Section 185.36. Deposits for residential service.

 

(1)   N EW RESIDENTIAL SERVICE.

(a) A utility shall not require a deposit or other guarantee as a condition of new residential service unless a customer has an outstanding account balance with any Wisconsin gas, electric, water, or sewer utility which accrued within the last 6 years and for which there is no agreement or arrangement for payment being honored by the customer, and which at the time of the request for new service remains outstanding and not in dispute. (See s. PSC 185.39 .)

(b) A deposit under this section shall not be required if the customer provides the utility with information showing that the customer's gross quarterly income is at or below 200% of federal income poverty guidelines.

(c) A utility shall inform the customer of the customer's right to enter into a deferred payment agreement for payment of the deposit amount and of the customer's right to appeal any deposit request or amount required under this section to the commission.

(2)   E XISTING RESIDENTIAL SERVICE. A utility may require a deposit as a condition of residential service. When the utility requests a deposit of an existing residential customer, the customer shall be informed of the customer's right to provide a cash deposit, a guarantee, or to establish a deferred payment agreement. The customer shall be given 30 days to provide the deposit, guarantee, or enter into a deferred payment agreement for the deposit amount. A deposit under this section shall not be required if the customer provides the utility with information showing that the customer's gross quarterly income is at or below 200% of the federal income poverty guidelines. The utility may require a deposit if any of the following circumstances apply:

(a) The utility has disconnected the customer's service within the last 12-month period for violation of the utility's filed rules or for nonpayment of a delinquent service account not currently in dispute;

(b) Subsequent credit information indicates that the initial application for service was falsified or incomplete to the extent that a deposit would be required under this section.

(3)   G UARANTEE TERMS AND CONDITIONS.

(a) A utility may accept, in lieu of a cash deposit for new or existing residential service, a contract signed by a guarantor satisfactory to the utility where payment of a specified sum not exceeding the cash deposit requirement is guaranteed, or where the guarantor accepts responsibility for payment of all future bills. If the guarantor accepts responsibility for payment of future bills, the utility shall notify the customer in writing of the agreement and of the customer's right to refuse such an agreement. The term of the contract shall be for no longer than one year, but it shall automatically terminate after the residential customer has closed the account with the utility, or on the guarantor's request upon a 30-day written notice to the utility.

(b) Upon termination of a guarantee contract, or whenever the utility deems the guarantee insufficient as to amount of surety, a cash deposit or a new or additional guarantee may be required upon a 20-day written notice to the customer. The service of any customer who fails to comply with these requirements may be disconnected upon an 8-day written notice.

(c) The utility shall mail the guarantor copies of all disconnect notices sent to the customer whose account has been guaranteed, unless the guarantor waives such notice in writing.

(4)   D EFERRED PAYMENT. In lieu of cash deposit or guarantee, an applicant for new residential service who has an outstanding account balance accrued within the last 6 years with the same utility shall have the right to receive service from that utility under a deferred payment agreement, as defined in s. PSC 185.38 for the outstanding account. A customer who defaults on this deferred payment agreement may be required by the utility to furnish a deposit for the remaining balance.

(5)   W RITTEN EXPLANATION. A utility shall provide a written explanation of why a deposit or guarantee is being required for a residential account. The explanation shall include notice of the customer's right to appeal any deposit request or amount required under this section to the commission.

(6)   R EASONABLENESS OF DEPOSIT. When requesting a deposit from a residential customer, the utility shall consider the customer's ability to pay in determining the reasonableness of its request, including the following factors:

(a) Size of the delinquent account;

(b) Customer's payment history;

(c) Time that the debt has been outstanding;

(d) Reasons why the debt has been outstanding;

(e) Any other relevant factors concerning the circumstances of the customer, such as household size, income, and reasonable expenses.

(7)   A MOUNT OF DEPOSIT . The maximum deposit for a new or existing residential account shall not exceed the highest estimated gross bill for any consecutive billing period (not to exceed 4 months) selected by the utility.

(8)   R EFUSAL OR DISCONNECTION OF SERVICE. Residential service may be refused or disconnected for failure to pay a deposit request under the procedures in s. PSC 185.37 .

(9)   I NTEREST .

(a) Deposits for residential accounts shall bear interest payable from the date a deposit is made to the date it is applied to an account balance or is refunded.

(b) The interest rate to be paid shall be subject to change annually on a calendar year basis. The commission shall determine the rate of interest to be paid on deposits held during the following calendar year and notify the utility of that rate by December 15 of each year. The rate shall be equal to the weekly average yield of one-year United States treasury securities adjusted for constant maturity for the week ending on or after December 1 made available by the federal reserve board, rounded to the nearest tenth of one percent.

(c) The rate of interest set by the commission shall be payable on all deposits. The utility shall calculate the interest earned on each deposit at the time of refund and at the end of each calendar year. The interest rate in a calendar year shall apply to the amount of the deposit and to all interest accrued during the previous year, for the fraction of the calendar year that the deposit was held by the utility.

(10)   R EFUND. The utility shall refund the deposit of a residential customer after 12 consecutive months of prompt payment.

(11)   R EVIEW . The utility shall not continue to require a cash deposit for a residential account unless a deposit is permitted under the provisions of sub. (4) or (10) .

(12)   M ETHOD OF REFUND. Any deposit or portion refunded to a residential customer shall be refunded by check unless both the customer and the utility agree to a credit on the regular billing, or unless sub. (13) or (14) applies.

(13)   R EFUND AT TERMINATION OF SERVICE. On termination of residential service, the utility shall credit the deposit, with accrued interest, to the customer's final bill and return the balance within 30 days of issuing the final bill.

(14)   A RREARAGES. An arrearage owed by a residential customer may be deducted from the customer's deposit under any of the following conditions:

(a) Except as provided in par. (c) , a deposit may be used by the utility only to satisfy an arrearage occurring after the deposit was made;

(b) If the utility deducts an arrearage from a customer deposit, it may require the customer to bring the deposit up to its original amount. Failure of the customer to do so within 20 days of mailing a written request for payment is a ground for disconnection;

(c) When a deposit is refunded to the customer, the utility may first deduct any arrearage owed by the customer, whether the arrearage arose prior to or after the date of the deposit.

Cr. Register, January, 1997, No. 493 , eff. 2-1-97.