SF 2914

as introduced - 84th Legislature (2005 - 2006) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to energy; providing consumer protection to delivered fuel residential
heating customers; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter
325E.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

new text begin [325E.027] DELIVERED FUEL CONSUMER PROTECTIONS.
new text end

new text begin new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Definitions. new text end

new text begin For the purposes of this section, the terms defined in this
subdivision have the meanings given them.
new text end

new text begin (a) "Budget billing plan" means a billing method by which estimated annual
consumption costs are billed to the consumer in approximately equal monthly payments,
reviewed periodically, and adjusted to credit overcollections and recover undercollections.
new text end

new text begin (b) "Cold weather period" means the period between October 15 and the following
April 15.
new text end

new text begin (c) "Customer" means a person who contracts with a vendor for the delivery of
liquid propane gas, or number one or number two fuel oil.
new text end

new text begin (d) "Department" means the Department of Commerce.
new text end

new text begin (e) "Vendor" means a dealer or distributor of liquid propane gas, or number one or
number two fuel oil. Vendor includes an agent or affiliate of the dealer or distributor.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Budget billing. new text end

new text begin By May 1 each year, a vendor must offer the option
to enroll in a budget billing plan to new customers, existing customers who are not in
arrears, and prospective customers. A vendor may not change the terms of the plan unless
reasonable advance notice of the change has been given to an enrollee.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Payment agreements. new text end

new text begin Within 30 days of the end of the cold weather
period, a vendor must offer a payment agreement to a customer with past due bills.
Payment agreements must take into consideration the customer's ability to pay and be
structured to eliminate past due balances before the onset of the subsequent cold weather
period.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Keep-fill, prebuy, and summer-fill programs. new text end

new text begin By August 1 each year,
vendors who offer keep-fill, prebuy, and summer-fill programs must offer these programs
to all customers whose accounts are current or who are in compliance with a payment
arrangement.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Service to recipients of energy assistance. new text end

new text begin No vendor may discontinue
service to, refuse to serve, or otherwise discriminate against a person based on receipt of
assistance from the low-income home energy assistance program.
new text end