(a) Applicability. This section applies to retail electric providers (REPs) that offer a payment option in which a customer pays for retail service prior to the delivery of service and to transmission and distribution utilities (TDUs) that have installed advanced meters and related systems. A REP may not offer prepaid service to residential or small commercial customers unless it complies with this section. The following provisions do not apply to prepaid service, unless otherwise expressly stated:
(1) §25.479 of this title (relating to Issuance and Format of Bills);
(2) §25.480(b), (e)(3), (h), (i), (j), and (k) of this title (relating to Bill Payment and Adjustments); and
(3) §25.483 of this title (relating to Disconnection of Service), except for §25.483(b)(2)(A) and (B), (d), and (e)(1)-(6) of this title.
(b) Definitions. The following terms, when used in this section, have the following meanings unless the context indicates otherwise.
(1) Connection balance--A current balance, not to exceed $75 for a residential customer, required to establish prepaid service or reconnect prepaid service following disconnection.
(2) Current balance--An account balance calculated consistent with subsection (c)(6) of this section.
(3) Customer prepayment device or system (CPDS)--A device or system that includes metering and communications capabilities that meet the requirements of this section, including a device or system that accesses customer consumption information from a TDU's advanced metering system (AMS). The CPDS may be owned by the REP, and installed by the TDU consistent with subsection (c)(2)-(4) of this section.
(4) Disconnection balance--An account balance, not to exceed $10 for a residential customer, below which the REP may initiate disconnection of the customer's service.
(5) Landlord--A landlord or property manager or other agent of a landlord.
(6) Postpaid service--A payment option offered by a REP for which the customer normally makes a payment for electric service after the service has been rendered.
(7) Prepaid service--A payment option offered by a REP for which the customer normally makes a payment for electric service before service is rendered.
(8) Prepaid disclosure statement (PDS)--A document described by subsection (e) of this section.
(9) Summary of usage and payment (SUP)--A document described by subsection (h) of this section.
(c) Requirements for prepaid service.
(1) A REP must file with the commission a notice of its intent to provide prepaid service prior to offering such service. The notice of intent must include a description of the type of CPDS the REP will use, and the initial Electricity Facts Label (EFL), terms of service, and PDS for the service. Except as provided in subsection (m) of this section, a REP-controlled CPDS or TDU settlement provisioned meter is required for any prepaid service.
(2) A CPDS that relies on metering equipment other than the TDU meter must conform to the requirements and standards of §25.121(e) of this title (relating to Meter Requirements), §25.122 of this title (relating to Meter Records), and section 4.7.3 of the tariff for retail electric delivery service, which is prescribed by §25.214 of this title (relating to Terms and Conditions of Retail Delivery Service Provided by Investor Owned Transmission and Distribution Utilities).
(3) A TDU may, consistent with its tariff, install CPDS equipment, including meter adapters and collars on or near the TDU's meters. Such installation does not constitute competitive energy services as this term is defined in §25.341(3) of this title (relating to Definitions).
(4) A CPDS must not cause harmful interference with the operation of a TDU's meter or equipment, or the performance of any of the TDU's services. If a CPDS interferes with the TDU's meter or equipment, or TDU's services, the CPDS must be promptly corrected or removed. A CPDS that relies on communications channels other than those established by the TDU must protect customer information in accordance with §25.472 of this title (relating to Privacy of Customer Information).
(5) A REP may choose the means by which it communicates required information to a customer, including an in-home device at the customer's premises, United States Postal Service, email, telephone, mobile phone, or other electronic communications. The means by which the REP will communicate required information to a customer must be described in the terms of service and the PDS.
(6) A REP must calculate the customer's current balance by crediting the account for payments received and reducing the account balance by known charges and fees that have been incurred, including charges based on estimated usage as allowed in paragraph (11)(E) of this subsection.
(7) A REP must:
(8) Nothing in this subsection limits a customer from obtaining a SUP.
(9) The communications provided under paragraph (7)(A)-(D) of this subsection and any confirmation of payment as described in paragraph (7)(E) of this subsection, except a receipt provided when the payment is made in person at a third-party payment location, must be provided in English or Spanish, at the customer's election.
(10) A REP must cooperate with energy assistance agencies to facilitate the provision of energy assistance payments to requesting customers.
(11) A REP must not:
(12) A REP providing service must not charge a customer any fee for:
(13) If a customer owes a debt to the REP for electric service, the REP may reduce the customer's account balance by the amount of the debt. Before reducing the account balance, the REP must notify the customer of the amount of the debt and that the customer's account balance will be reduced by the amount of the debt no sooner than 10 days after the notice required by this paragraph is issued.
(14) In addition to the connection balance, a REP may require payment of applicable TDU fees, if any, prior to establishing electric service or reconnecting electric service.
(15) A REP that provides prepaid service to a residential customer must not charge an amount for electric service that is higher than the price charged by the POLR in the applicable TDU service territory. The price for prepaid service to a residential customer calculated as required by §25.475(g)(2)(A)-(E) of this title must be equal to or lower than the maximum POLR rate for the residential customer class at the 500 kilowatt-hour (kWh), 1,000 kWh, and 2,000 kWh usage levels as shown on the POLR EFL posted on the commission's website for the applicable TDU service territory. When an updated POLR EFL is posted on the commission's website, the REP, at the REP's option, may continue to reference the prior POLR EFL to ensure compliance with this paragraph for prepaid service prices charged during the first 30 days, beginning the date that the updated POLR EFL is posted. For a fixed rate product, the REP must show that the prepaid service prices calculated under §25.475(g)(2)(A), (D)-(E) of this title are equal to or lower than the test described in this paragraph at the time the REP makes the offer and provided that the customer accepts the offer within 30 days.
Cont'd...