(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of the general statutes no electric distribution, gas, telephone or water company, no electric supplier or certified telecommunications provider, and no municipal utility furnishing electric, gas, telephone or water service shall cause cessation of any such service by reason of delinquency in payment for such service (1) on any Friday, Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday or day before any legal holiday, provided such a company, electric supplier, certified telecommunications provider or municipal utility may cause cessation of such service to a nonresidential account on a Friday which is not a legal holiday or the day before a legal holiday when the business offices of the company, electric supplier, certified telecommunications provider or municipal utility are open to the public the succeeding Saturday, (2) at any time during which the business offices of said company, electric supplier, certified telecommunications provider or municipal utility are not open to the public, or (3) within one hour before the closing of the business offices of said company, electric supplier or municipal utility.
(b) (1) From November first to May first, inclusive, no electric distribution company, as defined in section 16-1, no electric supplier and no municipal utility furnishing electricity shall terminate, deny or refuse to reinstate residential electric service in hardship cases where the customer lacks the financial resources to pay his or her entire account. From November first to May first, inclusive, no gas company and no municipal utility furnishing gas shall terminate, deny or refuse to reinstate residential gas service in hardship cases where the customer uses such gas for heat and lacks the financial resources to pay his or her entire account, except a gas company that, between May second and October thirty-first, terminated gas service to a residential customer who uses gas for heat and who, during the previous period of November first to May first, had gas service maintained because of hardship status, may refuse to reinstate the gas service from November first to May first, inclusive, only if the customer has failed to pay, since the preceding November first, the lesser of: (A) Twenty per cent of the outstanding principal balance owed the gas company as of the date of termination, (B) one hundred dollars, or (C) the minimum payments due under the customer's amortization agreement. Notwithstanding any other provision of the general statutes to the contrary, no electric distribution or gas company, no electric supplier and no municipal utility furnishing electricity or gas shall terminate, deny or refuse to reinstate residential electric or gas service where the customer lacks the financial resources to pay his or her entire account and for which customer or a member of the customer's household the termination, denial of or failure to reinstate such service would create a life-threatening situation. No electric distribution or gas company, no electric supplier and no municipal utility furnishing electricity or gas shall terminate, deny or refuse to reinstate residential electric or gas service where the customer is a hardship case and lacks the financial resources to pay his or her entire account and a child not more than twenty-four months old resides in the customer's household and such child has been admitted to the hospital and received discharge papers on which the attending physician, physician assistant or an advanced practice registered nurse has indicated such service is a necessity for the health and well-being of such child.
(2) During any period in which a residential customer is subject to termination, an electric distribution or gas company, an electric supplier or a municipal utility furnishing electricity or gas shall provide such residential customer whose account is delinquent an opportunity to enter into a reasonable amortization agreement with such company, electric supplier or utility to pay such delinquent account and to avoid termination of service. Such amortization agreement shall allow such customer adequate opportunity to apply for and receive the benefits of any available energy assistance program. An amortization agreement shall be subject to amendment on customer request if there is a change in the customer's financial circumstances.
(3) As used in this section, (A) “household income” means the combined income over a twelve-month period of the customer and all adults, except children of the customer, who are and have been members of the household for six months or more, and (B) “hardship case” includes, but is not limited to: (i) A customer receiving local, state or federal public assistance; (ii) a customer whose sole source of financial support is Social Security, United States Department of Veterans Affairs or unemployment compensation benefits; (iii) a customer who is head of the household and is unemployed, and the household income is less than three hundred per cent of the poverty level determined by the federal government; (iv) a customer who is seriously ill or who has a household member who is seriously ill; (v) a customer whose income falls below one hundred twenty-five per cent of the poverty level determined by the federal government; and (vi) a customer whose circumstances threaten a deprivation of food and the necessities of life for himself or dependent children if payment of a delinquent bill is required.
(4) In order for a residential customer of a gas or electric distribution company using gas or electricity for heat to be eligible to have any moneys due and owing deducted from the customer's delinquent account pursuant to this subdivision, the company furnishing gas or electricity shall require that the customer (A) apply and be eligible for benefits available under the Connecticut energy assistance program or state appropriated fuel assistance program; (B) authorize the company to send a copy of the customer's monthly bill directly to any energy assistance agency for payment; (C) enter into and comply with an amortization agreement, which agreement is consistent with decisions and policies of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority. Such an amortization agreement shall reduce a customer's payment by the amount of the benefits reasonably anticipated from the Connecticut energy assistance program, state appropriated fuel assistance program or other energy assistance sources. Unless the customer requests otherwise, the company shall budget a customer's payments over a twelve-month period with an affordable increment to be applied to any arrearage, provided such payment plan will not result in loss of any energy assistance benefits to the customer. If a customer authorizes the company to send a copy of his monthly bill directly to any energy assistance agency for payment, the energy assistance agency shall make payments directly to the company. If, on April thirtieth, a customer has been in compliance with the requirements of subparagraphs (A) to (C), inclusive, of this subdivision, during the period starting on the preceding November first, or from such time as the customer's account becomes delinquent, the company shall deduct from such customer's delinquent account an additional amount equal to the amount of money paid by the customer between the preceding November first and April thirtieth and paid on behalf of the customer through the Connecticut energy assistance program and state appropriated fuel assistance program. Any customer in compliance with the requirements of subparagraphs (A) to (C), inclusive, of this subdivision, on April thirtieth who continues to comply with an amortization agreement through the succeeding October thirty-first, shall also have an amount equal to the amount paid pursuant to such agreement and any amount paid on behalf of such customer between May first and the succeeding October thirty-first deducted from the customer's delinquent account. In no event shall the deduction of any amounts pursuant to this subdivision result in a credit balance to the customer's account. No customer shall be denied the benefits of this subdivision due to an error by the company. The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority shall allow the amounts deducted from the customer's account pursuant to the implementation plan, described in subdivision (5) of this subsection, to be recovered by the company in its rates as an operating expense, pursuant to said implementation plan. If the customer fails to comply with the terms of the amortization agreement or any decision of the authority rendered in lieu of such agreement and the requirements of subparagraphs (A) to (C), inclusive, of this subdivision, the company may terminate service to the customer, pursuant to all applicable regulations, provided such termination shall not occur between November first and May first.
(5) Each gas and electric distribution company shall submit to the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority annually, on or before July first, an implementation plan which shall include information concerning amortization agreements, counseling, reinstatement of eligibility, rate impacts and any other information deemed relevant by the authority. The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority may, in consultation with the Office of Policy and Management, approve or modify such plan within ninety days of receipt of the plan. If the authority does not take any action on such plan within ninety days of its receipt, the plan shall automatically take effect at the end of the ninety-day period, provided the authority may extend such period for an additional thirty days by notifying the company before the end of the ninety-day period. Any amount recovered by a company in its rates pursuant to this subsection shall not include any amount approved by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority as an uncollectible expense. The authority may deny all or part of the recovery required by this subsection if it determines that the company seeking recovery has been imprudent, inefficient or acting in violation of statutes or regulations regarding amortization agreements.
(6) On or after January 1, 1993, the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority may require gas companies to expand the provisions of subdivisions (4) and (5) of this subsection to all hardship customers. Any such requirement shall not be effective until November 1, 1993.
(7) (A) All electric distribution and gas companies, electric suppliers and municipal utilities furnishing electricity or gas shall collaborate in developing, subject to approval by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, standard provisions for the notice of delinquency and impending termination under subsection (a) of section 16-262d. Each such company and utility shall place on the front of such notice a provision that the company, electric supplier or utility shall not effect termination of service to a residential dwelling for nonpayment of disputed bills during the pendency of any complaint. In addition, the notice shall state that the customer must pay current and undisputed bill amounts during the pendency of the complaint. (B) At the beginning of any discussion with a customer concerning a reasonable amortization agreement, any such company or utility shall inform the customer (i) of the availability of a process for resolving disputes over what constitutes a reasonable amortization agreement, (ii) that the company, electric supplier or utility will refer such a dispute to one of its review officers as the first step in attempting to resolve the dispute, and (iii) that the company, electric supplier or utility shall not effect termination of service to a residential dwelling for nonpayment of a delinquent account during the pendency of any complaint, investigation, hearing or appeal initiated by the customer, unless the customer fails to pay undisputed bills, or undisputed portions of bills, for service received during such period. (C) Each such company, electric supplier and utility shall inform and counsel all customers who are hardship cases as to the availability of all public and private energy conservation programs, including programs sponsored or subsidized by such companies and utilities, eligibility criteria, where to apply, and the circumstances under which such programs are available without cost.
(8) The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority shall adopt regulations in accordance with chapter 54 to carry out the provisions of this subsection. Such regulations shall include, but not be limited to, criteria for determining hardship cases and for reasonable amortization agreements, including appeal of such agreements, for categories of customers. Such regulations may include the establishment of a reasonable rate of interest which a company may charge on the unpaid balance of a customer's delinquent bill and a description of the relationship and responsibilities of electric suppliers to customers.
(c) Each electric distribution and gas company, electric supplier and municipal utility shall, not later than December first, annually, submit a report to the authority and the General Assembly indicating (1) the number of customers in each of the following categories and the total delinquent balances for such customers as of the preceding May first: (A) Customers who are hardship cases and (i) who made arrangements for reasonable amortization agreements, (ii) who did not make such arrangements, and (B) customers who are nonhardship cases and who made arrangements for reasonable amortization, (2) (A) the number of heating customers receiving energy assistance during the preceding heating season and the total amount of such assistance, and (B) the total balance of the accounts of such customers after all energy assistance is applied to the accounts, (3) the number of hardship cases reinstated between November first of the preceding year and May first of the same year, the number of hardship cases terminated between May first of the same year and November first and the number of hardship cases reinstated during each month from May to November, inclusive, of the same year, (4) the number of reasonable amortization agreements executed and the number breached during the same year by (A) hardship cases, and (B) nonhardship cases, and (5) the number of accounts of (A) hardship cases, and (B) nonhardship cases for which part or all of the outstanding balance is written off as uncollectible during the preceding year and the total amount of such uncollectibles.
(d) Nothing in this section shall (1) prohibit a public service company, electric supplier or municipal utility from terminating residential utility service upon request of the customer or in accordance with section 16-262d upon default by the customer on an amortization agreement or collecting delinquent accounts through legal processes, including the processes authorized by section 16-262f, or (2) relieve such company, electric supplier or municipal utility of its responsibilities set forth in sections 16-262d and 16-262e to occupants of residential dwellings or, with respect to a public service company or electric supplier, the responsibilities set forth in section 19a-109.
(e) No provision of the Freedom of Information Act, as defined in section 1-200, shall be construed to require or permit a municipal utility furnishing electric, gas or water service, a municipality furnishing water or sewer service, a district established by special act or pursuant to chapter 105 and furnishing water or sewer service or a regional authority established by special act to furnish water or sewer service to disclose records under the Freedom of Information Act, as defined in section 1-200, which identify or could lead to identification of the utility usage or billing information of individual customers, to the extent such disclosure would constitute an invasion of privacy. Nothing in this section prohibits the disclosure of delinquencies or enforcement actions.
(f) If an electric supplier suffers a loss of revenue by operation of this section, the supplier may make a claim for such revenue to the authority. The electric distribution company shall reimburse the electric supplier for such losses found to be reasonable by the authority at the lower of (1) the price of the contract between the supplier and the customer, or (2) the electric distribution company's price to customers for default service, as determined by the authority. The electric distribution company may recover such reimbursement, along with transaction costs, through the systems benefits charge.
(1969, P.A. 194, S. 1; P.A. 75-625, S. 2, 8; P.A. 79-362, S. 1, 2; P.A. 83-505, S. 1, 3; P.A. 90-338; P.A. 91-150, S. 1, 2; P.A. 95-39, S. 1, 3; 95-274, S. 2; P.A. 96-46, S. 3; 96-204; P.A. 97-9, S. 1, 2; 97-20, S. 1, 2; 97-47, S. 32; P.A. 98-28, S. 38, 117; P.A. 99-222, S. 14, 19; P.A. 03-47, S. 1; P.A. 07-242, S. 67; P.A. 11-80, S. 1, 120; P.A. 12-197, S. 31; P.A. 13-276, S. 41; P.A. 14-134, S. 100; P.A. 18-72, S. 27; P.A. 21-196, S. 16.)
History: P.A. 75-625 included telephone companies and service and municipal utilities providing gas, electric, telephone or water service in provisions and added “notwithstanding” phrase; P.A. 79-362 prohibited cessation of services to any customer because of delinquent payment “within one hour before the closing” of business office and added Subsecs. (b) and (c); P.A. 83-505 renumbered Subsec. (b)(4) as Subdiv. (5) and inserted new Subdiv. (4) setting forth requirements re notice to customers of termination and reasonable amortization agreement procedures and energy conservation programs and relettered Subsec. (c) as Subsec. (d) and inserted new Subsec. (c) requiring companies and utilities to submit annual report consisting of data re delinquencies and terminations; P.A. 90-338 added Subsec. (e) re nondisclosure of certain customer information; P.A. 91-150 inserted new Subsec. (b)(4) to (6) establishing procedures which allow a gas company to deduct moneys from a customer's bill upon compliance with certain conditions and authorizing gas companies to include such moneys deducted as an operating expense, requiring each gas company to annually submit a report to the department concerning the procedures and authorizing the department to expand the procedures to apply to all hardship customers, renumbering as necessary; P.A. 95-39 amended Subsec. (a) by dividing Subsec. into Subdivs. and adding proviso in Subdiv. (1) re nonresidential accounts, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 95-274 amended Subsec. (b)(1) by adding provision re life-threatening termination or refusal to reinstate and Subdiv. (b)(3) by adding definition of “household income”, changing lettering and numbering and in new (iii) adding provision re federal poverty level; P.A. 96-46 amended Subsec. (b)(5) to make the approval or modification of plans by the department discretionary rather than mandatory and to add provision re effect of plan if department takes no action on it; P.A. 96-204 amended Subsec. (b)(1) to add exception allowing gas companies to refuse to reinstate service in certain circumstances and made technical changes to Subsec. (b)(2); P.A. 97-9 amended Subsec. (a)(1) to delete termination date of July 1, 1997, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 97-20 amended Subsec. (b)(1) to substitute “the preceding November first” for “April fifteenth”, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 97-47 substituted “the Freedom of Information Act, as defined in Sec. 1-18a” for “chapter 3”; P.A. 98-28 added provisions re electric suppliers and electric distribution companies, made technical changes and added new Subsec. (f) re electric supplier losses, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 99-222 amended Subsec. (a) by adding “certified telecommunications provider” and making a technical change, effective June 29, 1999; P.A. 03-47 amended Subsec. (b)(4) and (5) to include electric distribution companies and make conforming changes; P.A. 07-242 changed “April fifteenth” to “May first” and made conforming and technical changes in Subsecs. (b) and (c); P.A. 11-80 amended Subsec. (b)(1) by changing “terminate or refuse to reinstate” to “terminate, deny or refuse to reinstate” and by prohibiting termination, denial or refusal for households where customer is a hardship case and a child not more than 24 months old resides in the household and such child has discharge papers from the hospital that indicate that service is a health necessity, effective July 1, 2011; pursuant to P.A. 11-80, “Department of Public Utility Control” and “department” were changed editorially by the Revisors to “Public Utilities Regulatory Authority” and “authority”, respectively, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 12-197 amended Subsec. (b)(1) by adding provision allowing an advanced practice registered nurse to indicate on hospital discharge papers that service is a necessity; P.A. 13-276 amended Subsec. (e) by adding provision re nothing in section prohibits disclosure of delinquencies or enforcement actions; P.A. 14-134 deleted references to electric company, effective June 6, 2014; P.A. 18-72 amended Subsec. (b)(3)(B)(ii) to replace “Veterans' Administration” with “United States Department of Veterans Affairs”; P.A. 21-196 amended Subsec. (b)(1) by adding reference to physician assistant.
Structure Connecticut General Statutes
Title 16 - Public Service Companies
Chapter 283 - Telephone, Gas, Power and Water Companies
Section 16-228. - Telephone lines.
Section 16-229. - Excavation in highway.
Section 16-230. - Bond requirement.
Section 16-231a. - Cuts and permanent patches in highway. Inspections. Repairs. Certification.
Section 16-232. - Rights of companies organized under general law.
Section 16-233. - Use of gain by town, city, borough, fire district or Department of Transportation.
Section 16-235. - Control by local authorities. Orders. Appeals.
Section 16-236. - Appraisal of damages; costs.
Section 16-237. - No prescriptive right.
Section 16-238. - Wires may be cut; notice.
Section 16-239. - Dispatches transmitted in order. Exceptions.
Section 16-243. - Jurisdiction of authority over electricity transmission lines.
Section 16-243b. - Definitions. Jurisdiction.
Section 16-243bb. - Adjustment of electric distribution company residential fixed charge.
Section 16-243cc. - Energy storage deployment. Report.
Section 16-243d. - Project by private power producer deemed “industrial project”.
Section 16-243dd. - Energy storage project proposals.
Section 16-243g. - Assignment of electricity purchase agreements.
Section 16-243h. - Credit to residential customers who generate electricity; metering.
Section 16-243l. - Rebate for customer-side distributed resource projects that use natural gas.
Section 16-243m. - Measures to reduce federally mandated congestion charges.
Section 16-243o. - Waiver of back-up power rates.
Section 16-243q. - Class III renewable energy portfolio standards.
Section 16-243t. - Class III credits.
Section 16-243u. - Plan to build peaking generation.
Section 16-243w. - Advanced metering system plan and deployment.
Section 16-243x. - Time-of-use meters. Notice of availability.
Section 16-244. - Electric deregulation; findings and declarations.
Section 16-244a. - Rate freeze for electric service.
Section 16-244aa. - Performance-based regulation of electric distribution companies.
Section 16-244bb. - Sustainable materials management account.
Section 16-244cc. - Energy storage systems pilot program.
Section 16-244i. - Duties of electric distribution companies.
Section 16-244k. - Allocation of the proceeds of the retail adder.
Section 16-244l. - Modification of fuel cell electricity purchase agreements.
Section 16-244m. - Procurement Plan re standard service.
Section 16-244n. - Standard service contract buydown.
Section 16-244o. - Generation evaluation and procurement process.
Section 16-244p. - Transmission line project review.
Section 16-244q. - Request for proposal re reliability concerns.
Section 16-244u. - Virtual net metering.
Section 16-244w. - Grid-side system enhancements pilot program.
Section 16-244x. - Shared clean energy facility pilot program.
Section 16-244z. - Renewable energy tariffs.
Section 16-245a. - Renewable portfolio standards.
Section 16-245aa. - Renewable energy and efficient energy finance program.
Section 16-245bb. - Bond authorization.
Section 16-245cc. - Demand charge waiver for fuel cells.
Section 16-245dd. - Residential electric space heating tariff.
Section 16-245ff. - Residential solar investment program.
Section 16-245gg. - Master purchase agreement for solar home renewable energy credits.
Section 16-245hh. - Condominium renewable energy grant program.
Section 16-245ii. - Energy consumption data of nonresidential buildings.
Section 16-245j. - Rate reduction bonds and economic recovery revenue bonds; terms.
Section 16-245jj. - Town customer electricity and gas usage information.
Section 16-245kk. - Issuance of bonds, notes and other obligations by the Connecticut Green Bank.
Section 16-245ll. - Clean energy bonds.
Section 16-245m. - Energy Conservation Management Board. Conservation and Load Management Plan.
Section 16-245mm. - Special capital reserve funds.
Section 16-245nn. - Residential solar photovoltaic system permit.
Section 16-245q. - Changing electric suppliers.
Section 16-245r. - Discrimination by electric suppliers prohibited.
Section 16-245s. - Switching electric suppliers; procedures; penalties; regulations.
Section 16-245t. - Complaints to authority re electric suppliers; procedures; remedies.
Section 16-245y. - Annual reporting re status of electric deregulation.
Section 16-245z. - Internet links to Energy Star program.
Section 16-246. - Other companies which may sell electricity.
Section 16-246a. - Definitions.
Section 16-246f. - Electric company emergency assistance.
Section 16-246g. - Pilot program for electric generation.
Section 16-247. - Foreign telephone companies.
Section 16-247a. - Goals of the state. Definitions.
Section 16-247c. - Provision of intrastate telecommunications services. Civil penalty. Competition.
Section 16-247i. - Telecommunications service and regulation status report.
Section 16-247j. - Regulations.
Section 16-247o. - Consultant to test operations support systems interface.
Section 16-247p. - Quality-of-service standards. Performance standards.
Section 16-247t. - Customer inquiries and complaints regarding cellular mobile telephone service.
Section 16-248. - Rights of telephone company in operation May 23, 1985.
Section 16-250b. - Cellular mobile telephone service. Authority jurisdiction. Regulations.
Section 16-251. - Bonds of telephone company.
Section 16-252. - Bonds may be secured by mortgage.
Section 16-255. - General powers.
Section 16-256. - Notice of offense in party line usage in telephone directory.
Section 16-256a. - Directory assistance charge prohibited.
Section 16-256d. - Itemized telephone bills for business customers.
Section 16-256f. - Blocking service available to customers.
Section 16-256h. - Business to residential pricing ratio for basic exchange service.
Section 16-257. - Recording of agreement of consolidation or merger of electric and gas companies.
Section 16-258. - Standards concerning electricity and gas.
Section 16-258a. - Registration of natural gas sellers. Procedures. Penalties.
Section 16-258b. - Registration of electric generating facilities.
Section 16-258c. - Dual fuel capability requirements for electric generating facilities.
Section 16-258d. - District heating systems incentive program.
Section 16-259. - Inspection of meters.
Section 16-259a. - Inaccurate billing. Financial liability of customer. Payment plan.
Section 16-260. - Water meters may be required.
Section 16-261. - Extension of electric lines to unserved areas. Determination of rates.
Section 16-262. - Gas companies authorized to deal in natural gas.
Section 16-262b. - Notice of discharge of explosives or highway excavation to gas companies.
Section 16-262h. - Nonexclusivity of remedy.
Section 16-262i. - Regulations.
Section 16-262m. - Construction specifications for water companies.
Section 16-262p. - Improvements by acquiring entity.
Section 16-262q. - Compensation for acquisition of water company.
Section 16-262r. - Satellite management of water companies. Expedited rate proceedings.
Section 16-262s. - Voluntary acquisition of water company. Surcharges. Rate of return.
Section 16-262u. - Replacement and repair of water service connections. Granting of exceptions.
Section 16-262v. - Water company infrastructure projects: Definitions.
Section 16-262w. - Water company rate adjustment mechanisms.
Section 16-262x. - Termination of residential utility service. Requirements.
Section 16-262y. - Water company revenue adjustment mechanism.