R746-405. Filing of Tariffs for Gas, Electric, Telephone, and Water Utilities, R746. Public Service Commission, Administration, Utah Administrative Code

Utah Administrative Code (Current through November 1, 2019)

R746. Public Service Commission, Administration

R746-405. Filing of Tariffs for Gas, Electric, Telephone, and Water Utilities

R746-405-1. General Provisions

Latest version.

A. Scope--The following rules for electricity, gas, telephone, and water utilities are designed to provide for:

1. the general form and construction of tariffs required by law to be filed with the Commission and open for public inspection,

2. the procedures for filing and publishing tariffs in Utah, and

3. the particular circumstances and procedures under which utilities may depart from their filed and effective tariffs.

B. Applicability--These rules apply to and govern utilities of the classes herein named, whether they begin service before or after the effective date of these rules, but they shall not affect a right or duty arising out of an existing rule or order in conflict herewith. The rules apply only to new tariff filings, and do not require the modification of tariffs which are effective on the date the rules are adopted. Each utility shall have on file with the Commission its current tariff. Each utility shall abide by the tariff as filed and approved by the Commission. The Commission at any time may direct utilities to make revisions or filings of their tariffs or a part thereof to bring them into compliance. These rules do not apply to a telecommunications corporation subject to pricing flexibility pursuant to 54-8b-2.3.

C. Definitions--

1. "Commission" means the Public Service Commission of Utah.

2. "Effective Date" means the date on which the rates, charges, rules and classifications stated in the tariff sheets first become effective, except as otherwise provided by statute. This date, in accordance with the statutory notice period, shall not be less than the 30th calendar day after the filed date, without the prior approval of the Commission. Unless otherwise authorized, rates shall be made effective for service rendered on or after the effective date.

3. "Filed Date" of tariff sheets submitted to the Commission for filing is the date the tariff sheets are date-stamped at the Commission's Salt Lake City office.

4. "Tariff" means the entire body of rates, tolls, rentals, charges classifications and rules collectively enforced by the utility, although the book or volumes incorporating the same may consist of one or more sheets applicable to distinct service classifications.

5. "Tariff Sheet" means the individual sheets of the volume constituting the entire tariff of a utility and includes the title page, preliminary statement, table of contents, service area maps, rates schedules and rules.

6. "Utility" means a gas, electric, telecommunications, water or heat corporation as defined in Section 54-2-1.

D. Separate Utility Services--

1. Utilities engaged in rendering two or more classes of utility services, such as both gas and electric services, shall file with the Commission a separate tariff covering each class of utility service rendered.

2. Utilities planning to jointly provide utility service shall designate one utility to file a joint tariff for the service with the other utility or utilities filing a concurrence with the joint tariff.

E. Withdrawal of Service--No utility of a class specified herein shall, without prior approval of the Commission, withdraw from public service entirely or in any portion of the territory served.

R746-405-2. Format and Construction of Tariffs

Latest version.

A. Format--Tariffs shall be in loose-leaf form for binding in a stiff-backed book or books as required and consist of parts or subdivisions arranged in order set forth as follows:

1. Title:

"TARIFF"

Applicable to

Kind of

SERVICE

NAME OF UTILITY

2. Table of Contents: a complete index of numbers and titles of effective sheets listed in the order in which the tariff sheets are arranged in the tariff book. Table of contents sheets shall bear sheet numbers and be in the form set forth in Subsection R746-405-2(C).

3. Preliminary statement: a brief description of the territory served, types and classes or service rendered and general conditions under which the service is rendered. Preliminary sheets shall bear sheet numbers and be in the form set forth in Subsection R746-405-2(C).

4. Service area maps: maps for telecommunication utilities shall clearly indicate the boundaries of the service area, the principal streets, other main identifying features therein, the general location of the service area in relation to nearby cities, major highways or other well-known reference points and the relation between service area boundaries and map references. Service area maps shall be approximately 8-1/2 x 11 inches in size, or folded to that size in order to fit within the borders of the space provided on tariff sheets. Maps for gas, water and electric utilities shall clearly indicate the boundaries of the service area.

B. Tariff Books--

1. Utilities shall maintain their presently effective tariff at each business office open to the public. Utilities with public websites shall provide access to a searchable copy of the utility's presently effective tariff.

2. Utilities shall remove canceled tariff sheets from their currently effective tariffs. Utilities shall permanently retain a file of canceled tariff sheets.

C. Construction of Tariffs for Filing--

1. The loose-leaf sheets used in tariffs shall be of paper stock not less than 16 lb. bond or of equal durability and 8-1/2 x 11 inches in size and electronically printed or copied. Tariffs may not be hand-written. One side of a sheet only may be used and a binding margin of at least 1-1/8 inches at the left of the sheet.

a. The tariff sheets of each utility shall provide the following information:

i. the name of the utility;

ii. the sheet, or page number, along with information to designate whether it is the first version of the sheet or whether the sheet has been revised since it was originally issued. Sheets shall be numbered consecutively;

iii. the number of the advice letter with which the sheet is submitted to the Commission or the docket number if the sheet is filed in accordance with a report and order of the Commission;

iv. information to indicate the date the sheet was filed with the Commission and the date the sheet became effective.

2. Tariffs shall include the following information and as nearly as possible in the following order:

a. schedule number or other designation;

b. class of service, such as business or residential;

c. character of applicability, such as heating, lighting or power, or individual and party-line service;

d. territory to which the tariff applies;

e. rates, in tabular form if practicable;

f. special conditions, limitations, qualifications and restrictions. The conditions shall be brief and clearly worded to cover all special conditions of the rate. Amounts subject to refund shall be specified.

3. If a rate schedule or a rule is carried forward from one sheet to another, the word "Continued" shall be shown.

D. Submission of Tariff Sheets and Advice Letters--

1. Tariff sheets shall be transmitted by an advice letter or in response to a Commission order. A revised table of contents sheet shall be transmitted with each proposed tariff change, if the change requires alteration of the table of contents.

2. An original of each advice letter and tariff sheet shall be filed with the commission, along with the number of paper copies specified at http://www.psc.utah.gov/filingrequirements.html. In addition, each advice letter and tariff filing shall be presented as an electronic word processing or spreadsheet document that is substantially the same as the filed paper copy.

3. Advice letters shall include the following:

a. sheet numbers and titles of the tariff sheets being filed, together with the sheet numbers of the sheets being canceled;

b. essential information as to the reasons for the filing;

c. dates on which the tariff sheets are proposed to become effective;

d. increases or decreases, more or less restrictive conditions, or withdrawals;

e. in the case of an increase authorized by the Commission, reference to the report and order authorizing the increase and docket number;

f. if the filing covers a new service not previously offered or rendered, an explanation of the general effect of the filing, including a statement as to whether present rates or charges will be affected, or service withdrawn from a previous user and advice whether the proposed rates are cost-based;

g. a statement that the tariff sheets proposed do not constitute a violation of state law or Commission rule. The filing of proposed tariff sheets shall of itself constitute the representation of the filing utility that it, in good faith, believes the proposed sheets or revised sheets to be consistent with applicable statutes, rules and orders. The Commission may, after hearing, impose sanctions for a violation hereof.

4. If authorized to file a notice that the effective tariff of a previous owner for the same service area is being adopted, the notice of adoption shall be submitted in the form of an advice letter.

5. Advice letters shall be numbered annually and chronologically. The first two digits represent the year followed by a hyphen and two or more digits, beginning with 01, as submitted by a utility for class of utility service rendered.

6. If a change is proposed on a tariff sheet, both clean and marked-up versions of the tariff sheet shall be included as part of the advice letter filing. The marked-up version of the proposed revised tariff sheet shall indicate deleted text by strike-through and additional text by underline.

7. At the time of making a tariff filing with the Commission, the utility shall furnish a copy of the advice letter and a copy of each related tariff sheet to:

a. the Division;

b. the Office; and

c. interested parties having requested notification.

8. If the suspension is lifted by order of the Commission, the filing shall be resubmitted under a new advice letter number. If the suspension is made permanent by the Commission, the advice letter number shall not be used again.

E. Approval of Filed Tariff Sheets--

1. Utility tariffs may not increase rates, charges or conditions, change classifications which result in increases in rates and charges or make changes which result in lesser service or more restrictive conditions at the same rate or charge, unless a showing has been made before and a finding has been made by the Commission that the increases or changes are justified. This requirement does not apply to electrical or telephone cooperatives in compliance with Section 54-7-12(6), or by telecommunications utilities with less than 5,000 subscribers access lines in compliance with Section 54-7-12(7).

2. New tariff sheets covering a service or commodity not previously furnished or supplied, or revised tariff sheets, not increasing, or increasing pursuant to Commission order, a rate, toll, rental or charge, may be filed by the advice letter. Tariff sheets, unless otherwise authorized by the Commission either on complaint or on its own motion, shall become effective after not less than 30 calendar days after the filed date.

3. Upon application in the advice letter and for good cause shown, the Commission may authorize tariff sheets to become effective on a day before the end of the 30 day notice period.

4.a. The Commission may reject, suspend, alter, or modify the effectiveness of tariff sheets that do not conform to these rules, which have alterations on the face thereof or contain errors, or for other reasons as the Commission determines.

b. Any party recommending that the Commission reject, suspend, alter, or modify the effectiveness of tariff sheets shall file its request no later than 15 calendar days after the date the tariff sheets were filed with the Commission.

c. The Commission shall notify the utility of its action by a letter stating the reasons for the action.

d. Rejected tariff sheets shall be retained in the utility's file of canceled and superseded sheets.

e. Advice letter numbers of rejected filings shall not be reused.

F. Public Inspection of Tariffs--

1. Utilities shall maintain, open for public inspection at their main office, a copy of the complete tariff and advice letters filed with the Commission. Utilities shall maintain, open for public inspection, copies of their effective tariffs applicable within the territories served by the offices.

2. Utilities shall post in a conspicuous place in their major manned business office, a notice to the effect that copies of the schedule of applicable rates in the territory are on file and may be inspected by anyone desiring to do so.

G. Contracts Authorized by Tariff--Tariff sheets expressly providing that a written contract shall be executed by a customer as a condition to the receipt of service, relating either to the quantity or duration of service or the installation of equipment, the contract need not be filed with the Commission. A copy of the general form of contract to be used in each case shall be filed with the tariff as provided in these rules.

This contract shall be subject to changes or modifications by the Commission.