§ 16-245d — Billing of electric service. Standard format. Contents. Bill inserts and mailings. Electronic bill payment confirmation.

Connecticut § 16-245d

• Jurisdiction: Connecticut
• Title 16: Public Service Companies
• Ch. 283: Telephone, Gas, Power and Water Companies

Text

(a)(1) The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority shall, by regulations adopted pursuant to chapter 54, develop a standard billing format that enables customers to compare pricing policies and charges among electric suppliers. The authority shall alter or repeal any relevant regulation in conjunction with the implementation of a redesigned standard billing format described in subdivisions (2) and (3) of this subsection. The authority shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to provide that an electric supplier shall provide direct billing and collection services for electric generation services and related federally mandated congestion charges that such suppliers provide to their customers or may choose to obtain such billing and collection service through an electric distribution company and pay its pro rata share in accordance with the provisions of subsection (f) of section 16-244c. Any customer of an electric supplier, which is choosing to provide direct billing, who paid for the cost of billing and other services to an electric distribution company shall receive a credit on their monthly bill. (2) On or before July 1, 2014, the authority shall initiate a docket to redesign (A) the standard billing format for residential customers implemented pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection to better enable such residential customers to compare pricing policies and charges among electric suppliers, and (B) the account summary page of a residential customer located on the electric distribution company's Internet web site. The authority shall issue a final decision on such docket not later than six months after its initiation. Such final decision shall include the placement of the following items on the first page of each bill for each residential customer receiving electric generation service from an electric supplier: (i) The electric generation service rate; (ii) the term and expiration date of such rate; (iii) any change to such rate effective for the next billing cycle; (iv) the cancellation fee, if applicable, provided there is such a change; (v) notification that such rate is variable, if applicable; (vi) the standard service rate; (vii) the term and expiration date of the standard service rate; (viii) the dollar amount that would have been billed for the electric generation services component had the customer been receiving standard service; and (ix) an electronic link or Internet web site address to the rate board Internet web site described in section 16-244d and the toll-free telephone number and other information necessary to enable the customer to obtain standard service. Such final decision shall also include the feasibility of (I) an electric distribution company transferring a residential customer receiving electric generation service from an electric supplier to a different electric supplier in a timely manner and ensuring that the electric distribution company and the relevant electric suppliers provide timely information to each other to facilitate such transfer, and (II) allowing residential customers to choose how to receive information related to bill notices, including United States mail, electronic mail, text message, an application on a cellular telephone or a third-party notification service approved by the authority. On or before July 1, 2020, and every five years thereafter, the authority shall reopen such docket to ensure the standard billing format and Internet web site for a customer's account summary remains a useful tool for customers to compare pricing policies and charges among electric suppliers. (3) Not later than August 1, 2023, each electric distribution company shall use a total of four categories as part of the standard billing format for all residential customers, one of which shall relate to charges for generation of electricity, one of which shall relate to charges for local distribution of electricity, one of which shall relate to charges for transmission of electricity, and one of which shall relate to system benefits and the subset of federally mandated congesting charges approved by the authority pursuant to any provision of the general statutes, public act or special act. The authority shall require that each electric distribution company's standard billing format for residential customers identify each charge and the corresponding category in accordance with the authority's determinations. The authority, in a docket reopened pursuant to subdivision (2) of this subsection, may modify the categories described in this subdivision if the authority finds that such modification improves customer understanding of the components of the electric bill or customer understanding of what costs are causing increases to the total amount of a customer's bill. (4) An electric supplier that chooses to provide billing and collection services shall, in accordance with the billing format developed by the authority, include the following information in each customer's bill: (A) The total amount owed by the customer, which shall be itemized to show (i) the electric generation services component and any additional charges imposed by the electric supplier, and (ii) federally mandated congestion charges applicable to the generation services; (B) any unpaid amounts from previous bills, which shall be listed separately from current charges; (C) the rate and usage for the current month and each of the previous twelve months in bar graph form or other visual format; (D) the payment due date; (E) the interest rate applicable to any unpaid amount; (F) the toll-free telephone number of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority for questions or complaints; and (G) the toll-free telephone number and address of the electric supplier. On or before October 1, 2013, the authority shall conduct a review of the costs and benefits of suppliers billing for all components of electric service, and report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a , to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to energy regarding the results of such review. Any such report may be submitted electronically. (5) An electric distribution company shall, in accordance with the billing format developed by the authority, include the following information in each customer's bill: (A) The total amount owed by the customer, which shall be itemized using the categories described in subdivision (3) of this subsection; (B) any unpaid amounts from previous bills which shall be listed separately from current charges; (C) except for customers subject to a demand charge, the rate and usage for the current month and each of the previous twelve months in the form of a bar graph or other visual form; (D) the payment due date; (E) the interest rate applicable to any unpaid amount; (F) the toll-free telephone number of the electric distribution company to report power losses; (G) the toll-free telephone number of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority for questions or complaints; and (H) if a customer has a demand of five hundred kilowatts or less during the preceding twelve months, a statement about the availability of information concerning electric suppliers pursuant to section 16-245p . (6) The chairperson of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority shall conduct a study that analyzes the components of the delivery portion of the electric bill for customers of each electric distribution company. Such study shall consider what additional informational items should be available to customers on a state-run Internet web site, on an Internet web site of an electric distribution company or at other locations that aim to increase transparency concerning the costs and benefits of programs funded through certain charges on a customer's electric bill. Such study may include recommendations for a detailed plan aimed at educating customers regarding how to access programs funded through such charges. Not later than January 15, 2025, the chairperson shall submit a report to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to energy, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a , that contains the chairperson's analysis and recommendations. (b) An electric distribution company that provides billing services for an electric supplier shall be entitled to recover from the electric supplier all reasonable transaction costs to provide such billing services as well as a reasonable rate of return, in accordance with the principles in subsection (a) of section 16-19e . (c) From June 3, 2014, and until one year after June 3, 2014, inclusive, each electric distribution company shall, on a quarterly basis, include the following items in a bill insert to each residential customer who obtains standard service or electric generation service from an electric supplier: (1) The standard service rate; (2) the term and expiration date of such rate; (3) any change to the standard service rate not later than forty-five days before the standard service rate is effective; and (4) before any reference to the term “standard service”, the name of the electric distribution company. (d) From June 3, 2014, and until one year after June 3, 2014, inclusive, each electric supplier shall, on a quarterly basis, include the following items in a mailing to each residential customer receiving electric generation service from such supplier: (1) The electric generation service rate; (2) the term and expiration date of such rate; (3) any change to such rate effective for the next billing cycle; (4) the cancellation fee, if applicable, provided there is such a change; (5) notification that such rate is variable, if applicable; (6) the standard service rate; (7) the term and expiration date of the standard service rate; and (8) the dollar amount that would have been billed for the electric generation services component had the customer been receiving standard service. (e) On and after July 1, 2015, if a residential customer is enrolled in automatic electronic bill payments and does not receive a bill through United States mail, an electric distribution company shall send such customer a link to such customer's bill in electronic mail with confirmation of bill payment.

Legislative History

(P.A. 98-28, S. 21, 117; P.A. 03-135, S. 22; P.A. 04-86, S. 2; 04-257, S. 30; P.A. 05-210, S. 31; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-1, S. 7; P.A. 06-196, S. 235; P.A. 11-80, S. 114; P.A. 13-5, S. 43; 13-119, S. 10; P.A. 14-75, S. 1; 14-94, S. 58, 59; P.A. 23-102, S. 14; 23-204, S. 117.) History: P.A. 98-28 effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 03-135 amended Subsec. (a) to make technical changes and, in Subdiv. (1), to add new Subpara. (D) re federally mandated congestion costs and to redesignate existing Subpara. (D) as new Subpara. (E), effective June 26, 2003; P.A. 04-86 amended Subsec. (a) to require department to adopt regulations re direct billing and collection services by electric supplier and to make conforming changes, and amended Subsec. (b) to add “that provides billing services for an electric supplier” and to make a technical change; P.A. 04-257 made a technical change in Subsec. (a)(1)(D), effective June 14, 2004; P.A. 05-210 amended Subsec. (a)(1) to make a technical change in Subpara. (B), add new Subpara. (C) re the transmission rate, and redesignate existing Subparas. (C) to (E), inclusive, as Subparas. (D) to (F), inclusive, effective July 6, 2005; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-1 amended Subsec. (a) to change deadline for adoption of regulations from January 1, 2005, to January 1, 2006, to change threshold by deleting customers that “use a demand meter” and by changing maximum demand from not less than five hundred kilowatts to not less than one hundred kilowatts, and to make technical changes, effective July 21, 2005; P.A. 06-196 made a technical change in Subsec. (a)(1)(B), effective June 7, 2006; P.A. 11-80 amended Subsec. (a) to replace “Department of Public Utility Control” with “Department of Energy and Environmental Protection”, to replace former deadline date for adopting regulations with provision applying existing regulations until July 1, 2012, to add provisions re suppliers to provide billing or pay pro rata share of expense if electric distribution companies provide billing on and after July 1, 2012, to add Subdiv. (1) re electric suppliers that choose to provide billing, to redesignate provisions re what electric distribution company must include on its bills as Subdiv. (2) and amend same to make technical changes, require itemization of electric generation services component only if customer obtains standard service or last resort service from the electric distribution company, delete provision re toll-free number and address of supplier, and apply provision re statement about availability of information to customers with a demand of 500 kilowatts or less in past 12 months, and amended Subsec. (b) to add “until October 1, 2011”, effective July 1, 2011 (Revisor's note: In Subsec. (a)(2)(G), a reference to “Department of Public Utility Control” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Public Utilities Regulatory Authority” to conform with changes made by P.A. 11-80); P.A. 13-5 amended Subsec. (a) to make a technical change, effective May 8, 2013; P.A. 13-119 amended Subsec. (a) to replace “Department of Energy and Environmental Protection” and “department” with “Public Utilities Regulatory Authority” and “authority”, respectively, and, in Subdiv. (1), to replace “February 1, 2012” with “October 1, 2013” and to add provision re electronic submission of report, effective June 18, 2013; P.A. 14-75 amended Subsec. (a) by designating existing provisions re standard billing format regulations as new Subdiv. (1) and amending same to add provision re alteration or repeal of regulation in conjunction with redesigned format and to delete provision re direct billing and collection services provided until July 1, 2012, by adding new Subdiv. (2) re redesign of the standard billing format and account summary page for residential customers, and by redesignating existing Subdivs. (1) and (2) as Subdivs. (3) and (4), amended Subsec. (b) by deleting provision re guidelines for determining billing relationship until October 1, 2011, added Subsec. (c) re bill inserts, added Subsec. (d) re mailings and added Subsec. (e) re confirmation of electronic bill payment, effective June 3, 2014; P.A. 14-94 amended Subsec. (a)(2) by replacing provision re bill from electric distribution company with provision re bill for residential customer receiving electric generation service from electric supplier and amended Subsec. (c) by replacing “electric generation service rate” with “standard service rate” in Subdiv. (1) and replacing “after the standard rate is approved by the authority” with “before the standard service rate is effective” in Subdiv. (3), effective June 6, 2014; P.A. 23-102 added in Subsec. (a) new Subdiv. (3) re categories in electric distribution company standard billing format, redesigned existing Subdivs. (3) and (4) as Subdivs. (4) and (5), amended Subdiv. (5) by deleting reference to itemized charges and adding reference to categories, and made technical and conforming changes, effective July 1, 2023; P.A. 23-204 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subdiv. (6) re a study of components of delivery portion of electric bill, effective July 1, 2023.