Full Text of SB0712 96th General Assembly
SB0712 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2009 and 2010 SB0712
Introduced 2/6/2009, by Sen. John J. Cullerton SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: |
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220 ILCS 5/8-304 |
from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 8-304 |
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Amends the Public Utilities Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning estimated billing practices.
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A BILL FOR
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SB0712 |
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LRB096 06765 MJR 16849 b |
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| AN ACT concerning regulation.
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| Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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| represented in the General Assembly:
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| Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by changing | 5 |
| Section 8-304 as follows:
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| (220 ILCS 5/8-304) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 8-304)
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| Sec. 8-304.
The
The Commission shall conduct a | 8 |
| comprehensive study of the
estimated billing practices and | 9 |
| policies of each major public utility
providing gas or electric | 10 |
| service. The study shall include, but not be limited to: | 11 |
| (a) an analysis of the extent to which estimated billing | 12 |
| has occurred in
each of the past 10 years and the extent to | 13 |
| which it currently occurs and is
expected to occur in the | 14 |
| foreseeable future. Such analysis shall, to the
fullest extent | 15 |
| possible, include an examination of the circumstances in
which | 16 |
| estimated billing most frequently occurs, by time of year,
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| geographical location, and customer class or group. Such | 18 |
| analysis shall
also specifically identify the frequency of | 19 |
| consecutively estimated bills;
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| (b) an analysis of the reasons for estimated billing in | 21 |
| general, the
reasons for any change over time in the frequency | 22 |
| of estimated billing, and
the reason for any higher than | 23 |
| average frequency of estimated billing
during certain times of |
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SB0712 |
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LRB096 06765 MJR 16849 b |
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| year, in certain geographical areas, or for
particular customer | 2 |
| classes or groups;
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| (c) an analysis of the method used to establish the amount | 4 |
| of an
estimated bill and the extent to which such method | 5 |
| reflects changes in
usage due to weather and customer | 6 |
| conservation efforts;
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| (d) an analysis of the extent to which the method used to | 8 |
| establish the
amount of an estimated bill accurately | 9 |
| approximates actual usage and the
extent to which estimated | 10 |
| bills differ from actual usage and bills;
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| (e) an analysis of the extent to which the frequency of | 12 |
| estimated
billing and any inaccuracies resulting from the | 13 |
| method of establishing the
amount of an estimated bill, | 14 |
| including make-up billing, contribute to
customers' | 15 |
| unwillingness or inability to pay utility bills and the | 16 |
| utility's
inability to collect actual amounts due and owing;
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| (f) identification of any and all means currently used to | 18 |
| minimize the
frequency of estimated bills and any inaccuracies | 19 |
| in estimation methods,
and a critical assessment of the | 20 |
| adequacy and effectiveness of such means;
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| (g) identification of any incentives which exist and which | 22 |
| tend to
encourage or discourage the use of estimated billing by | 23 |
| utilities;
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| (h) identification and critical assessment of all | 25 |
| alternative incentives
and means by which the frequency of | 26 |
| estimated billing and the inaccuracies
of estimation
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LRB096 06765 MJR 16849 b |
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| procedures can be minimized, and estimation procedures | 2 |
| improved, giving
consideration to the cost to the utilities, | 3 |
| including, but not limited to,
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| (i) requiring the use of outside meters;
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| (ii) requiring utilities to read meters monthly;
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| (iii) requiring utilities to pay interest on the difference | 7 |
| between an
estimated bill and the actual amount due, where the | 8 |
| customer pays the
estimated bill, and the estimated bill | 9 |
| exceeds the actual amount due for
such period of time.
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| The completed study shall be subject to hearing and | 11 |
| comment. Thereafter,
the Commission shall initiate rulemaking | 12 |
| proceedings to promulgate such
rules as it believes reasonable | 13 |
| and necessary to ensure the minimization of
the frequency of | 14 |
| estimated billing and the increased accuracy of estimation
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| procedures. The study shall also be provided to the General | 16 |
| Assembly
together with any specific recommendations for | 17 |
| legislation which the
Commission believes necessary or | 18 |
| beneficial.
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| (Source: P.A. 84-617.)
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