§ 40-8.7-105 — Customer opt-in provision

Colorado § 40-8.7-105

• Jurisdiction: Colorado
• Title 40: Utilities
• Art.: Low-income Energy Assistance

Text

(1) The public utilities commission
shall determine the mechanism for an opt-in provision whereby the energy
assistance contributions described in section 40-8.7-104 will be collected from
those customers who give notice of their intent to participate in the energy
assistance program.

(2) Each utility shall solicit voluntary donations through a check-off
mechanism displayed on the monthly remittance device. Recommended check-off
categories of five dollars, ten dollars, twenty dollars, and other amount shall be
displayed.

(3) Once a customer voluntarily opts into the program, the appropriate
contribution shall be assessed on a monthly basis until the customer notifies the
utility of his or her desire to remove the contribution. Each utility shall establish
procedures to notify customers about their ability to cancel any voluntary
contribution.

(4) Once the utility customer opts into the program, the energy assistance
contribution shall appear as a separate line item and shall be identified in the billing
statement as a contribution. The line item shall identify the optional low-income
contribution, state the amount of the optional contribution, and be included in the
total amount due.

(5) In accordance with article 4 of title 24 C.R.S., on or before November 1,
2005, the public utilities commission shall initiate at least one rule-making
proceeding to accomplish the following:

(a) Establish a program whereby customers will be solicited to contribute a
flat amount on the monthly remittance device on the utility billing statement;

(b) Encourage each utility to provide notification, where feasible, to
customers participating in the program about the customer's ability to continue to
contribute when the customer changes his or her address within the service
territory;

(c) Require the utility to make additional efforts to inform utility customers
about the program to ensure that adequate notice of the opt-in provision is given to
all customers;

(d) In addition to notification on the monthly remittance device on the billing
statement, require each utility to notify its customers about the opt-in provision
prior to September 1, 2006, and require each utility to provide clear, periodic notice
of the opt-in provision at least twice per year through bill inserts, in a statement on
the bill or envelope, or in other utility communication pieces or through an
alternative method approved by the commission. The costs of the insert and any
other notification efforts will be considered in the utility's cost of service.

(e) Require each utility to consider the most cost-effective method possible
when implementing the program; and

(f) Ensure that there is a mechanism for customers who make electronic
payments to the utility to remove the optional charge from their monthly payments.

Legislative History

Source: L. 2005: Entire article added, p. 480, � 1, effective May 5.