2004 Minnesota Statutes

     216B.098 Residential customer protections. 

    Subdivision 1.    Applicability.  The provisions of this 
 section apply to residential customers of public utilities, 
 municipal utilities, and cooperative electric associations.  
 Each municipal utility and cooperative electric association may 
 establish terms and conditions for the plans and agreements 
 required under subdivisions 2 and 3. 

    Subd. 2.    Budget billing plans.  A utility shall offer 
 a customer a budget billing plan for payment of charges for 
 service, including adequate notice to customers prior to 
 changing budget payment amounts.  Municipal utilities having 
 3,000 or fewer customers are exempt from this requirement.  
 Municipal utilities having more than 3,000 customers shall 
 implement this requirement before July 1, 2003. 

    Subd. 3.    Payment agreements.  A utility shall offer a 
 payment agreement for the payment of arrears.  

    Subd. 4.    Undercharges.  A utility shall offer a 
 payment agreement to customers who have been undercharged if no 
 culpable conduct by the customer or resident of the customer's 
 household caused the undercharge.  The agreement must cover a 
 period equal to the time over which the undercharge occurred or 
 a different time period that is mutually agreeable to the 
 customer and the utility.  No interest or delinquency fee may be 
 charged under this agreement.  

    Subd. 5.    Medically necessary equipment.  A utility 
 shall reconnect or continue service to a customer's residence 
 where a medical emergency exists or where medical equipment 
 requiring electricity necessary to sustain life is in use, 
 provided that the utility receives from a medical doctor written 
 certification, or initial certification by telephone and written 
 certification within five business days, that failure to 
 reconnect or continue service will impair or threaten the health 
 or safety of a resident of the customer's household.  The 
 customer must enter into a payment agreement. 

    Subd. 6.    Commission authority.  In addition to any 
 other authority, the commission has the authority to resolve 
 customer complaints against a public utility, as defined in 
 section 216B.02, subdivision 4, whether or not the complaint 
 involves a violation of this chapter.  The commission may 
 delegate this authority to commission staff as it deems 
 appropriate. 

    HIST: 2001 c 212 art 4 s 3; 2002 c 379 art 1 s 54