Section 255.10  Definitions

"Act" means The Public Utilities Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 111⅔, par. 1-101, et seq.).

"Change," used in reference to a schedule, does not mean or include a change resulting from the operation of a provision which by its terms proposes no increase or decrease in the charges for service to any customer unless and until the happening of some future event which may or may not happen, as, for example, the filing or applying of a change represented by fuel clause.  The provisions of Section 255.20(h) of this Part shall, nevertheless, apply to such a "change".

"General rate increase" means a change in any public utility rate or schedule which, if applied to the total number of customers then currently being served under the particular rate classification involved (such as a residential classification or a commercial classification), would result either in an increase in the charges to 10% or more of the said number of customers or would result in a net increase in the revenues of the public utility from that particular classification for the same amount of service.

"Office of the public utility" means and includes only those offices maintained by the public utility for the purpose of the public transacting business with the public utility.  It does not mean or include places of business maintained  primarily for another purpose, such as stores, banks or offices or organizations other than the public utility, where arrangements may have been made for the receipt of payments of bills due the public utility or for the receipt of requests for service or for the transaction of other incidental business relating to the public utility, and it does not include a public utility office maintained primarily for operation purposes or rendering utility services to the public, such as telephone central offices or telephone public pay stations or telegraph branch offices maintained in hotels, railroad stations or office buildings.

"Public utility" as used in this Part, means any public utility as defined in Section 3-105 of the Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 111⅔, par. 3-105) except those entities engaged in the conveyance of oil by pipeline.  "Public utility" shall also include any telecommunications carrier, as defined in Section 13-202 of the Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 111⅔, par. 13-202) to which the provisions of Section 9-201 of the Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 111⅔, par. 9-201) are made applicable by Section 13-101 of the Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 111⅔, par. 13-101).

"Schedule" means and includes the sheets filed with the Commission by the public utility on which are set forth the rates or other charges or classifications for service furnished by the public utility and the rules, regulations and practices of the utility relating to or affecting any such rates, charges or classifications.

(Source:  Amended at 11 Ill. Reg. 16119, effective October 1, 1987)