Needles Municipal Code § 4.1 Customer service installation and billing

Service billing periods normally consists of approximately

thirty (30) days unless designated otherwise under the rate schedules or at City option.

service at one point of delivery to enable service measurement through one meter. If Customer requires more than one type of service, or total service cannot be measured through one meter according to City’s normal practice, separate meters will be used and separate billing rendered for the service measured by each meter.

premise. However, adjacent and contiguous premises that are not separated by private or public property or right-of-way, and that are operated as a single, integrated unit under the same name and as part of the same business enterprise, shall be deemed a single premise for purposes of metering and billing.

accurately measured, City may estimate Customer’s energy usage for billing purposes on the basis of information including, but not limited to, the physical condition of the metering equipment, available meter readings, records of historical use, and general characteristics of Customer’s load and operation.

Customer for the amount of any undercharge and shall provide Customer with a refund or credit for the amount of any overcharge. Such adjustment bill shall be computed as follows:

If a meter is registering more than two percent (2%) fast, City shall refund to

Customer the amount of the overcharge based on the corrected meter readings or the utility’s estimate of the energy usage either for the known period of the meter error or, if the period of error is not known, for the period during which the meter was in use, in either situation for a period not exceeding one (1) year.

If a meter for residential service is registering more than twenty-five percent

(25%) slow, or a meter for any other class of service is registering more than two percent (2%) slow, City may bill Customer for the amount of the undercharge based on corrected meter readings or City’s estimate of the energy usage either for the known period of meter error or, if the period of the meter error is not known, for the period the meter was in use, in either situation the billing shall not exceed three (3) months for residential service and one (1) year for any other class of service.

If a meter is found to be nonregistering, City may bill Customer

for the amount of the underbillings based on City’s estimate of the electric service used but not registered, for a period not exceeding one year.

Billing errors may include incorrect meter readings or clerical errors by a City representative such as applying the wrong rate, wrong billing factor or an incorrect calculation. Billing error does not include a meter error or unauthorized use, nor any error in billing resulting from the

meter dial “pegging” or being over if caused by other than City, switched or mismarked meters by other than City, improper Customer wiring, blown fuse in one energized conductor, inaccessible meter, failure of Customer to notify City of changes in Customer’s equipment or operation, or failure of Customer to take advantage of a rate or condition of service which Customer is eligible.

may render an adjusted bill for the amount of the undercharge, and shall issue a refund or credit to Customer for the amount of the overcharge, for the period of the billing error, but not to exceed three (3) years in the case of an overcharge, and, in the case of an undercharge not to exceed three (3) months for residential service and one (1) year for any other class of service.