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Natural Gas will be furnished
subject to the Rules and Regulations of the Board of
Commissioners of the Bedford County Utility District of Bedford
County, Tennessee, which Rules and Regulations, as well as any
Rules and Regulations hereinafter amended, modified, or
promulgated, are made a part of every application, contract and
agreement entered into between the property owner or customer
and the District.
DEFINITIONS:
A. District - The word “District”
will be used in these Rules and Regulations to designate the
Bedford County Utility District of Bedford County, Tennessee.
B. Customer - The word “customer”
will be used in these Rules and Regulations to designate a
person, firm or corporation contracting with the District for
the furnishing of natural gas to property.
C. Property - The word “property”
shall mean, except where otherwise specified:
(1) A building under one (1) roof
and ownership and occupied by one (1) business or as one (1)
residence. This includes mobile homes in trailer parks as
defined in paragraph D.
(2) One (1) or more buildings on
a single tract of land, all under one (1) ownership and occupied
by one (1) family or business.
(3) One (1) side of a double
house having a solid vertical partition wall.
D. Trailer Park - A “trailer
park” consists of three (3) or more trailers where the parking
spaces are owned by the trailer park owner.
E. Apartment House - An
“apartment house” is a building housing three (3) or more
families or three (3) or more households.
F. Service Connection - The
phrase “service connection” will be used in these Rules and
Regulations to designate the tap on the main, together with that
portion of the line extending from the tap to the meter.
1. Natural Gas Service
Contract
Any applicant for natural gas
service shall complete a Natural Gas Service Contract and submit
same to the District with applicable tap fee and service fee.
If natural gas service cannot be supplied in accordance with the
District’s rules, regulations or policies or those of any state
or federal agency with oversight regarding service, the
liability of the District to the applicant for such natural gas
service shall be limited to the refund of the applicable tap
fee, service fee and meter deposit.
2. Natural Gas Taps
The District shall be responsible
for installing and maintaining the necessary service connection
to the main, service line piping, meter, pressure regulator and
necessary fitting to furnish natural gas to the customer. The
standard natural gas tap fee will be charged for service line
piping up to the first one hundred (400) feet as measured from
the customer’s property line to the meter set and a rate per
foot for every foot in excess of one hundred (400) feet, as
defined in the Schedule of Rates and Charges – Natural Gas.
The entire service line, regardless of length, shall be the
property of the District.
3. Customer’s Responsibility
The customer shall be responsible
for damage to any natural gas meter or equipment belonging to
the District placed on the premises occupied by the customer and
will immediately reimburse the District for all cost of
repairing or replacing same.
Customer will keep meter free of
debris and obstacles, and any obstructions such as locked gates,
bushes and dogs. District employees or its authorized agents
shall have access to the customer’s premises at all reasonable
times for the purpose of checking, reading, service and
disconnecting the meter, shutting off the gas, and any such
other purposes as the District may deem advisable to protect its
interest and safety to the public.
4. Non-participation In A
Natural Gas Line Extension
Any applicant, who owned property
on a natural gas line extension installed with District funds
and would not grant a natural gas easement, will pay the normal
service fee, meter deposit and twice the current tap fee.
5. Minimum Bill
The District will charge at least
a minimum bill per month per customer for the natural gas
service regardless of the amount used. (The minimum bill
reflects each customer’s share of the overhead to operate the
system.) If the customer fails to connect to the system when
service is available and a service connection is made, the
customer will pay a minimum bill per month until such time as
the customer installs his service or he removes himself or his
business from a metered location. By keeping the account
active, the customer can demand service at any time and
therefore must share in its costs.
6. Forfeited Discount
If full payment is not received
in the District office by the close of business on the due date
on the bill, the customer must pay the gross amount (including
forfeited discount) shown on the bill.
7. Repossessed Natural Gas
Taps
In the event a customer on a
Natural Gas line extension (i.e. dry tap) refuses to pay his
account, he will continue to receive a minimum bill. Once the
account balance exceeds $250.00 and remains unpaid for a period
of six (6) months from the date of last payment in full, the
District will repossess the service connection. The customer
will be sent a Repossessed Tap Notice notifying him that
he has thirty (30) days to reinstate his account with the
District and halt repossession of the tap. If the customer
does not respond within the thirty (30) day period, the District
will physically remove the tap from the customer’s property. If
a new customer requests natural gas service at this location at
a future date, he must apply for natural gas service. If the
customer is the one owing the past due account, he must apply
for natural gas service and pay the current tap fee, meter
deposit, service fee and all past due charges on said account.
8. Service Calls
In the event a customer requests
that the District check a service connection for proper
operation and no District responsibility is found, then the
customer will be charged a service call fee.
Customers are required to
immediately report any natural gas leaks whether they exist
on the customer’s side or the District’s. The District will not
charge any customer a service call fee for reporting a natural
gas leak.
9. Billing Frequency
Utility bills for residences will
be rendered monthly. Commercial and industrial customers may be
billed monthly or more frequently, at the discretion of the
Board of Commissioners.
10. Billing Due Date
The customer shall be required to
pay his bill by the due date as noted on his bill. The
customer’s failure to pay by the due date shall constitute a
penalty which will be added to the bill. Should the due date
for payment of a bill fall on a week-end or a holiday observed
by the District, the bill may be paid on the following business
day at the net amount.
11. Failure To Receive Bill
Utility bills are recognized as a
routine bill owed by the customer. The customer’s failure to
receive a bill does not change in any way the customer’s
obligation to pay the amount due in a timely manner.
12. Termination of Service By
Customer
In the event a customer removes
himself or his business from a service location at which he is
receiving natural gas service, he shall give the District a
minimum of five (5) calendar days notice of his intention to
move. To remove himself or his business from a service
location, the customer, if the owner, must sell the property
where the service is located, or, if a renter, move from the
property where the service is located. The customer shall be
responsible for payment of natural gas consumed up to the date
his service is terminated. In the event a customer desires to
move to a new location within the District, he shall pay the
tapping fee, if applicable, meter deposit and service fee.
The procedure for customer
notification of discontinuance of service is as follows:
a. In person, customer must
present acceptable identification.
b. Telephone, fax or writing,
customer must include address, account number, and one (1) other
positive account identification.
13. Adjustments to Bills/ Leak
Adjustments
The District does not allow
adjustments for natural gas leaks. The customer shall be
responsible for all gas passing through the meter.
14. Discontinuance of Service
(Cut-offs)
Reasons for discontinuance of
service:
a. Nonpayment of bill or other
charges.
b. Partial payment of bill or
other charges, except when a customer inadvertently fails to pay
a penalty, however, the penalty must be paid by the next cut-off
date.
c. Failure to comply with
District rules, regulations and policies.
d. Any threat to public safety
and/or health on the customer’s premises which may endanger
other customers.
e. Tampering with District
equipment or stealing service.
f. In the event that a customer
has more than one (1) residence on one (1) tap.
g. Customer has an amount past
due from any previous service.
A Final Notice will be mailed if
payment is not received by the due date. If payment is not
received within ten (10) days after the due date, service will
be discontinued.
Service will be reinstated only
during regular working hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 A.M.
to 4:30 P.M.
In the event a customer who has
been cut-off for nonpayment of service wishes to be reinstated
as a current customer, he shall pay all cost for discontinuance
of service to include a reconnect fee, past due charges and any
applicable service fees.
In the event a customer, who has
been cut-off, cuts the meter lock for the purpose of reinstating
natural gas service, said customer will be charged a tampering
fee and be subject to legal prosecution
In the event a customer, who has
been cut-off, cuts the meter lock for the purpose of reinstating
natural gas service, said customer will be charged a tampering
fee and be subject to legal prosecution.
Should the customer cut the meter
lock again, the meter will be removed and natural gas service
terminated permanently and be subject to legal prosecution.
15. Multiple Connections to
One (1) Meter
At no time shall there be more
than one (1) residence connected to one (1) meter.
Authorized employees,
representatives and contractors of the District shall have
access to all properties served by the District at reasonable
times for the purpose of reading meters, maintaining and
inspecting lines and connections to the District (or believed to
be connected to the District), observation, measurement,
sampling and testing as provided by the policies of the District
and by state and federal law.
16. Theft of Service
Anyone found to be in violation
of the theft of service policy will be subject to a tampering
fee and be subject to legal prosecution.
Service will not be restored
until all payments for the following are received by the
District:
a. Adjusted payment for utility
service.
b. Tampering fee.
c. Reconnection fee and any other
fees as deemed appropriate.
d. The cost of damages to
District property to include labor, equipment, overhead and
replacement parts.
Anyone found to be in violation
of theft of service policy for a second time will have their
natural gas service terminated permanently and be subject to
legal prosecution.
17. Shortages and Emergencies
The District cannot and does not
guarantee a sufficient supply of natural gas service and shall
not be liable for any damage or loss resulting from an
inadequate or interrupted supply, or for damages from the
resumption of service.
The District may declare service
restrictions during a period of shortage and emergencies.
18. Natural Gas Line
Extensions
In the event the District shall
see fit to extend any main line of its natural gas system, the
District shall, upon considering all circumstances, determine
the feasibility of this extension.
19. Subdivisions and
Developers
In the event an individual wishes
to extend/develop a natural gas line at their own expense, the
individual must adhere to the District’s Subdivisions and
Developers Policy.
Natural Gas will be furnished
subject to the Rules and Regulations of the Board of
Commissioners of the Bedford County Utility District of Bedford
County, Tennessee, which Rules and Regulations, as well as any
Rules and Regulations hereinafter amended, modified, or
promulgated, are made a part of every application, contract and
agreement entered into between the property owner or customer
and the District.
The foregoing Rules and Regulations, the aforementioned
Schedule of Rates and Charges and Organizational Data may be
amended, modified, enlarged or otherwise changed at any time a
majority of the Board of Commissioners deems same necessary.
The District has, by proper resolution, adopted
the foregoing Rules and Regulations for the Bedford County
Utility District of Bedford County, Tennessee, which resolution
declares that if any section, paragraph, clause or provision of
these Rules and Regulations shall be held to be invalid or
ineffective for any reason, the remainder of these Rules and
Regulations shall remain in full force and effect.
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