Sec. 121. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, from December 1 through March 15 of any year, no electric or gas utility, including a municipally owned, privately owned, or cooperatively owned utility, shall terminate residential electric or gas service for persons who are eligible for and have applied for assistance from a heating assistance program administered under IC 4-4-33. The commission shall implement procedures to ensure that electric or gas utility service is continued while eligibility for such persons is being determined.
(b) Any electric or gas utility, including a municipally owned, privately owned, or cooperatively owned utility, shall provide any residential customer whose account is delinquent an opportunity to enter into a reasonable amortization agreement with such company to pay the delinquent account. Such an amortization agreement must provide the customer with adequate opportunity to apply for and receive the benefits of any available public assistance program. An amortization agreement is subject to amendment on the customer's request if there is a change in the customer's financial circumstances.
(c) The commission may establish a reasonable rate of interest which a utility may charge on the unpaid balance of a customer's delinquent bill that may not exceed the rate established by the commission under section 34.5 of this chapter.
(d) The commission shall adopt rules under IC 4-22-2 to carry out the provisions of this section.
(e) This section does not prohibit an electric or gas utility from terminating residential utility service upon a request of a customer or under the following circumstances:
(1) If a condition dangerous or hazardous to life, physical safety, or property exists.
(2) Upon order by any court, the commission, or other duly authorized public authority.
(3) If fraudulent or unauthorized use of electricity or gas is detected and the utility has reasonable grounds to believe the affected customer is responsible for such use.
(4) If the utility's regulating or measuring equipment has been tampered with and the utility has reasonable grounds to believe that the affected customer is responsible for such tampering.
As added by P.L.43-1983, SEC.10. Amended by P.L.41-1987, SEC.6; P.L.2-1992, SEC.78; P.L.181-2006, SEC.48.
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