Ohio Administrative Code|Rule 4901:1-13-11 | Gas or natural gas company customer billing and payments.

                                                
(A) This rule applies to all gas or
		  natural gas company bills, including those issued on behalf of any retail
		  natural gas supplier or governmental aggregator. Gas or natural gas companies
		  shall make dual billing and consolidated billing available to retail natural
		  gas suppliers and governmental aggregators.
(B) Bills issued by or for the gas or
		  natural gas company shall be accurate and rendered at monthly intervals and
		  shall contain clear and understandable form and language. Each bill shall
		  display all of the following information:
(1) The customer's
			 name, billing address, service address, account number, and, if applicable, the
			 retail natural gas supplier or governmental aggregator account
			 number.
(2) The gas or natural
			 gas company's name and its payment address.
(3) The gas or natural
			 gas company's twenty-four hour, local or toll-free telephone number for
			 reporting service emergencies.
(4) A statement that
			 customers with bill questions or complaints should call or write the gas or
			 natural gas company first. The bill shall list the gas or natural gas
			 company's local or toll-free telephone number(s) and the address where a
			 question or complaint may be sent.
(5) The following
			 text:
"If your complaint is not resolved after
			 you have called (name of utility), or for general utility information,
			 residential and business customers may contact the public utilities commission
			 of Ohio (PUCO) for assistance at 1-800-686-7826 (toll free) from eight a.m. to
			 five p.m. weekdays, or at http://www.puco.ohio.gov. Hearing or speech impaired
			 customers may contact the PUCO via 7-1-1 (Ohio relay service).
The Ohio consumers' counsel (OCC)
			 represents residential utility customers in matters before the PUCO. The OCC
			 can be contacted at 1-877-742-5622 (toll free) from eight a.m. to five p.m.
			 weekdays, or at http://www.pickocc.org."
(6) The identification of
			 the applicable rate schedule.
(7) The dates of the
			 service period covered by the bill.
(8) The billing
			 determinants, if applicable:
(a) Beginning meter reading(s).
(b) Ending meter reading(s).
(c) Multiplier(s).
(d) Consumption(s).
(e) Fixed monthly customer charge.
(9) The rate for purchase
			 of the gas or natural gas commodity, expressed in dollars and cents per Mcf or
			 Ccf, reflecting either of the following:
(a) The gas cost recovery rate.
(b) The rate for the commodity service, if the company has been
				granted an exemption under section 4929.04 of the Revised Code.
(10) The total charge
			 attributable to the rate for purchase of the gas or natural gas commodity,
			 expressed in dollars and cents, reflecting either of the
			 following:
(a) The gas cost recovery rate.
(b) The rate for the commodity sales service, if the company has
				been granted an exemption under section 4929.04 of the Revised
				Code.
(11) If applicable, the
			 name of the retail natural gas supplier or governmental aggregator in close
			 proximity to the retail natural gas supplier or governmental aggregator
			 commodity charges, as well as a toll-free or local telephone number and address
			 for customer billing questions or complaints regarding retail natural gas
			 supplier or governmental aggregator charges.
(12) The total charge attributable to the
			 gross receipts tax, expressed in dollars and cents, and the gross receipts tax
			 rate. This requirement only applies to gas or natural gas companies that allow
			 for competitive retail natural gas services on their system.
(13)  The following prominently displayed price to compare
			 statement on residential and small commercial customer bills, if the company
			 has a choice program: 
"When shopping for a natural gas
			 supplier, it may be useful to compare supplier offers with the standard choice
			 offer (SCO) rate [or, if applicable, the gas cost recovery (GCR) rate]
			 available to eligible customers, which varies monthly based on the market price
			 of natural gas. Price represents one feature of any offer; there may be other
			 features which you consider of value. More information about the SCO [or GCR,
			 if applicable] and other suppliers offers is available at
			 energychoice.ohio.gov or by contacting the PUCO." 
(14) The identification of estimated
			 bills.
(15) The due date for
			 payment.
(16) The total charges for the current
			 billing period.
(17) Any late payment charge or gross and
			 net charges, if applicable.
(18) Any unpaid amounts due from previous
			 bills, customer credits, and total amounts due and payable.
(19) The current balance of the account,
			 if the residential customer is billed according to a budget plan.
(20) The current gas and electric charges
			 separately, if the customer is billed for gas and electric service on the same
			 bill.
(21) If applicable, each charge for a
			 service that is either nontariffed or nonregulated and, with regard to services
			 that are, the name and toll-free telephone number of each provider of
			 service.
(22) Any nonrecurring
			 charge(s).
(23) Any payment(s) or credit(s) applied
			 to the account during the current billing period.
(24) If applicable, all the percentage of
			 income payment plan plus (PIPP plus) billing information:
(a) Current PIPP plus payment.
(b) PIPP plus payments defaulted (i.e., past due).
(c) Total PIPP plus amount due.
(d) Total account arrearage.
(e) Any other information required to implement the PIPP plus
				program under Chapter 4901:1-18 of the Administrative Code.
(25) An explanation of codes and
			 abbreviations used.
(26) If a customer's selected retail
			 natural gas supplier or governmental aggregator bills separately for its
			 supplier charges, the supplier's name and a statement that such supplier
			 is responsible for billing the gas supplier charges and such supplier will
			 separately bill the customer for that component of natural gas
			 service.
(27) The customer's historical
			 consumption during each of the preceding twelve months, with a total and
			 average consumption for such twelve-month period, if the company has a choice
			 program.
(28) A statement, either appearing
			 directly on the bill, in a bill insert, or as a separate mailing, of any
			 payment arrangement agreed upon by the customer and the company.
(29) Other information required by Ohio
			 law or commission rule or order.
(C) All bills shall be due no earlier
		  than fourteen days from the date of the postmark on the bill. If the bill is
		  sent electronically, the bill shall not be due earlier than fourteen days from
		  the date of the electronic postmark on the bill. If the bill is mailed by means
		  that does not place a postmark on the bill (i.e., such as permit mailing), the
		  bill shall not be due earlier than fourteen days from the date on the actual
		  bill. All bills mailed without postmarks shall be mailed no later than the day
		  listed on the bill. For residential bills being issued from outside the state
		  of Ohio, the due date shall be no less than seventeen days from the date on the
		  actual bill.
(D) A gas or natural gas company
		  proposing any new bill format shall file its proposed bill format with the
		  commission for approval. If the commission does not act upon an application for
		  a new bill format approval within forty-five days, the proposed bill format
		  shall automatically be approved on the forty-sixth day.
(E) Payment methodologies and
		  parameters.
(1) Each gas or natural
			 gas company shall make payment options available to customers.
(a) Payment options may include, but are not limited to:
				cash, check, or money order payments in person to the company or a payment
				agent; check or money order through the mail; check over the telephone; credit
				card; or electronic money transfers.
(b) Each gas or natural gas company shall, upon request,
				provide customers with an updated list of its available payment options and
				descriptions thereof, and shall post the updated list on its
				website.
(c) The list of available payment options shall include the
				name and street address/location of the nearest payment center and/or local
				authorized agent, and all applicable fees for utilizing the various methods
				available for payment of customer bills.
(d) The gas or natural gas company may not deny a customer
				the use of one or more of the payment options solely because the
				customer's account is in arrears.
(2) If a gas or natural
			 gas company accepts payments from customers via authorized agents, the company
			 shall provide signage to the authorized agent with its logo, or other
			 appropriate indicators, that affirm the payment location as an authorized agent
			 of the gas or natural gas company.
(3) Each gas or natural gas company shall
			 not charge more than two dollars for processing payments by cash, check, or
			 money order at authorized agent locations. Customers may not be charged for
			 processing their payments by check or money order through the mail. Customers
			 may be charged for processing their payments by check over the telephone, by
			 credit card, or electronic money transfers and such charges will be evaluated
			 by the commission.
(4) When a customer pays the bill at the
			 gas or natural gas company's business office or to an authorized agent of
			 the company, the payment, including any partial payment, shall be immediately
			 credited to the customer's account where feasible, and, in any event, be
			 credited to the customer's account as of the date received at the business
			 office or by the agent. When payment is received at the company's business
			 office through other means, such as by mail or on line, the payment shall be
			 posted immediately upon receipt to the customer's account, where feasible,
			 and in any event, be credited to the customer's account on the date
			 received.
(5) No gas or natural gas company shall
			 disconnect service to a customer who pays the total amount due (or an amount
			 agreed upon between the gas or natural gas company and the customer to prevent
			 disconnection) on the account by the close of business on the disconnection
			 date listed on the disconnection notice. Payment received by an authorized
			 agent of the gas or natural gas company shall constitute receipt of payment by
			 the company.
(6) Each gas or natural gas company shall
			 establish a written policy for its personnel at its business offices and for
			 its authorized agents to handle billing disputes, requests for payment
			 arrangements, and for the reporting of payments made by customers due to their
			 receipt of a disconnection notice, in order to prevent disconnection of
			 service. If such matters cannot be handled by an agent authorized to accept
			 payments, the agent shall provide customers with the gas or natural gas
			 company's local or toll-free telephone number.
(7) When applicable, a
			 supplier agreement between a gas or natural gas company and a retail natural
			 gas supplier must provide that if the gas or natural gas company collects
			 customer payments on behalf of the retail natural gas supplier, then
			 customer's liability to the retail natural gas supplier ceases to the
			 extent of a payment made and applicable to the customers retail natural
			 gas supplier account.
(F) Any gas or natural gas company that
		  issues billing statements electronically shall comply with each of the
		  following requirements:
(1) A customer receiving
			 a billing statement electronically shall not be required to pay that bill
			 electronically or pay electronically any future bill statements. All payment
			 methods shall continue to be available to the customer.
(2) No enrollment or
			 usage fees shall be assessed to a customer who chooses to receive bills and/or
			 customer information electronically.
(3) The electronic
			 billing statement shall include all requirements listed in paragraph (B) of
			 this rule.
(4) The gas or natural
			 gas company shall maintain a secure and encrypted internet location that is to
			 be accessed only by the customer of record after completing a secure
			 registration process.
(5) Any fees to accept
			 electronic payments shall be clearly disclosed in payment
			 window(s).
(6) Any payment made
			 electronically shall be treated as a payment made at the company business
			 office and shall be posted to the account in accordance with paragraph (E)(4)
			 of this rule. The time needed to post the payment to the account shall be
			 clearly stated.
(G) Handling partial
		  payments.
(1) Nonconsolidated
			 bills. Each gas or natural gas company shall credit any customer's partial
			 payments in the following order:
(a) First, credit past due distribution and sales service
				charges.
(b) Second, credit current distribution and sales service
				charges.
(c) Third, credit past due and current nonregulated or
				nontariffed charges.
(2) Consolidated bills.
			 Partial payments applied towards any past due amount on a bill or the balance
			 due on a disconnection notice must be apportioned in the following
			 order:
(a) First, credit past due gas or natural gas company
				service and delivery charges.
(b) Second, credit current gas or natural gas company
				service and delivery charges.
(c) Third, credit retail natural gas supplier or
				governmental aggregator charges.
If the customer pays the entire amount past
				due or more, any amount paid over the amount past due shall be applied first to
				gas or natural gas company service and delivery charges.
(3) Budget billing payments and payments
			 in full of the undisputed amount related to a bona fide dispute do not
			 constitute partial payments. Payments made on accounts for which there is a
			 bona fide dispute shall be credited to the undisputed portion of the
			 account
(H) Any billing adjustments shall be made
		  according to paragraph (G) of rule 4901:1-13-04 of the Administrative
		  Code.
(I) Transfer of customer billing
		  information.
(1) The nonbilling retail
			 natural gas supplier shall furnish the applicable required bill content
			 information to the billing party in a timely manner and in a mutually agreed
			 upon electronic format for inclusion in the consolidated customer
			 bill.
(2) The billing gas or
			 natural gas company shall include in the consolidated bill all required bill
			 content information furnished by the nonbilling retail natural gas
			 supplier.
(3) An entity ordered by
			 the commission to provide any bill content, message, insert, or notice remains
			 responsible to provide such information to its customers, although the
			 information may be provided through the consolidated bill.
(J) Except in cases where the gas or
		  natural gas company is engaging in a purchase of receivables program, when a
		  customer switches from a retail natural gas supplier, the gas or natural gas
		  company shall identify for the customer and state on the bill the date after
		  which the billing party will no longer remit payments to the previous retail
		  natural gas supplier and include any outstanding balance due the previous
		  retail natural gas supplier.


Last updated August 5, 2021 at 8:40 AM