Sec. 16-21. Change of rates fixed pursuant to charter or contract. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 16-21. Change of rates fixed pursuant to charter or contract. Whenever any rate of any public service company chartered by or organized under the laws of this state exists or is charged pursuant to charter, contract or any agreement or understanding, and is in whole or in any respect discriminatory or more or less than just, reasonable and adequate to provide properly for the public convenience, necessity and welfare, such company or any town, city or borough within which, or between which and any other town, city or borough in this state, any such company is furnishing service, or any ten patrons of any such company, may bring a written petition to the Department of Public Utility Control alleging that such rate is discriminatory or more or less than just, reasonable and adequate. Thereupon the department shall fix a time and place for a hearing upon such petition and shall mail notice thereof to the parties in interest and give public notice thereof at least one week prior to such hearing. Upon such hearing, the department may, if it finds such rate to be discriminatory or more or less than just, reasonable and adequate to enable such company to provide properly for the public convenience, necessity and welfare, determine and prescribe just and reasonable maximum rates or charges to be thereafter made by such company.

      (1949 Rev., S. 5411; P.A. 75-486, S. 1, 69; P.A. 77-614, S. 162, 610; P.A. 80-482, S. 61, 348.)

      History: P.A. 75-486 replaced public utilities commission with public utilities control authority; P.A. 77-614 replaced public utilities control authority with division of public utility control within the department of business regulation, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 80-482 made division an independent department and deleted reference to abolished department of business regulation.

      Is declaratory of power already possessed by commission; power to make rates includes power to modify rate-fixing contracts; municipal charter held to give no power to fix rates on water. 101 C. 156. Application to contracts between water company and city fixing rates. 106 C. 577. Company may increase rates above those specified in contract only by petition to commission and on its finding and order. 132 C. 496. Cited. 169 C. 344.