170 IAC 4-5-12 Bills for electric service

Sec. 12. Bills for Electric Service. (a) Bills shall be rendered for the same billing period as that of the utility, generally monthly, unless service is rendered for less than that period. Bills shall be rendered as promptly as possible following the reading of the submeters. The submeters shall be read within 3 days of the scheduled reading date of the utility's master meter. (b) The unit of measurement shall be the kilowatt-hour (KWH). (c) The owner shall be responsible for determining that the energy billed to any dwelling unit shall be only for energy consumed within that unit, and so metered. (d) The owner shall be entitled to collect only those charges made to him by the electric utility and no more. (e) The tenant's bill shall be calculated in the following manner: After the owner's electric bill is received from the utility, the owner shall divide the total net charges for electrical consumption, plus applicable tax, by the total number of kilowatt-hours to obtain an average cost per kilowatt-hour. This average kilowatt-hour cost shall then be multiplied by each tenant's kilowatt-hour consumption to obtain the charge to the tenant. The computation of the average cost per kilowatt-hour shall not include any penalties charged by the utility to the owner for disconnection, late payment, or other similar service charges. (f) Prorated initial or final tenants' bills shall be calculated using the most recent available average cost per kilowatt-hour. (g) The tenant's bill shall show all of the following information: (1) The date and reading of the submeter at the beginning and at the end of the period for which the bill is rendered. (2) The number of kilowatt-hours metered. (3) The computed rate per kilowatt-hour. (4) The total amount due for electricity used. (5) A clear and unambiguous statement that the bill is not from the electric utility which provides service to the qualifying building. (6) The name and address of the tenant to whom the bill is applicable. (7) The name of the firm rendering the submetering bill and the name or title, address and telephone number of the person or persons to be contacted in case of a billing dispute. (8) The date by which the tenant must pay the bill. (h) The tenants of any dwelling unit whose electrical consumption is submetered shall be allowed by the owner to review and copy the masterbilling for the current month's billing period as well as for the twelve preceding months, and all submeter readings of the dwelling unit for the current month as well as for the twelve preceding months. (i) All rental agreements between the owner and the tenants of dwelling units shall clearly state that: the dwelling unit is submetered, electric bills will be based upon submeter readings, electrical consumption for all common areas and common facilities will be the responsibility of the owner and not the tenant and will describe the procedure to be followed in the event of disputes. (j) Estimated bills shall not be rendered unless the meter has been tampered with or is out of order, and in such case the bill shall be distinctly marked as such. (k) Each owner may elect an alternative billing method which allows a tenant to contract for a plan whereby the owner averages the estimated bill over an extended period and balances the account at the end of that period.