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1 | AN ACT concerning regulation.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by changing | |||||||||||||||||||
5 | Section 8-304 as follows:
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6 | (220 ILCS 5/8-304) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 8-304)
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7 | Sec. 8-304.
The
The Commission shall conduct a | |||||||||||||||||||
8 | comprehensive study of the
estimated billing practices and | |||||||||||||||||||
9 | policies of each major public utility
providing gas or electric | |||||||||||||||||||
10 | service. The study shall include, but not be limited to: | |||||||||||||||||||
11 | (a) an analysis of the extent to which estimated billing | |||||||||||||||||||
12 | has occurred in
each of the past 10 years and the extent to | |||||||||||||||||||
13 | which it currently occurs and is
expected to occur in the | |||||||||||||||||||
14 | foreseeable future. Such analysis shall, to the
fullest extent | |||||||||||||||||||
15 | possible, include an examination of the circumstances in
which | |||||||||||||||||||
16 | estimated billing most frequently occurs, by time of year,
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17 | geographical location, and customer class or group. Such | |||||||||||||||||||
18 | analysis shall
also specifically identify the frequency of | |||||||||||||||||||
19 | consecutively estimated bills;
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20 | (b) an analysis of the reasons for estimated billing in | |||||||||||||||||||
21 | general, the
reasons for any change over time in the frequency | |||||||||||||||||||
22 | of estimated billing, and
the reason for any higher than | |||||||||||||||||||
23 | average frequency of estimated billing
during certain times of |
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1 | year, in certain geographical areas, or for
particular customer | ||||||
2 | classes or groups;
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3 | (c) an analysis of the method used to establish the amount | ||||||
4 | of an
estimated bill and the extent to which such method | ||||||
5 | reflects changes in
usage due to weather and customer | ||||||
6 | conservation efforts;
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7 | (d) an analysis of the extent to which the method used to | ||||||
8 | establish the
amount of an estimated bill accurately | ||||||
9 | approximates actual usage and the
extent to which estimated | ||||||
10 | bills differ from actual usage and bills;
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11 | (e) an analysis of the extent to which the frequency of | ||||||
12 | estimated
billing and any inaccuracies resulting from the | ||||||
13 | method of establishing the
amount of an estimated bill, | ||||||
14 | including make-up billing, contribute to
customers' | ||||||
15 | unwillingness or inability to pay utility bills and the | ||||||
16 | utility's
inability to collect actual amounts due and owing;
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17 | (f) identification of any and all means currently used to | ||||||
18 | minimize the
frequency of estimated bills and any inaccuracies | ||||||
19 | in estimation methods,
and a critical assessment of the | ||||||
20 | adequacy and effectiveness of such means;
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21 | (g) identification of any incentives which exist and which | ||||||
22 | tend to
encourage or discourage the use of estimated billing by | ||||||
23 | utilities;
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24 | (h) identification and critical assessment of all | ||||||
25 | alternative incentives
and means by which the frequency of | ||||||
26 | estimated billing and the inaccuracies
of estimation
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1 | procedures can be minimized, and estimation procedures | ||||||
2 | improved, giving
consideration to the cost to the utilities, | ||||||
3 | including, but not limited to,
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4 | (i) requiring the use of outside meters;
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5 | (ii) requiring utilities to read meters monthly;
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6 | (iii) requiring utilities to pay interest on the difference | ||||||
7 | between an
estimated bill and the actual amount due, where the | ||||||
8 | customer pays the
estimated bill, and the estimated bill | ||||||
9 | exceeds the actual amount due for
such period of time.
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10 | The completed study shall be subject to hearing and | ||||||
11 | comment. Thereafter,
the Commission shall initiate rulemaking | ||||||
12 | proceedings to promulgate such
rules as it believes reasonable | ||||||
13 | and necessary to ensure the minimization of
the frequency of | ||||||
14 | estimated billing and the increased accuracy of estimation
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15 | procedures. The study shall also be provided to the General | ||||||
16 | Assembly
together with any specific recommendations for | ||||||
17 | legislation which the
Commission believes necessary or | ||||||
18 | beneficial.
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19 | (Source: P.A. 84-617.)
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