall provide a copy of this
rule to the social services agencies that distribute funds from the Low Income
Home Energy Assistance Program within the utility's service area.
(2) Each utility shall provide a copy of this
rule to any other social service agency of which the provider is aware that
provides financial assistance to low income customers in the utility's service
area.
(3) Each utility shall
provide a copy of this rule to all residential customers of the utility and
customers who are owners, operators, or managers of master metered
systems.
(4) Owners, operators, or
managers of master metered systems shall provide a copy of this rule to all of
their customers.
(e) In
addition to the minimum standards specified in this section, providers may
adopt additional or alternative requirements if the provider files a tariff
with the Commission pursuant to §
7.315 of this title (relating to
Filing of Tariffs). The Commission shall review the tariff to ensure that at
least the minimum standards of this section are met.
(f) In accordance with Texas Utilities Code
§
105.023, the Office of
the Attorney General of Texas on its own initiative or at the request of the
Commission may file suit to recover a civil penalty for a violation of
subsection (b)(1) or (c) of this section. The table in this subsection contains
a classification system to be used by a court when such a suit is filed.
Notes
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