810 R.I. Code R. 810-RICR-10-00-1.2

Current through December 3, 2024

Section 810-RICR-10-00-1.2 - Definitions

A. The following terms are used throughout the Rules and Regulations and shall be defined as follows:

1. "Residential customer" means a person whose utility service is provided to that person's primary single unit dwelling place on a permanent basis.

2. "Primary residence" means a person's permanent dwelling place or the equivalent. A person shall be deemed to have one permanent residence.

3. "Transient or seasonal customer" means a person who utilizes utility service at a particular address on a nonpermanent or seasonal basis. The term transient or seasonal customer shall include, but not be limited to, college students who do not establish permanent residence and customers whose utility service is provided to a vacation dwelling.

4. "Secondary residence" means a dwelling place other than a person's primary residence.

5. "Protected status customer" means a residential customer about whom the public utility has evidence that the customer is:

a. unemployed as demonstrated through verification by DLT that the person is currently receiving unemployment compensation;

b. elderly or handicapped, as defined by § 1.4(K)(1)(a) of this Part;

c. recipients of Low Income Heating Assistance Program (LIHEAP); or

d. seriously ill, as defined by § 1.2(A)(8) of this Part

e. living in a residence where there is domiciled a person under the age of two (2) years and there is a financial hardship.

f. A utility "has evidence" that a person is a Protected Status Customer when the utility has written verification from a legitimate agency that such person falls within one of the above-listed categories of Protected Status Customers (e.g. Rhode Island drivers license showing age, DLT photo identification card, a letter from a licensed physician showing that a person is seriously ill or handicapped, a Social Security Number, written verification of LIHEAP enrollment, written verification of eligibility for food stamps);

6. "Eligible for termination" means a residential customer whose service may be terminated pursuant to § 1.3(B) of this Part;

7. "Financial hardship category" means those families or groups of unrelated individuals residing in one dwelling unit with a combined gross income equal to or less than seventy-five percent of the Rhode Island median income as calculated by the U.S. Bureau of Census and as adjusted for family or group size by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regulation 45 C.F.R. § 96.85 or its successor regulation. (§ 1.20 of this Part (Appendix A) sets out the Rhode Island median for family or group size and shall be regularly updated in accordance with HHS regulations governing the federal low-income Home Energy Assistance Program.) Households can qualify under the financial hardship category based on either their annual income or their income over the most recent three (3) months;

8. "Seriously ill" means an illness that is life-threatening or that will cause irreversible adverse consequences to human health or that has a significant potential to become life threatening or to cause irreversible adverse consequences to human health;

9. "Utility termination moratorium period" means the period of time between 12:01 a.m. on November 1st and 11:59 p.m. on April 15th of each year.

10. "Multi-language utility service termination card" means a card that includes the following statement in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and any other languages that either the utility deems appropriate or that are required for a specific utility by the Division based on the majority demographics of its customer base: "I am here to terminate service to this home for failure to pay. I have a document showing the amount due on your account. If you can not pay this now, please provide me with access to your meter."

11. "Very low income customer" means a LIHEAP eligible household with a gross annual income equal to or less than one-hundred twenty-five percent (125%) of the Federal poverty guideline for the household, as verified by the Office of Energy Resources or other applicable agency.

810 R.I. Code R. 810-RICR-10-00-1.2