SubTitle16-245d-1_16-245d-2. Standard Billing Format for Electric Distribution Companies, Title16 Public Service Companies, Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies

Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies (Last Updated: June 14,2023)

SubTitle16-245d-1_16-245d-2. Standard Billing Format for Electric Distribution Companies

Sec. 16-245d-1. Bill components

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(a) Bills issued by an electric distribution company. Bills issued by an electric distribution company shall contain the following information:

(1) Payment Information. Each electric distribution company that is responsible for customer billing shall include the following payment information in each customer's bill:

(A) The payment due date; and

(B) The total amount owed by the customer, separated to show:

(i) Current charges; and

(ii) Any unpaid amounts from previous bills, except that an electric distribution company that bills for electric generation services is required to maintain and show the customer's outstanding electric generation services balances with an electric supplier in only two customer bills after the relationship between the electric supplier and the customer has ended for any reason.

(2) Electric distribution service charges. Each electric distribution company shall show electric distribution service charges as follows:

(A) Electric distribution charges, electric transmission charges, non-bypassable federally mandated congestion charges, competitive transition assessment, and the combined systems benefits charge, conservation and load management and renewable energy investment charges, each shown separately and in units of usage and cost per unit of usage, if applicable, with the total of such charges shown in bold print;

(B) All applicable end user taxes;

(D) The usage for the current month and each of the previous twelve months in the form of a bar graph or other visual form; and

(E) Such other information as will make possible a recomputation of the electric distribution service charges assessed.

(3) Electric generation service charges. Each electric distribution company shall show electric generation service charges as follows:

(A) The charges for electric generation services provided to the customer in the current bill period, in units of usage and charge per unit of usage;

(B) Bypassable federally mandated congestion charges, combined with any surcharges or credits, whether contractually agreed upon between the customer and electric supplier or allowed by the department pursuant to section 16-19b of the Connecticut General Statutes or other applicable law, in units of usage and charge or credit per unit of usage, provided, however, that the bill shall indicate the percentage of such combined charges that is attributable to bypassable federally mandated congestion charges;

(D) The total generation service charges in bold print;

(E) The effective generation rate for the current month and each of the previous twelve months, if available, in the form of a bar graph or other visual form. For purposes of this section, "effective generation rate" shall mean the total charges in the current bill period for electric generation services described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of this subdivision divided by the total kilowatt hours of usage for the bill period. The effective generation rate shall be shown in cents per kilowatt hour and shall be shown in at least hundredths of a cent;

(F) For renewable energy certificate-based alternative transitional standard offer service or alternative standard service, the premium charged in units of usage and charge per unit of usage; and

(G) Such other information as will make possible a recomputation of the electric generation service charges assessed.

(4) Customer Service Information. In addition to the separate bill component charges itemized in this subsection, each electric distribution company responsible for customer billing shall include the following customer service information on each customer's bill on and after January 1, 2000:

(A) The interest rate applicable to any amount unpaid after the due date;

(B) The toll-free number of the electric distribution company to report power outages and for other customer service inquiries;

(D) The name, toll-free number and address of the electric supplier, if applicable; and

(E) A statement that the Department of Public Utility Control makes available information concerning licensed electric suppliers doing business in Connecticut including information as to rates, charges, terms and conditions, energy sources and customer complaints.

(5) Bill Formats. Not later than forty-five (45) days prior to implementing any changes in its billing format, an electric distribution company shall submit to the Department of Public Utility Control a sample bill illustrating any such proposed changes.

(6) Electric Supplier Change Information. If an electric supplier notifies an electric distribution company of a change in a customer's selection of electric supplier, the electric distribution company shall, no later than forty (40) days after the electric distribution company's receipt of such notification:

(A) Include a message line on the customer's next bill informing the customer of the name, address and toll-free telephone number of the new electric supplier; or

(B) Separately notify the customer in written form of the name, address and toll-free telephone number of the new electric supplier.

(b) Bills issued directly by an electric supplier pursuant to Section 16-244i(c) of the Connecticut General Statutes. Bills issued directly by an electric supplier pursuant to Section 16-244i(c) of the Connecticut General Statutes shall conform with the following:

(1) For purposes of this subsection, the total maximum annual demand threshold set forth in section 16-244i(c) of the Connecticut General Statutes may be met if:

(A) The aggregate total maximum annual demand for each account of a customer meets or exceeds said threshold; or

(B) The total maximum annual demand of least one of the customer's accounts meets or exceeds said threshold.

(2) Payment Information. Each electric supplier that is responsible for customer billing shall include the following payment information in each customer's bill:

(A) The payment due date; and

(B) The total amount owed by the customer, separated to show:

(i) Current charges; and

(ii) Any unpaid amounts from previous bills.

(3) Electric generation service charges. On and after January 1, 2006, each electric supplier that bills for electric generation services shall show electric generation service charges as follows:

(A) The kilowatt hours consumed by the customer in the current bill period;

(B) The effective generation rate for the current month and each of the previous twelve months, if available, in the form of a bar graph or other visual form. For purposes of this section, "effective generation rate" shall mean the total charges in the current bill period for electric generation services divided by the total kilowatt hours of usage for the bill period. The effective generation rate shall be shown in cents per kilowatt hour and shall be shown in at least hundredths of a cent; and

(4) Customer Service Information. In addition to the separate bill component charges itemized in this subsection, each customer bill issued by an electric supplier shall include the following customer service information on each customer's bill on and after January 1, 2006:

(A) The name of service plan or applicable contract under which the customer receives electric generation services or a statement instructing the customer to consult the contract under which it takes service for such terms and conditions;

(B) The name, toll-free telephone number and address of the electric supplier;

(C) The toll-free telephone number of the Department of Public Utility Control for questions or unresolved complaints; and

(D) The name of the customer's electric distribution company to report power outages and for other electric distribution service inquiries.

(Adopted effective May 4, 1999; Amended August 23, 2000; Amended August 11, 2005)

Sec. 16-245d-2. Billing relationship between electric distribution company and electric suppliers

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(a) For purposes of this section, an electric distribution company shall classify current charges and past due charges in accordance with its rules and regulations filed with the department.

(b) Except as provided in subsection (c), an electric distribution company that bills customers for both electric distribution services and electric generation services shall apply any partial bill payments or late bill payments as follows:

(1) Total past due balances for the competitive transition assessment, the systems benefits charge, applicable end user taxes, the conservation and load management charge, the renewable energy investment charge, electric transmission service, and electric distribution service; then

(2) Total past due balances for electric generation services from present electric suppliers; then

(3) Total past due balances for alternative transitional standard offer or alternative standard service; then

(4) Current charges for the competitive transition assessment, the systems benefits charge, applicable end user taxes, the conservation and load management charge, the renewable energy investment charge, electric transmission service, and electric distribution service; then

(5) Current charges for electric generation services; then

(6) Current charges for alternative transitional standard offer or alternative standard service; then

(7) Total charges for electric generation services from former electric suppliers, in which case the most recent electric suppliers shall be paid first.

(c) Subsection (b) shall not apply to an electric distribution company that assumes all generation services charges by paying electric suppliers at the time the bill is rendered, as approved by the Department of Public Utility Control. In such case, the electric distribution company shall apply partial bill payments or late bill payments first to all past due balances, then to all current charges.

(d) An electric supplier that bills customers for electric generation services shall apply partial bill payments or late bill payments first to all past due balances, then to all current charges.

(e) The Department of Public Utility Control may waive compliance with subsections (b) to (d), inclusive, of this section upon a showing of a conflict between said subsections and federal or state law regarding the allocation of energy assistance bill payments. Any request for such a waiver shall demonstrate the conflict between said subsections and federal or state law and shall state which customers or payments to which the waiver would apply and a proposed methodology for allocating such payments.

(f) Unless otherwise provided by contract between the electric distribution company and the electric supplier, the electric distribution company shall, no later than thirty (30) days after full or partial receipt of customer payments for the electric generation services component of the bill, send such full or partial payments to the electric supplier.

(g) Following the termination of the relationship between a customer and an electric supplier, unless otherwise provided by contract between the electric distribution company and the electric supplier, an electric distribution company that bills the customer for both electric distribution services and electric generation services may cause the electric supplier to be solely responsible for collecting its balances associated with such customer after the issuance of the second customer bill following the termination of the relationship.

(h) The amount and rate of recovery of reasonable transaction costs that an electric distribution company may recover from electric suppliers for the provision of customer billing services shall be determined by the department, upon application by an electric distribution company, either in a rate proceeding held pursuant to section 16-19 of the Connecticut General Statutes or in another proceeding. An electric distribution company shall, consistent with the provisions of Section 16-19 of the Connecticut General Statutes notify each electric supplier to which it supplies customer billing services of any proposed rate amendment.

(Adopted effective May 4, 1999; Amended August 23, 2000; Amended January 28, 2002; Amended August 11, 2005)