House Journal: Page 1044: Monday, April 2, 2001
39 which that may be required by the public utility for
40 the initiation or reinstatement of service.
41 a. The deposit for a residential or commercial
42 customer for a place which has previously received
43 service shall not be greater than the highest billing
44 of service for one month for the place in the previous
45 twelve-month period two hundred dollars.
46 b. The deposit for a residential or a commercial
47 customer for a place which has not previously received
48 service or for an industrial customer shall be one-
49 half of the customer's projected one month's usage for
50 the place to be serviced as determined by the public
Page 5
1 utility according to rules established by the board.
2 c. This subsection does not prohibit a public
3 utility from requiring payment of a customer's past
4 due account with the utility prior to reinstatement of
5 service; however, a customer can appeal this decision
6 and require arbitration pursuant to subsection 6.
7 d. The rules shall allow a person other than the
8 customer to pay the customer's deposit. Upon
9 termination of service to such a customer, the deposit
10 plus accumulated interest less any unpaid utility bill
11 of the customer, shall be reimbursed to the person who
12 made the deposit.
13 6. Arbitration services shall be available for
14 customers who cannot meet the payment guidelines
15 established by rule under subsection 3, or who appeal
16 a determination of a public utility under subsection
17 5.
18 a. The arbitration services shall be provided to
19 the fullest extent possible by nonprofit organizations
20 providing such services, and shall be supplemented as
21 necessary by services provided with funds from the
22 energy assistance fund created in section 476.20A.
23 b. Public utilities shall notify customers that
24 they have the right to proceed to binding arbitration
25 with the public utility, if direct negotiation in
26 resolving payment or deposit disputes with the public
27 utility is unsuccessful.
28 c. The parties shall accept an arbitrator's
29 decision as binding. The customer shall make the
30 payment according to the terms of the decision, and
31 the public utility shall accept the payment as payment
32 in full from the customer.
33 d. The board shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter
34 17a to implement the arbitration process.
35 Sec. . NEW SECTION. 476.20a ENERGY ASSISTANCE
36 FUND.
37 1. An energy assistance fund is created in the
© 2001 Cornell College and
League of Women Voters of Iowa
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