| Town of Reading, Massachusetts | MDTE # 188 supersedes |
| Municipal Light Department | and cancels MDTE # 171 |
General Terms & Conditions
(For All Classes of Service)
These Terms and Conditions have been
established to convey the conditions that the customer agrees to when
requesting service from the Reading Municipal Light Department
(Department). The benefits and
obligations of these Terms and Conditions will commence on the day that the
customer is connected to the Department’s service.
1
a. All applications for new or restored
electric service must be accurate, true, complete and signed. Applications can be made in person at the
Department’s office, by telephone, or over the Internet at www.rmld.com, and
signed via fax, mail or in person. A
minimum of five (5) days notice is required, in situations where no major construction
of special equipment or materials is required.
In major construction cases, the customer must meet with the
Department’s personnel to discuss and determine construction schedules.
b.
Advance deposits will be required as security payment of future electric
bills from residential customers who have not established a satisfactory credit
rating as determined by the Department, and from rental or lease tenants,
temporary services and commercial/industrial customers.
c.
The commercial/industrial customer deposit calculation is equivalent to
the estimated total of the two (2) highest months of billing within a
twelve-month period.
d.
The deposit payment can be in the form of cash, check, credit card, or a
surety bond that is acceptable to the Department. The deposit, less any amount owed to the Department for electric
service, will be refunded when service is discontinued or will be returned upon
request after one (1) year of a satisfactory payment record.
2 a. The supply of electric service is contingent
upon the Department's ability to secure and retain the necessary locations for
its poles, wires, conduits, cables, and other apparatus. All equipment furnished by the Department
shall remain its property.
b. Beyond the point of connection to the
Department’s system, all wiring and other electrical equipment that is
necessary in order to utilize the service shall be installed by the customer
and shall comply with the Department’s requirements and municipal authorities.
c. The characteristics of service available at
each location will be determined by the Department and information relative
thereto will be furnished upon request.
d. Any electrical work such as new
construction, service upgrade, service repair, temporary service, or service
relocation will require a Utility Authorization Number (UAN) from the
Department prior to the commencement of work.
All such work will require a UAN number and the approval of the
appropriate local authorities prior to the Department making its connections.
3. The
applicant shall make an aid-in-construction payment when the supply of service
involves the use of investment, which in the judgment of the Department would
not otherwise be warranted by the estimated revenue to be obtained.
4 a. Temporary single phase 120\240 Volt, 100
AMP, 3 wire service connections for building construction or reconstruction
purposes or where a permanent electric service would not result will be subject
to a $275.00 service charge.
b.
Any temporary service requirement in excess of Section 4a. will be
estimated by the Department and paid-in-advance of construction.
c.
Any temporary relocation of service drop conductors by the Department to
accommodate building reconstruction that is not immediately connected to a new
service entrance will be charged as a temporary service.
d.
The relocation of service drop conductors performed by unauthorized
personnel to accommodate building reconstruction is prohibited. Service drops found so relocated will be immediately
disconnected if safety considerations, at the sole discretion of the
Department, so warrant. Unauthorized
relocations will be subject to financial penalties in addition to a temporary
service fee.
5.
a.
Permanent overhead service attachments will be made without charge
except where the Department determines one or more poles are required on
private property. When required, the
Department will furnish one pole and any additional poles, wires and labor shall
be at the expense of the customer.
b.
The customer must provide an attachment point at sufficient height on
the structure to provide the required clearance in accordance with
Massachusetts Electrical Code and local authorities. Poles necessary to provide height clearances not provided by the
customer will be charged to the customer.
6. Underground Services supplied from
overhead systems will be installed and maintained at the customer's expense in
accordance with the Department’s approval and specification. A single underground service provided from a
pole on a customer’s property will not require a pullbox. Any underground service provided from a pole
in the public way will require a pullbox provided by the Department. The pullbox will be installed by the
customer within three feet of the front lot line along the service run. Only one set of underground service risers
(electric, telephone, CATV, etc.) will be allowed on any one pole. The Department must be contacted for service
arrangements.
7. Underground Distribution installations
in new subdivisions will be in accordance with the Department
specifications. Underground
specifications will be provided to the developer or builder upon request. Two (2) copies of the preliminary plan maps
of the proposed development must be submitted to the Department six months
prior to the date that electric service is required. One month prior to the start of electric system construction one
(1) reproducible reverse-read Mylar and a digital formatted file (if available)
of the approved subdivision plan and profile must be submitted to the
Department.
8. Services
requiring transformers where pole mounting is not possible, the customer will
be required to supply a pad location, primary and secondary conduits, and
cables, etc. at the customers own expense.
All materials used must meet the Department’s specifications.
9. All meters will be furnished by the
Department and shall be installed on meter sockets or troughs provided and
wired by the customer. The Department’s
meter personnel shall designate meter locations and specifications. Residential meters will be located outside
and easily accessible to the meter reader without having to enter a fenced in
area.
10. The Customer shall give the Department
permission to enter their premises at all reasonable times for the purpose of
installing, reading, inspecting, testing and keeping its equipment in
repair. As well as for the discontinuance
of service and the removal of any or all of its equipment used in connection
with the supply of electricity.
11. The Department will test single-phase meters
free of charge, upon customers request, which have not been tested within a
three-year period. However, if a
customer requests an additional meter test within three years of the previous
test, and the Department finds the meter to be correct according to
Massachusetts General Laws (M.G.L.), Chapter 164, Section 120, then the
customer requesting the test will be charged $85.00 for the test. If the meter is found to be in error then
the test will be free of charge.
12. No
one, unless duly authorized by the Department is permitted to remove or inspect
any meter or other appliance belonging to the Department. Customers may be disconnected if the meter
has been tampered with or by-passed so as not to record all consumption. Such customers will be subject to fines and
punishment under the M.G.L., Chapter 164, Sections 127 and 127A.
13. The customer of record shall be responsible
for all damage to or loss of the Department's property located upon his or her
premises unless occasioned by circumstances beyond the customer's control.
14. a.
All meters shall be read and bills rendered on a monthly bases. At any time that the Department is unable to
obtain a meter reading, the consumption will be estimated on the best
information available.
b.
A prompt payment discount of 10% will be allowed on the current bill,
excluding the fuel adjustment charge, and only if the entire bill is
paid-in-full by the discount due date.
The Department offers several payment options via office visit,
telephone, Internet or conveniently location pay stations.
15. a. All bills shall be payable on a net basis
upon receipt. If not paid within
forty-five (45) days of date of bill, service will be disconnected after three
(3) days written notice, and the following charges will be made for renewing
the service when the bill is paid.
The above charges are calculated based on
the Department's cost of service and in accordance with the Billing and
Termination Procedures of the Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and
Energy’s C.M.R. 25, adopted October 4, 1984 in MDTE-1 63.
b. Property owners on the Department’s system
are subject to the Massachusetts Municipal Lien Law, M.G.L., Chapter 164,
Section 58B. This law allows municipal
electric departments to attach a lien to properties if electric bills are not
paid-in-full.
16. A $20.00 fee will be charge to the
customer’s bill for each check returned to the Department.
b.
The Budget Bill Program runs from December through November or June
through May. A contingency will be
added to the average twelve-month usage to account for any fluctuation in
customer usage or increase in the fuel charge adjustment. Customers will be billed as normal with the
“Balance Due” portion of the bill reflecting the running true-up balance. Budget Bill Program customers are subject to
the terms of Section 14 b. Prompt Payment Discount.
c.
At the end of the twelve-month period, the account will be
trued-up. Any positive balance will be
paid by the customer to the Department, or any credit balance, at the customer’s
choice, will be paid to the customer by the Department or credited to the
customer’s next billing.
18. All customers taking electric service under
the Commercial Schedule C Rate and/or the Industrial Time of Use Rate will be
required to give the Department two (2) years prior written notice of its
intention to take its energy requirements from other supplier and/or resource
other than this Department while remaining on the Department's service
territory.
19. The customer shall give the Department a
90-day advance written notice of load additions or changes that would result in
a 25% increase above its original load projections. This is to allow the Department to make changes necessary to
accommodate these new loads and continue adequate service.
20. The
Department reserves the right to install load-limiting devices arranged to
disconnect the service in the premises if the rated capacity of the
Department's service is exceeded.
Neither the Town of
Reading, nor the Department, nor any of their respective agents or employees
shall be liable to any person or agent:
a.
For any failure by the Department to supply electric service or for any
interruption in the supply of or delay in the restoration of such service.
b.
For any damage to any person (including personal injury or death) or any
damage to any property directly or indirectly, arising as a result of the
electric service provided by the Department, the presence of the Department’s
apparatus or equipment, or any acts or omission of the Department.
c.
For discontinuance of electric service to any customer who fails to
comply with, or perform any of the customer’s obligations under these Terms and
Conditions, applicable laws and regulations, or other agreements with the
Department.
d.
For discontinuance of electrical service if any equipment or apparatus
of any customer interferes with service provided by the Department or the
delivery of service to other customers or interferes with the integrity of the
Department’s system.
e.
For any variation, or interruption in electrical service including
without limitation, any such variation or discontinuance because of abnormal or
reduced voltage, emergency load reduction programs, rotation of the use of
feeders, blackouts, or any causes beyond the reasonable control of the
Department, including, but not limited to, accidents, weather conditions,
animals, conditions of fuel supplies, war, civil commotion, labor difficulties,
acts of customers, or any public authority.
22. The Department will discontinue its service
on 24-hour notice and remove its property if the customer fails to comply with
or perform any of the requirements or obligations of these terms and
conditions. If equipment or apparatus
owned by the customer interferes unduly with service to other customers of the
Department, or is determined by the Department to pose a hazard to Department
employees, or the general public, service will be discontinued as soon as
practical.
23. Under the Time-of-Use Rate the holidays granted
for off-peak are; New Years Day, President's Day, Memorial Day, Independence
Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Columbus Day, Veteran's Day and Christmas
Day.
| Rate Filed: | May 1, 2003 |
| Effective: | On Billings on or After June 1, 2003 |
| Filed By: | Vincent F. Cameron Jr., General Manager |