New Hampshire Administrative Code

The purpose of these rules is to simplify and standardize the administrative processes by which customers and utilities interact in order to increase the level of information and protection provided to both and ensure, as far as is possible, the equal application of these rules b…

With the exception of En 1204 and where otherwise noted, these rules shall apply to any public utility providing electric, gas, sewer, or water service to the public in the state of New Hampshire excluding limited electrical energy producers as defined in RSA 362-A. With the exce…

"Arrearage" means any amount due to the utility for utility service which remains unpaid after the due date printed on the original bill. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § En 1202.01 Derived from Number 24, Filed June 13, 2024, Proposed by #13986, Effective 5/30/2024, Expires5/30/2034 (se…

"Commission" means the New Hampshire public utilities commission. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § En 1202.02 Derived from Number 24, Filed June 13, 2024, Proposed by #13986, Effective 5/30/2024, Expires5/30/2034 (see Revision Note at chapter heading for En 1200).

"Complaint" means an expression of dissatisfaction by a customer which the utility has failed to resolve to the customer's satisfaction after the intervention of a supervisory employee of the utility or after the customer has requested such intervention. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § …

"Conference" means a meeting held in person or by telephone in which the customer, utility and department staff participate. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § En 1202.04 Derived from Number 24, Filed June 13, 2024, Proposed by #13986, Effective 5/30/2024, Expires5/30/2034 (see Revision No…

"Current bill" means the amount of money due to the utility for utility service, including all applicable state and federal taxes, rendered in the most recent billing period. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § En 1202.05 Derived from Number 24, Filed June 13, 2024, Proposed by #13986, Effe…

"Customer" means any person, firm, partnership, corporation, cooperative marketing association, tenant, governmental unit, or a subdivision of a municipality, or the State of New Hampshire, who has contracted for electric, gas, sewer, or water service from a utility. Notes N.H. A…

"Department" means the New Hampshire department of energy. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § En 1202.07 Derived from Number 24, Filed June 13, 2024, Proposed by #13986, Effective 5/30/2024, Expires5/30/2034 (see Revision Note at chapter heading for En 1200).

"Disconnection" means a technological function which occurs when a customer is physically or effectively separated or shut off from a utility service. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § En 1202.08 Derived from Number 24, Filed June 13, 2024, Proposed by #13986, Effective 5/30/2024, Expires…

"Due date" means the date no less than 25 calendar days from the bill date when the bill is sent electronically or via first class mail. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § En 1202.09 Derived from Number 24, Filed June 13, 2024, Proposed by #13986, Effective 5/30/2024, Expires5/30/2034 (see…

"Financial hardship" means a residential customer has provided the utility with evidence of current enrollment of the customer or the customer's household in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, the Electric Assistance Program, the Gas Residential Low Income Assistance …

"Late payment" means any payment made to the utility or its authorized agent after the due date printed on the bill. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § En 1202.11 Derived from Number 24, Filed June 13, 2024, Proposed by #13986, Effective 5/30/2024, Expires5/30/2034 (see Revision Note at ch…

"Medical emergency" means a situation where a utility customer or member of the customer's household has a physical or mental health condition that would become a danger to the customer's or household member's physical or mental health in the absence of utility service as certifi…

"Meter" means a device installed by a utility to measure the amount of use. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § En 1202.13 Derived from Number 24, Filed June 13, 2024, Proposed by #13986, Effective 5/30/2024, Expires5/30/2034 (see Revision Note at chapter heading for En 1200).

"Prime rate" means the rate reported in the Wall Street Journal on the first business day of the month preceding the beginning of each calendar quarter, or the average of the rates so reported on that day. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § En 1202.14 Derived from Number 24, Filed June 13,…

"Tariff" means the current schedule of rates, charges, terms, and conditions filed by a utility and either approved by the commission or effective by operation of law. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § En 1202.15 Derived from Number 24, Filed June 13, 2024, Proposed by #13986, Effective 5…

"Termination" means a bookkeeping function which occurs when a customer account is closed permanently. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § En 1202.16 Derived from Number 24, Filed June 13, 2024, Proposed by #13986, Effective 5/30/2024, Expires5/30/2034 (see Revision Note at chapter heading …

"Undue delay" means more than 3 business days from the later of the date by which the customer complies with all application requirements or the date for which service was requested, except during severe storms, heavy seasonal activity, and other similar unforeseeable circumstanc…

"Utility" means every electric, gas, sewer, and water system or part thereof owned, operated or managed by an individual or business entity determined to be a public utility under New Hampshire statutes, and every municipal authority furnishing any of the above services outside i…

"Utility service" means the provision of electric, gas, water, or sewer service in accordance with the terms and conditions of a tariff filed with and approved by the commission, or by a rural electric cooperative for which a certificate of deregulation is on file with the commis…

"Winter period" means the period beginning November 15th and extending up to and including March 31st. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § En 1202.20 Derived from Number 24, Filed June 13, 2024, Proposed by #13986, Effective 5/30/2024, Expires5/30/2034 (see Revision Note at chapter heading …

(a) The utility may require all applicants for service under a utility's filed tariff to make application to the utility in writing, in accordance with the forms prescribed by the utility. (b) An applicant for service may initially make an oral application for service. If the uti…

(a) Upon receiving a request for new service, the utility shall: (1) Provide information as to what might be the most advantageous utility rate or rates available to the customer; (2) Provide the customer with the current utility default energy service rate; (3) Inform the custom…

(a) As a condition of new residential service, a utility may require a deposit, or a written guarantee or direct debit account as provided for in (i) below, in the following circumstances: (1) When the customer has an undisputed overdue balance, incurred within the last 3 years, …

(a) Utilities which use meters shall read all service meters at regular intervals and on the corresponding day of each meter reading period insofar as practicable within regularly scheduled work days. (b) Specific rules regarding meter readings for the utilities shall be found in…

Notes N.H. Admin. Code § En 1203.05 Reserved by Number 24, Filed June 13, 2024, Proposed by #13986, Effective 5/30/2024, Expires5/30/2034 (see Revision Note at chapter heading for En 1200).

(a) Bills shall be rendered at regular intervals. (b) For utilities providing metered service, bills shall indicate at a minimum: (1) The date of the current meter reading; (2) The current meter reading; (3) The prior meter reading; (4) Any applicable penalty date; (5) The approx…

(a) With the exception stated in (b) below, when a residential customer is unable to pay the total arrearage due, the utility shall continue to provide service to the customer if the customer agrees to a payment arrangement wherein the customer shall: (1) Pay a reasonable portion…

(a) Subject to the following requirements, a utility may charge and collect a late payment charge for overdue bills of all non-financial hardship customers: (1) A late payment charge may be imposed only after the due date printed on the bill; (2) The date of payment to the utilit…

(a) Each utility shall make a full and prompt investigation of customer complaints made either directly to the utility or through the department. (b) A utility shall keep a record of complaints received for at least 2 years. (c) The record of each complaint shall show: (1) The na…

(a) A utility may require a customer to provide reasonable notice of intent to terminate service as follows:(1) The period of the notice required by the utility pursuant to (a) above shall be noted in the utility's tariff; (2) The notice period required by the utility shall not e…

(a) This section shall not apply to sewer utilities. Regulation of disconnection of sewer service shall be found in En 703.03. (b) Except as described in En 1203.07 (h), (i) and (j) or listed under (c) below, a utility shall provide notice of disconnection that includes the follo…

(a) This section shall apply to: (1) Utilities other than sewer utilities; and (2) Situations where the landlord is the utility's customer of record. (b) "Tenant," for purposes of this section, means a person who rents and occupies a room in a rooming house or a person who rents …

(a) When the cause for a disconnection has been removed, the utility shall reconnect service upon the customer's request. (b) When the cause of the disconnection is failure to pay an arrearage, the utility shall reconnect service upon the customer's request when: (1) All the arre…

(a) The utility shall provide the names and addresses of those social service organizations in its franchise area, known to the utility as providing possible assistance with the payment of utility bills, to its customers who are experiencing difficulty in paying utility bills. (b…

(a) If the relevant statute of limitations has not yet run, a utility may deny new service to any applicant due to an outstanding arrearage with that particular utility for prior service. (b) If the relevant statute of limitations has run, a utility may deny new service to any ap…

(a) Upon receipt of the notice of disconnection, a customer may request and the utility shall grant a conference with the utility prior to the proposed date of disconnection specified on the notice, as follows: (1) A utility shall not be required to grant a conference to a custom…

(a) A conference may be held between and among the customer, the utility, and the department's consumer division when prior discussion between and among the aforementioned parties has failed to result in a satisfactory resolution of the complaint. (b) A conference may be held at …

(a) Whenever a utility receives a request to change an account for service from one customer to another or to add another name to an account, the following shall apply: (1) The utility shall give timely notice of such change to the new customer; and (2) The utility may require wr…

(a) In the event of interruption of service, utilities shall re-establish service within the shortest time practicable consistent with safety. (b) When service is interrupted because the utility must perform work on mains, lines, or equipment, the utility shall perform the work a…

(a) Each electric or gas utility with more than 10,000 customers shall submit electronically the following reports to the department's consumer division: (1) Utility Disconnection Activity Report; and (2) Utility Accounts Receivable Report. (b) Each utility shall file such report…

En 1204, Winter Rules, shall apply only to residential customers of public utilities providing gas or electric service in the state of New Hampshire excluding limited electrical energy producers as defined in RSA 362-A. The requirements of this section shall be in addition to tho…

Arrearages existing on customers' bills prior to the winter period shall not make a customer eligible for disconnection during the winter unless the arrearages exceed, either singly or when added to winter arrearages, the amount noted in 1204.03 below. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § En…

(a) An arrearage resulting from non-payment of bills for service rendered during the winter and non-winter period shall exceed the following amounts before a notice of disconnection for a primary residence can be sent: (1) For gas non-heating customers, $125; (2) For electric non…

(a) During the winter period, the requirements of En 1203.07 relative to payment arrangements shall be replaced by the following:(1) For non-financial hardship customers, the payment arrangement shall include a promise to pay the current bill on or before the due date and permit …

(a) In addition to the notice of disconnection required by En 1203.11 and En 1203.12, during the winter period notice shall be provided to an adult residing at the affected residence in the following manner: (1) In person or by telephone; and (2) A minimum of 2 business days but …