Sec. 14.16. Notice requirements

(a) Annual notice of rights.

(1) A utility must, at the time of application for service and at least once each year after service is extended, provide applicants and customers with a brochure containing a detailed description of their rights and obligations under this Part, including the following:

(i) conspicuous notice that customers who are elderly, blind or disabled, or whose service is heat-related must so inform the utility in order to receive special protections; and

(ii) appropriate form(s) to be filled out by customers who may be eligible for special protections including but not limited to elderly, blind and disabled, public assistance recipients, and persons in two-family dwellings.

(2) The notice required at the time of application for service must be provided with the service application to an applicant from whom a written application is required and by mail, within 30 calendar days of the request for service, to an applicant from whom a written application is not required.

(b) Periodic notices.

(1) If a customer has a deposit with a utility, an accounting for the deposit, showing the interest earned during the current year and the date the deposit was obtained, must be provided annually to the customer.

(2) If a utility issues bills monthly or bi-monthly, a notice offering a quarterly billing plan to customers known to be 62 years of age or older, whose average annual billing is under $150, must be provided annually to such customers.

(3) A notice offering a fixed income billing plan must be provided annually to every customer known to be on a fixed income. Such billing plan must provide for payment of bills on a reasonable schedule considering the customer's regular receipt of income, without being charged late payment charges, as long as payment is made within 20 calendar days of the scheduled due date.

(4) A notice advising a customer of the applicable rate structure, in accordance with the utility's tariff, and offering the customer a detailed bill calculation upon request, must be provided annually to every customer.

(c) Hazardous conditions.

If the utility is aware of a hazardous condition that may affect the health and safety of consumers of its water, the utility must immediately make all reasonable efforts to contact affected parties.

(d) Billing information in a language other than English.

A utility providing service to a county where at least 20 percent of the population, according to the most recent Federal census, regularly speaks a language other than English must send messages on bills and notices in both English and the other language, at the request of a customer living in the county.

(e) Format.

All notices, brochures, forms and bills required by this Part, and any other written informational material for customers, including results of a complaint investigation provided under paragraph (a)(3) of section 14.19 of this Part, must be in plain language, printed in a format that is easy to read and understand, and must:

(1) include definitions of any pertinent technical terms;

(2) contain a size of type that is readable; and

(3) include clear section headings, if applicable.

(f) Filing.

All notices, brochures, forms and bills required by this Part, along with the intended program for their use, must be filed with the Consumer Services Division by a utility before their circulation.