13.05.100 Service disconnection.
(a) Electrical service may be disconnected for delinquent accounts, a period of vacancy, or for any other reason upon written request received by the utility, or oral notice given at the City Cashier Office, by customers authorized to give such a notice on the account in question.
(b) Customer-initiated service disconnection notice shall be received by the utility at least five days before the effective date of disconnect.
(1) The utility reserves the right to refuse to disconnect in the event it deems that such action may make the utility liable in damages to the consumer being disconnected.
(2) The date of the disconnect must be a business day when a representative of the utility is available to receive payment from the customer.
(c) Limitations on Disconnections. No electric utility service shall be disconnected unless the utility has delivered, to the service address, or to the address of any party who to the knowledge of the utility has undertaken responsibility to pay the bill, written notice of the proposed disconnection.
(d) Utility-Initiated. At least two days prior to the proposed disconnection, the utility must make a good faith effort to make personal contact by using a telephone, certified mail, or other methods designed to reasonably notify the customer of proposed disconnection if contact has not been made previously.
(1) The disconnect notice should be conspicuous and distinguishable from the past bill for service and include the following information:
(i) The earliest date for the proposed disconnection.
(ii) The amount due and the reason for the proposed disconnection.
(iii) A telephone number which the affected consumer may call for information about the proposed disconnection.
(iv) The procedure for preventing disconnection of service.
(v) Information known to the utility that may assist the consumer in paying the bill.
(e) Exceptions to Disconnection.
(1) Winter Conditions. The utility shall not discontinue electric service to a residential customer between October 1st and May 30th if the forecasted local temperature is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit for a 24-hour period beginning at 8:00 a.m. on the date of the proposed disconnection. The customer must agree in writing to pay the past due balance including customer charges in equal installments beginning with the first billing period after May 30th and ending before October 1st. The customer must also agree in writing to pay all bills for current service by the due date.
(2) Serious Illness. The utility shall not disconnect for nonpayment of a bill to a residential customer who has a serious illness which would be aggravated by the disconnection; provided, that the customer:
(i) Notifies the utility of this condition in writing. The customer can notify the utility orally, but must send the utility a written notice within five days of the oral notification.
(ii) Within five days of providing initial notice to the utility, a written statement from a physician, hospital or clinic identifying the illness, its expected duration, and certifying that the illness would be aggravated by such disconnection must be received by the utility. [Ord. 23-04 § 2 (Att.), 2023.]