Promotional Practices Standards

PURPOSE: This rule prescribes standards governing promotional practices that are not prohibited or for which a variance has been granted by the commission. (1) All promotional practices of a public utility or its affiliate shall be just and reasonable, reasonable as a business practice, economically feasible and compensatory and reasonably calculated to benefit both the utility and its customers. (2) No public utility or its affiliate, directly or indirectly, in any manner or by any device whatsoever, shall offer or grant to any person any form of promotional practice except as is uniformly and contemporaneously extended to all persons in a reasonable defined class. No public utility or its affiliate, in the granting of a promotional practice, shall make, offer or grant any undue or unreasonable preference or advantage to any person or subject any person to any undue or unreasonable prejudice or disadvantage. No public utility or its affiliate shall establish or maintain any unreasonable difference in the offering or granting of promotional practices either as between localities or as between classes to whom promotional practices are offered or granted. (3) The promotional practices of a public utility or affiliate shall not vary the rates, charges and rules of the tariff pursuant to which service is rendered to a customer. No new promotional practice which has not been previously filed with the commission shall be made or offered unless first filed on a tariff with the commission. AUTHORITY: sections 386.040, 386.610 and 393.140, RSMo 1986 and 386.250, RSMo Supp. 1991.* This rule originally filed as 4 CSR 240-14.030. Original rule filed June 28, 1971, effective July 8, 1971. Amended: Filed Sept. 15, 1972, effective Sept. 25, 1972. Amended: Filed June 12, 1992, effective May 6, 1993. Moved to 20 CSR 4240-14.030, effective Aug. 28, 2019. *Original authority: 386.040, RSMo 1939; 386.250, RSMo 1939, amended 1963, 1967, 1977, 1980, 1987, 1988, 1991; 386.610, RSMo 1939; and 393.140, RSMo 1939, amended 1949, 1967.