Title 54 Public Utilities Chapter 7 Hearings, Practice, and Procedure Section 13.6 Low-income assistance program.
54-7-13.6.Low-income assistance program.
(1) As used in this section, "eligible customer" means an electrical corporation or a gas
corporation customer:
(a) that earns no more than:
(i) 125% of the federal poverty level; or
(ii) another percentage of the federal poverty level as determined by the commission by
order; and
(b) whose eligibility is certified by the Utah Department of Community and Culture.
(2) A customer's income eligibility for the program described in this section shall be
renewed annually.
(3) An eligible customer may not receive assistance at more than one residential location
at any one time.
(4) Notwithstanding Section 54-3-8, the commission may approve a low-income
assistance program to provide bill payment assistance to low-income residential customers of:
(a) an electrical corporation with more than 50,000 customers; or
(b) a gas corporation with more than 50,000 customers.
(5) (a) (i) Subject to Subsection (5)(a)(ii), low-income assistance program funding from
each rate class may be in an amount determined by the commission.
(ii) Low-income assistance program funding described in Subsection (5)(a)(i) may not
exceed 0.5% of the rate class's retail revenues.
(b) (i) Low-income assistance program funding for bill payment assistance shall be
provided through a surcharge on the monthly bill of each Utah retail customer of the electrical
corporation or gas corporation providing the program.
(ii) The surcharge described in Subsection (5)(b)(i) may not be collected from customers
currently participating in the low-income assistance program.
(c) (i) Subject to Subsection (c)(ii), the monthly surcharge described in Subsection
(5)(b)(i) shall be calculated as an equal percentage of revenues from all rate schedules.
(ii) The monthly surcharge described in Subsection (5)(b)(i) may not exceed $50 per
month for any customer, adjusted periodically as the commission determines appropriate for
inflation.
(6) (a) An eligible customer shall receive a billing credit on the monthly electric or gas
bill for the customer's residence.
(b) The amount of the billing credit described in Subsection (6)(a) shall be determined by
the commission based on:
(i) the projected funding of the low-income assistance program;
(ii) the projected customer participation in the low-income assistance program; and
(iii) other factors that the commission determines relevant.
(c) The monthly billing credit and the monthly surcharge shall be adjusted concurrently
with the final order in a general rate increase or decrease case under Section 54-7-12 for the
electrical corporation or gas corporation providing the program or as determined by the
commission.
Enacted by Chapter 319, 2009 General Session
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