4 Colo. Code Regs. § 723-4-4401

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 22, November 25, 2024

Section 4 CCR 723-4-4401 - Billing Information and Procedures

(a) All bills issued to customers for metered service furnished shall show:

(I) the dates and meter readings beginning and ending the period during which service was rendered;

(II) an appropriate rate or rate code identification for each separate rate component charged to the bill. Each component shall be designated on the bill in a manner such that the rate or charge can be identified clearly when referencing approved rates found in the utility's tariff;

(III) the net amount due for regulated charges;

(IV) the date by which payment is due, which shall not be earlier than 15 days after the mailing or the hand-delivery of the bill;

(V) a distinct marking to identify an estimated bill;

(VI) the total amount of all payments or other credits made to the customer's account during the billing period;

(VII) any past due amount. Unless otherwise stated in a tariff or Commission rule, an account becomes "past due" on the 31st day following the due date of current charges;

(VIII) the identification of, and amount due for, unregulated charges, if applicable;

(IX) any transferred amount or balance from any account other than the customer's current account; and

(X) all other essential facts upon which the bill is based, including factors and constants, as applicable.

(b) A utility that bills for unregulated services or goods shall allocate partial payments first to regulated charges and then to unregulated charges or non-tariff charges and to the oldest balance due separately within each category.

(c) A utility that transfers to a customer a balance from the account of a person other than that customer shall have in its tariffs the utility's benefit of service transfer policies and criteria. The tariffs shall contain an explanation of the process by which the utility will verify, prior to billing a customer under the benefit of service tariff, that the person to be billed in fact received the benefit of service.

(d) A utility may transfer a prior unpaid debt to a customer's bill if the prior bill was in the name of the customer and the utility has informed the customer of the transferred amount and of the source of the unpaid debt (for example, and without limitation, the address of the premises to which service was provided and the period during which service was provided).

(e) If it is offered in a tariff, upon request from a customer and where it is technically feasible, a utility may have the option to provide electronic billing (e-billing), in lieu of a printed bill, to the requesting customer. If a utility offers the option of e-billing, the following shall apply:

(I) the utility shall obtain the affirmative consent of a customer to accept such a method of billing in lieu of printed bills;

(II) the utility shall not charge a fee for billing through the e-billing option;

(III) the utility shall not charge a fee based on customer payment options that is different from the fee charged for the use of the same customer payment options by customers who receive printed bills; and

(IV) a bill issued electronically shall contain the same disclosures and Commission-required information as those contained in the printed bill provided to other customers.

4 CCR 723-4-4401

38 CR 17, September 10, 2015, effective 9/30/2015

40 CR 01, January 10, 2017, effective 1/30/2017

41 CR 11, June 10, 2018, effective 6/30/2018

42 CR 07, April 10, 2019, effective 4/30/2019

43 CR 08, April 25, 2020, effective 5/15/2020

44 CR 04, February 25, 2021, effective 3/17/2021

44 CR 24, December 25, 2021, effective 1/14/2022

45 CR 18, September 25, 2022, effective 10/15/2022

46 CR 06, March 25, 2023, effective 1/25/2023

46 CR 08, April 25, 2023, effective 5/15/2023