Sec. 16-245d. Billing of electric service; standard format; contents. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 16-245d. Billing of electric service; standard format; contents. (a) The Department of Public Utility Control 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. Not later than January 1, 2006, the department shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to provide that an electric supplier may provide direct billing and collection services for electric generation services and related federally mandated congestion charges that such supplier provides to its customers that have a maximum demand of not less than one hundred kilowatts and that choose to receive a bill directly from such supplier. An electric company, electric distribution company or electric supplier that provides direct billing of the electric generation service component and related federally mandated congestion charges, as the case may be, shall, in accordance with the billing format developed by the department, include the following information in each customer's bill, as appropriate: (1) The total amount owed by the customer, which shall be itemized to show, (A) the electric generation services component and any additional charges imposed by the electric supplier, if applicable, (B) the distribution charge, including all applicable taxes and the systems benefits charge, as provided in section 16-245l, (C) the transmission rate as adjusted pursuant to subsection (d) of section 16-19b, (D) the competitive transition assessment, as provided in section 16-245g, (E) federally mandated congestion charges, and (F) the conservation and renewable energy charge, consisting of the conservation and load management program charge, as provided in section 16-245m, and the renewable energy investment charge, as provided in section 16-245n; (2) any unpaid amounts from previous bills which shall be listed separately from current charges; (3) 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; (4) the payment due date; (5) the interest rate applicable to any unpaid amount; (6) the toll-free telephone number of the electric distribution company to report power losses; (7) the toll-free telephone number of the Department of Public Utility Control for questions or complaints; (8) the toll-free telephone number and address of the electric supplier; and (9) a statement about the availability of information concerning electric suppliers pursuant to section 16-245p.

      (b) The regulations shall provide guidelines for determining the billing relationship between the electric distribution company and electric suppliers, including but not limited to, the allocation of partial bill payments and late payments between the electric distribution company and the electric supplier. 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.

      (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.)

      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.