69-3-221. Public utility errors in billing customers. - Montana Statutes

     69-3-221. Public utility errors in billing customers. (1) For the purposes of this section:
     (a) "public utility" does not include a municipal utility as defined in chapter 7 of this title;
     (b) a "customer billing error":
     (i) includes any bill issued by the utility that is not designated as an estimated bill and that understates the amount owed by the customer;
     (ii) includes a utility's failure to bill a customer for service provided that would be billed to the customer under the utility's normal billing practices;
     (iii) excludes errors that result from the theft of service by the customer;
     (iv) excludes errors involving a utility's industrial class customers; and
     (v) excludes errors incurred in the billing of long-distance services by a telecommunications utility.
     (2) Whenever a public utility discovers a customer billing error, the utility may submit a bill to the customer for a period not to exceed the 6 months preceding the date the billing error is discovered.
     (3) The commission may adopt rules to implement subsections (1) and (2).

     History: En. Secs. 1, 2, Ch. 587, L. 1985.