Ill. Admin. Code tit. 83 § 280.45

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 50, December 13, 2024

Section 280.45 - Deposits for Low Income Customers

a A low income customer or applicant may be required to pay a deposit if the following conditions exist:

1 The utility has proof that the applicant or customer benefitted from tampering.

2 The applicant was previously disconnected for non-payment of bill amounts owing to the utility for the same class and type of service.

b With the following exceptions, all provisions of Section 280.40 shall apply equally to low income customers.

1 Credit scoring: A utility shall not assess a low income customer a deposit based upon credit scoring. Credit scoring deposits shall be returned to the customer upon certification as a low income customer.

2 Late payments and past due over 30 days: A utility shall not assess a low income customer a deposit under Section 280.40(e)(1).

3 Unpaid final bill: A utility may assess a deposit for a low income applicant if the applicant failed to pay a final bill owing to the utility for the same class and type of service, and that final bill was greater than 20% of the average annual billing for the residential customers of the utility for the calendar year preceding the time of the application.

4 Payment: A utility may require payment of ? of an applicable deposit within a minimum of 12 days after the issue date of a deposit notice to a low income applicant or customer, with the remaining ? to be paid in equal installments over the next four billing cycles.

c Deposits collected for any reason other than credit scoring prior to a customer's certification as a low income customer shall remain validly held by the utility until the customer meets the refund conditions found in Section 280.40.

Ill. Admin. Code tit. 83, § 280.45

Amended at 38 Ill. Reg. 21331, effective 11/1/2014.