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Billing Guidelines (Electric)

Deposits

  1. A new applicant for residential service may not be required to provide a deposit if the applicant is able to meet any of the following requirements:
    1. The applicant has had service of a comparable nature with the COMPANY at another service location within the past two (2) years and was not delinquent in payment more than twice during the last twelve (12) consecutive months of service or was not disconnected for nonpayment.
    2. The applicant can produce a letter regarding credit or verification from an electric utility where service of a comparable nature was last received by applicant, which states applicant had a timely payment history at time of service discontinuation.
    3. In lieu of a deposit, a new applicant may provide a Letter of Guarantee from an existing CUSTOMER with service subject to the acceptance of the COMPANY.
    4. The applicant permits the COMPANY to request and the COMPANY subsequently receives a satisfactory credit rating for the applicant from a credit rating bureau employed by the COMPANY.
    5. For non-residential customers, a surety bond may be provided as security for the COMPANY in lieu of a deposit.
  2. The COMPANY shall issue a nonnegotiable receipt to the applicant for the deposit. The inability of the CUSTOMER to produce such a receipt shall in no way impair the CUSTOMER’S right to receive a refund of the deposit, which is reflected on the COMPANY records.
  3. Deposits shall bear interest at the rate of six (6) percent per annum.
    1. Residential Customers – Deposits will automatically be refunded, or letters of guarantee or surety bonds will be allowed to expire, by the COMPANY after twelve (12) consecutive months during which time the CUSTOMER has not been delinquent more than two (2) times in a twelve (12) month period.
    2. All Customers - Upon final discontinuance of the use of the service, any deposit, not previously refunded, with accrued interest, will be applied to the unpaid accounts of the customer and any balance refunded to the customer.
  4. A residential customer may be required to establish or reestablish a deposit if the CUSTOMER becomes delinquent in the payment of three (3) or more bills within a twelve (12) consecutive month period or has been disconnected for nonpayment during the last twelve (12) months.
  5. The amount of a deposit required shall be determined according to the following terms:
    1. Residential CUSTOMER deposits shall not exceed two times that CUSTOMER’S estimated average monthly bill.
    2. Nonresidential CUSTOMER deposits shall not exceed two and one-half times that CUSTOMER'S estimated maximum monthly bill.
  6. After service has been connected the deposit amount may be adjusted based upon the CUSTOMER’S actual usage.
  7. A separate deposit may be required for each meter installed.
  8. Deposits shall not prevent the COMPANY from terminating the agreement for service with a CUSTOMER or suspending service for any failure in the performance of CUSTOMER obligations under the agreement for service or any violation of the COMPANY’S Rules and Regulations in effect from time to time as approved by the ARIZONA CORPORATION COMMISSION.

Billing and Collections

  1. Frequency and Estimated Bills
    1. The COMPANY shall bill monthly for services rendered. Meter readings shall be scheduled for periods of not less than 25 days or more than 35 days and will be billed under the rate schedule enclosed.
    2. If the COMPANY is unable to read the meter on the scheduled meter read date, the COMPANY will estimate the consumption for the billing period and the bill will indicate if it is estimated bill.
    3. After the third consecutive month of estimating the CUSTOMER’S bill for reasons other than severe weather the COMPANY will attempt to secure an accurate reading of the meter.
    4. Failure on the part of the CUSTOMER to comply with a reasonable request by the COMPANY for access to its meter may lead to the discontinuance of service.
    5. Examples of when the COMPANY may render a bill based on estimated usage include:
      1. Force Majeure conditions beyond the control of the COMPANY including, but not limited to extreme weather conditions, emergencies or work stoppages that prevent meter readings.
      2. CUSTOMER who reads own meter fails to deliver meter reading to appropriate billing entity.
      3. Access to CUSTOMER’S premises for the purpose of reading the meter has been denied, or in situations where the customer makes it unnecessarily difficult to gain access to the meter, for example, locked gates, blocked meter, or vicious or dangerous animals.
      4. CUSTOMER equipment failure where, for example, the meter is damaged by fire rendering it inoperable, the meter has stopped registering usage, or the meter is unable to display usage data.
      5. CUSTOMER equipment has been vandalized or tampered with in such a way as to render the meter inoperable or to such an extent that the meter no longer registers necessary information.
      6. Theft of meter where, for example, an individual removes a meter without proper authorization.
    6. Charge for service commences when service is actually installed and is subject to a one-month minimum billing period.
  2. Combining Meters
    1. Each meter at a CUSTOMER’S premises will be considered separately for billing purposes, and the readings of two or more meters will not be combined.
  3. Billing Terms
    1. All bills for electric service are due and payable no later than fifteen (15) days from the date the bill is rendered. Any payment not received within this time frame shall be considered past due.
    2. The date a bill is rendered may be evidenced by:
      1. The postmark date.
      2. The mailing date.
      3. The billing date shown on the bill.
    3. All past due bills for utility service are due and payable within ten (10) days. Any payment not received within this timeframe shall be considered delinquent.
    4. All delinquent bills for which payment has not been received within seven (7) days are subject to termination of service.
    5. A late payment charge of 1-1/2 percent shall be applied to all outstanding account balances that have not been paid within thirty (30) days after the postmark date of the bill.
    6. Failure to receive bills or notices, which are properly placed in the mail, does not relieve the CUSTOMER of their obligations or prevent bills from becoming delinquent.
    7. All payments shall be made by means of one of the COMPANY'S approved payment options. The date on which the COMPANY actually receives the CUSTOMER’S remittance is considered the payment date.
  4. Insufficient Funds (NSF) Checks
    1. The COMPANY shall be allowed to recover a fee for each instance where a CUSTOMER tenders payment for electric service with a check or other financial instrument, which is returned by the CUSTOMER’S bank, or other financial institution. The COMPANY’S NSF check charge is $10.00.
    2. When the COMPANY is notified by the CUSTOMER’S bank or other financial institution that the check or other financial instrument tendered for utility service will not clear, the COMPANY requires the CUSTOMER to make payment in cash, by money order, certified check, or other means to guarantee the CUSTOMER’S payment to the COMPANY.
    3. A CUSTOMER who tenders such a check or other financial instrument shall in no way be relieved of the obligation to render payment to the COMPANY under the original terms of the bill nor defer the COMPANY’S provision for termination of service for nonpayment of bills.
    4. No personal checks will be accepted if two (2) NSF checks have been received by the COMPANY within a twelve-month period for payment of any billing.
  5. Deferred Payment Plan
    1. The COMPANY may, prior to termination, offer to qualifying CUSTOMERS a deferred payment plan for the CUSTOMER to retire unpaid bills for electric service.
    2. Each deferred payment agreement entered into by the COMPANY and the CUSTOMER due to the CUSTOMER’S inability to pay an outstanding bill in full will specify the:
      1. Reasonable amount of the outstanding bill to be paid at the time the deferred payment plan begins.
      2. The due dates and the amounts due for the remaining outstanding balance.
      3. The agreement that future electric bills will be paid when due.
    3. Any CUSTOMER who desires to enter into a deferred payment agreement shall establish such agreement prior to the COMPANY’S scheduled termination date for nonpayment of bills. The CUSTOMER’S failure to execute a deferred payment agreement prior to the scheduled termination date shall not prevent the COMPANY from discontinuing service for nonpayment.
    4. Deferred payment agreements may be in writing and may be signed by the CUSTOMER and an authorized COMPANY representative.
    5. A deferred payment agreement may include a finance charge of 1.50%.
    6. If a CUSTOMER has not fulfilled the terms of a deferred payment agreement, the COMPANY shall have the right to disconnect service and it shall not be required to offer subsequent negotiation of a deferred payment agreement prior to disconnection.
  6. Customer Requested Rereads
    1. The COMPANY shall at the request of a CUSTOMER reread that CUSTOMER'S meter within ten (10) working days after the request.
    2. A reread may be charged to the CUSTOMER at a rate of $15.00 if the read was correct.
    3. When a reading is found to be in error, the reread shall be at no charge to the CUSTOMER.
  7. Meter Testing
    1. The COMPANY shall at the request of the CUSTOMER test the COMPANY-owned meter.
    2. A meter test fee of $60.00 may be charged to the CUSTOMER if the meter is found to be accurate.
    3. If any meter after testing is found to be more than three percent (3%) in error, either fast or slow, proper correction of the error shall be made of previous readings or adjusted bills shall be rendered:
      1. Any under billing from a stopped or slow meter, meter reading error, or billing calculation shall be limited to 3 months for residential CUSTOMERS and 6 months for commercial CUSTOMERS. No limitations apply to overbilling.
      2. No adjustment shall be made by the COMPANY except to the CUSTOMER last served by the meter tested.
    4. If the meter is found to be in error by more than 3%, no meter fee will be charged to the CUSTOMER.

Rates
The full text of UES’ electric rates & tariffs, and rules & regulations are available upon request or online at www.uesaz.com. Information about Arizona’s state utility laws is available from the Arizona State Legislature at www.azleg.state.az.us. Additional electric utility information laws are available from the Arizona Corporation Commission Utilities Division located at 1200 West Washington, Phoenix, AZ 85007-2996, or at 400 West Congress, Tucson, AZ 85701-1347. Phone in Phoenix (602) 542-4251 or toll free 1-800-222-7000 (In-State Only); in Tucson (520) 628-6550, or toll free 1-800-535-0148 (In-State Only), or online at www.cc.state.az.us.

 


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