Wisconsin Legislature: Ch. PSC 134 Text

PSC 134.01(1)(1) Chapter PSC 134 of the public service commission’s departmental rules is part of the Wis. Adm. Code and constitutes a general order of the public service commission, the issuance of which is authorized by ss. 196.02, 196.06, 196.10, 196.12, 196.15, 196.16, 196.17, 196.19, and 227.11, Stats.

PSC 134.01(2)(2) The rules making up ch. PSC 134 are designed to effectuate and implement ss. 196.02, 196.03, 196.06, 196.10, 196.12, 196.15, 196.16, 196.17, 196.19, 196.22, 196.60, Stats., and parts of other sections of the Wisconsin statutes.

PSC 134.01(3)(3) Nothing in this chapter of the Wisconsin Administrative Code shall preclude the commission’s giving special and individual consideration to exceptional or unusual situations or, upon investigation of the facts and circumstances involved, adopting requirements as to individual utilities or services which may be lesser, greater, other than or different from those provided in these rules.

PSC 134.01(4)(4) The requirements of ch. PSC 134 shall be observed by all public utilities, both privately and publicly owned, engaged in the manufacture, mixing, purchasing, storage, transmission and/or distribution of gaseous fuel.

PSC 134.01(5)(5) The manner of enforcing the rules in ch. PSC 134 is prescribed in s. 196.66, Stats., and such other means as provided in statutory sections administered by the public service commission.

PSC 134.01(6)(6) In case of emergency, where public interest requires immediate action without waiting for compliance with the specific terms of these rules, immediate corrective action shall be taken by the utility, which action, however, shall be subject to review by the public service commission.

PSC 134.01(7)(7) Periodic reports to the public service commission are required by ss. PSC 134.14 (6), 134.17, 134.18 (3), 134.19 (3) and 134.25 (4). Individual reports are required by s. PSC 134.18 (4) and (5).

PSC 134.01 HistoryHistory: 1-2-56; r. and recr. Register, February, 1959, No. 38. eff. 3-1-59; am. (5). Register, January, 1965, No 109, eff. 2-1-65; renum. (3) to (6) to be (4) to (7), Register, November, 1980, No. 299, eff. 12-1-80; correction in (1) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register, September, 1997, No. 501; correction in (2) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register April 2007 No. 616; correction in (2) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register July 2014 No. 703.

PSC 134.02PSC 134.02 Definitions. In this chapter:

PSC 134.02(1)(1) “Ability to pay” means a customer’s financial capacity to meet his or her utility service obligation, considering all of the following factors:

PSC 134.02(1)(a)(a) Size of the delinquent account.

PSC 134.02(1)(b)(b) Customer’s payment history.

PSC 134.02(1)(c)(c) Period of time the debt has been outstanding.

PSC 134.02(1)(d)(d) Reasons why the debt has been outstanding.

PSC 134.02(1)(e)(e) Any other relevant factors concerning the customer’s circumstances, as household size, income and expenses.

PSC 134.02(2)(2) “Appliance” means any device which utilizes gas fuel to produce light, heat, or power.

PSC 134.02(3)(3) “British thermal unit” or “Btu” means the quantity of heat that must be added to one avoirdupois pound of pure water to raise its temperature from 58.5° Fahrenheit to 59.5° Fahrenheit under standard pressure.

PSC 134.02(4)(4) “Complaint” means a statement or question by any person, whether a utility customer or not, concerning a wrong, grievance, injury, dissatisfaction, illegal action or procedure, dangerous condition or action, or failure of a utility to meet a utility obligation.

PSC 134.02(5)(5) “Customer” means the party billed for payment of bills issued for use of utility service at a given premises.

PSC 134.02(6)(6) “Customer-requested termination” means that the customer or occupant has asked the utility to cease providing utility service to a premises.

PSC 134.02(7)(7) “Demand” means the amount of gas required per unit of time, usually expressed in cubic feet, Btu, or therms per unit of time.

PSC 134.02(8)(8) “Denied or refused service” means that a utility has refused to provide present or future service to a customer, occupant or premises.

PSC 134.02(9)(9) “Disconnection” means an event or action taken by the utility to terminate or discontinue the provision of service, but does not include a customer-requested termination of service.

PSC 134.02(10)(10) “Dry calorific value” means the value of the total or net calorific value of a gas divided by the volume of dry gas in a standard cubic foot.

PSC 134.02(11)(11) “Dry gas” means a gas having a moisture and hydrocarbon dew point below any normal temperature to which the gas piping is exposed. As applied to determination of heating value or specific gravity dry gas means the complete absence of moisture or water vapor.

PSC 134.02(12)(12) “Gas” means any gas or mixture of gases suitable for domestic or industrial fuel and transmitted or distributed to the user through a piping system.

PSC 134.02 NoteNote: The common types of gas are natural gas, manufactured gas, and liquefied petroleum gas distributed as a vapor with or without admixture of air.

PSC 134.02(13)(13) “Installment payment agreement” means an arrangement between a utility and a commercial or farm customer for payment of a deposit in installments.

PSC 134.02(14)(14) “Meter” means an instrument installed to measure the volume of gas delivered through it.

PSC 134.02(15)(15) “Municipality” means a town, city or village.

PSC 134.02(16)(16) “Net calorific value of a gas” means the number of British thermal units evolved by the complete combustion, at constant pressure, of one standard cubic foot of gas with air, the temperature of the gas, air, and products of combustion being 60° Fahrenheit and all water formed by the combustion reaction remaining in the vapor state.

PSC 134.02(17)(17) “New residential customer” means a customer who has not received utility service in his or her name during the previous 6 months from the utility from which service is requested.

PSC 134.02(18)(18) “Occupant” means the resident or residents of a premises to which utility service is provided.

PSC 134.02(19)(19) “Prompt payment” means payment prior to the time when a utility could issue a notice of disconnection for nonpayment of an amount not in dispute.

PSC 134.02(20)(20) “Protective service emergency” means a threat to the health or safety of a resident because of the infirmities of aging, other developmental or intellectual disabilities, or like infirmities incurred at any age, or the frailties associated with being very young.

PSC 134.02(21)(21) “Public utility” has the meaning of s. 196.01 (5), Stats.

PSC 134.02(22)(22) “Specific gravity of a gas” means the ratio of the molecular weight of a dry gas or gas mixture to the molecular weight of dry air.

PSC 134.02 NoteNote: This is the dry specific gravity.

PSC 134.02(23)(23) “Standard cubic foot of gas” means the quantity of a gas that at standard temperature and under standard pressure will fill a space of 1 cubic foot when in equilibrium with liquid water.

PSC 134.02 NoteNote: According to Dalton’s law, this is equivalent to stating that the partial pressure of the gas is: 30-0.522 = 29.478 inches of mercury column.

PSC 134.02(24)(24) “Standard pressure” means the absolute pressure of pure mercury 30 inches in height at 32° Fahrenheit and under standard gravity.

PSC 134.02 NoteNote: Standard gravity is 32.174 feet per second which results in a standard pressure of 14.735 pounds per square inch absolute.

PSC 134.02(25)(25) “Standard service pressure” means the gas pressure which a utility undertakes to maintain on the meters of all customers, except the meters of customers utilizing high-pressure service, expressed in pounds per square inch above atmospheric pressure or psig.

PSC 134.02(26)(26) “Standard temperature” means 60° Fahrenheit based on the international temperature scale.

PSC 134.02(27)(27) “Therm” means 100,000 British thermal units.

PSC 134.02(28)(28) “Total calorific value” means the number of British thermal units evolved by the complete combustion, at constant pressure, of one standard cubic foot of gas with air, the temperature of the gas, air, and products of combustion being 60° Fahrenheit and all water formed by the combustion reaction condensed to the liquid state.

PSC 134.02(29)(29) “Unmeasured gas” means gas which has not been measured by a meter.

PSC 134.02(30)(30) “Voucher agreement” means a payment agreement guaranteed by a third party who has access to or control over the benefits and/or finances of a public assistance recipient. Included without limitation are:

PSC 134.02(30)(a)(a) Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) restrictive payment arrangements.

PSC 134.02(30)(b)(b) Social Security representative payee.

PSC 134.02(30)(c)(c) General Relief voucher payment systems.

PSC 134.02(30)(d)(d) Legal guardian.

PSC 134.02 HistoryHistory: History 1-2-56; r. and recr. Register, February, 1959, No. 38, eff. 3-1-59; r. and recr. Register, October, 1989, No. 406, eff. 11-1-89; 2019 Wis. Act 1: am. (20) Register May 2019 No. 761, eff. 6-1-19.

PSC 134.03PSC 134.03 Service. Every gas utility shall furnish reasonably adequate service and facilities at the rates filed with the commission and subject to these rules and the rules of the utility filed with this commission which are applicable thereto and not otherwise. The utility shall be operated in such manner as to obviate so far as reasonably practicable, undesirable effects upon the operation of standard services, standard utilization equipment, equipment of the utility, and upon the service and facilities of other utilities and agencies.

PSC 134.03 HistoryHistory: 1-2-56; r. and recr. Register, February, 1959, No. 38, eff. 3-1-59.

PSC 134.04PSC 134.04 Schedules to be filed with commission. The schedules of rates and rules shall be filed with the commission by the utility and shall be classified, designated, arranged, and submitted so as to conform to the requirements of current tariff or rate schedule circulars and special instructions which have been and may from time to time be issued by the commission. Provisions of the schedules shall be definite and so stated as to minimize ambiguity or the possibility of misinterpretation, and shall include, together with such other information as may be deemed pertinent, the following:

PSC 134.04(1)(1) All rates for service with indication for each rate of the type of gas and the class of customers to which each rate applies. There shall also be shown any limitations on loads and type of equipment which may be connected, the prices per unit of service, and the number of units per billing period to which the prices apply, the period of billing, the minimum bill, method of measuring demands and consumptions, including method of calculating or estimating loads or minimums, and any special terms and conditions applicable. The discount for prompt payment or penalty for late payment, if any, and the period during which the net amount may be paid shall be specified.

PSC 134.04(2)(2) By municipalities, but without reference required to any particular part thereof, the type of gas supplied and the type of service (firm and/or interruptible).