9-12-201 - Moratorium on involuntary termination for nonpayment of utility bills -- Eligibility criteria -- Department to establish and certify.
9-12-201. Moratorium on involuntary termination for nonpayment of utility bills --Eligibility criteria -- Department to establish and certify.
(1) The department shall establish a program for a seasonal moratorium for involuntarytermination for nonpayment by residential customers of essential utility bills. An essential utilityis a utility regulated by the Public Service Commission under Title 54, which is in the business ofthe retail distribution of electricity or natural gas. A residential customer is a customer defined asin a residential class by the Public Service Commission.
(2) A residential customer shall meet the following criteria to qualify for the program:
(a) gross household income is less than 125% of the federal poverty level or thehousehold has suffered a medical or other emergency, loss of employment, or is experiencingother circumstances which have resulted in a substantial loss of income;
(b) the customer has made application to public and private energy assistance programs;
(c) the customer is willing to make a good faith effort to pay these utility bills on aconsistent basis; and
(d) any additional information required by the department.
(3) A residential customer may file with a local department office an affidavit attestingeligibility under the criteria in Subsection (2). The department shall certify that the customer hasmet the eligibility requirements and forward a copy of the affidavit to the effected utility.
Amended by Chapter 378, 2010 General Session