Section R14-2-203. Establishment of Service

A.      Information from new applicants

1.        A utility may obtain the following minimum information from each new applicant for service:

a.         Name or names of applicant or applicants.

b.        Service address or location and telephone number.

c.         Billing address/telephone number, if different than service address.

d.        Address where service was provided previously.

e.         Date applicant will be ready for service.

f.         Indication of whether premises have been supplied with utility service previously.

g.        Purpose for which service is to be used.

h.        Indication of whether applicant is owner or tenant of or agent for the premises.

i.         Information  concerning   the  energy  and  demand requirements of the customer.

j.         Type  and kind of life-support equipment, if any, used by the customer.

2.        Customer-specific information shall not be released with- out specific prior written customer authorization unless the information is requested by a law enforcement or other public agency, or is requested by the Commission

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or its staff, or is reasonably required for legitimate account collection activities, or is necessary to provide safe and reliable service to the customer.

3.        A utility may require a new applicant for service to appear at the utility’s designated place of business to pro- duce proof of identity and sign the utility’s application form.

4.        Where service is requested by two or more individuals the utility shall have the right to collect the full amount owed to the utility from any one of the applicants.

B.       Deposits

1.        A utility shall not require a deposit from a new applicant for residential service if the applicant is able to meet any of the following requirements:

a.         The applicant has had service of a comparable nature with the utility within the past two years and was not delinquent in payment more than twice during the last 12 consecutive months or discon- nected for nonpayment.

b.        The applicant can produce a letter regarding credit or verification from an electric utility where service of a comparable nature was last received which states applicant had a timely payment history at time of service discontinuance.

c.         In lieu of a deposit, a new applicant may provide a Letter of Guarantee from a governmental or non- profit entity or a surety bond as security for the util- ity.

2.        The utility may issue a nonnegotiable receipt to the appli- cant for the deposit. The inability of the customer to pro- duce such a receipt shall in no way impair his or her right to receive a refund of the deposit which is reflected on the utility’s records.

3.        Deposits shall be interest bearing; the interest rate and method of calculation shall be filed with and approved by the Commission in a tariff proceeding.

4.        Each utility shall file a deposit refund procedure with the Commission, through Docket Control, subject to Com- mission review and approval during a tariff proceeding. However, each utility’s refund policy shall include provi- sions for residential deposits and accrued interest to be refunded or letters of guarantee or surety bonds to expire after 12 months of service if the customer has not been delinquent more than twice in the payment of utility bills.

5.        A utility may require a residential customer to establish or reestablish a deposit if the customer becomes delin- quent in the payment of two bills within a 12-consecu- tive- month period or has been disconnected for service during the last 12 months.

6.        The amount of a deposit required by the utility shall be determined according to the following terms:

a.         Residential customer deposits shall not exceed two times that customer’s estimated average  monthly bill.

b.        Nonresidential customer deposits shall not exceed 2 1/2 times that customer’s estimated maximum monthly bill.

7.        The utility may review the customer’s usage after service has been connected and adjust the deposit amount based upon the customer’s actual usage.

8.        A separate deposit may be required for each meter installed.

9.        If a utility Distribution Company’s customer with an established deposit elects to take competitive services from an Electric Service Provider, and is not currently delinquent in payments to the Utility Distribution Com-

pany, the Utility Distribution Company will refund a por- tion of the customer’s deposit in proportion to the expected decrease in monthly billing. A customer return- ing to Standard Offer Service may be required to increase an established deposit in proportion to the expected increase in monthly billing.

C.      Grounds for refusal of service. A utility may refuse to estab- lish service if any of the following conditions exist:

1.        The applicant has an outstanding amount due for the same class of utility service with the utility, and the appli- cant is unwilling to make arrangements with the utility for payment.

2.        A condition exists which in the utility’s judgment is unsafe or hazardous to the applicant, the general popula- tion, or the utility’s personnel or facilities.

3.        Refusal by the applicant to provide the utility with a deposit when the customer has failed to meet the credit criteria for waiver of deposit requirements.

4.        Customer is known to be in violation of the utility’s tar- iffs filed with the Commission.

5.        Failure of the customer to furnish such funds, service, equipment, or rights-of-way necessary to serve the cus- tomer and which have been specified by the utility as a condition for providing service.

6.        Applicant falsifies his or her identity for the purpose of obtaining service.

D.      Service  establishments,  re-establishments  or  reconnection charge

1.        Each utility may make a charge as approved by the Com- mission for the establishment, reestablishment, or recon- nection of utility services, including transfers between Electric Service Providers.

2.        Should service be established during a period other than regular working hours at the customer’s request, the cus- tomer may be required to pay an after-hour charge for the service connection. Where the utility scheduling will not permit service establishment on the same day requested, the customer can elect to pay the after-hour charge for establishment that day or the customer’s service will be established on the next available normal working day.

3.        For the purpose of this rule, the definition of service establishments are where the customer’s facilities are ready and acceptable to the utility and the utility needs only to install a meter, read a meter, or turn the service on.

4.        Service establishments with an Electric Service Provider will be scheduled for the next regular meter read date if the direct access service request is provided 15 calendar days prior to that date and appropriate metering equip- ment is in place. If a direct access service request is made in less than 15 days prior to the next regular read date, service will be established at the next regular meter read date thereafter. The utility may offer after-hours or earlier service for a fee. This Section shall not apply to the estab- lishment of new service but is limited to a change of pro- viders of existing electric service.

E.       Temporary service

1.        Applicants for temporary service may be required to pay the utility, in advance of service establishment, the esti- mated cost of installing and removing the facilities neces- sary for furnishing the desired service.

2.        Where the duration of service is to be  less  than one month, the applicant may also be required to advance a sum of money equal to the estimated bill for service.

3.        Where the duration of service is to exceed one month, the applicant may also be required to meet the deposit requirements of the utility.

Corporation Commission – Fixed Utilities

4.        If at any time during the term of the agreement for ser- vices the character of a temporary customer’s operations changes so that in the opinion of the utility the customer is classified as permanent, the terms of the utility’s line extension rules shall apply.

Historical Note

Adopted effective March 2, 1982 (Supp. 82-2). Amended by an emergency action effective August 10, 1998, pursu- ant to A.R.S. § 41-1026, in effect for a maximum of 180 days (Supp. 98-3). Emergency amendment replaced by exempt permanent amendment effective December 31, 1998 (Supp. 98-4). Amended by exempt rulemaking at 5

A.A.R. 3933, effective September 24, 1999 (Supp. 99-3). Amended by exempt rulemaking at 6 A.A.R. 4180, effec-

tive October 13, 2000 (Supp. 00-4).

Note

Editor’s Note: The following Section was amended under an exemption from the Attorney General approval provisions of the Arizona Administrative Procedure Act (State ex. rel. Corbin v. Arizona Corporation Commission, 174 Ariz. 216 848 P.2d 301 (App. 1992)), as determined by the Corporation Commission. This exemption means that the rules as amended were not approved by the Attorney General.