06-12-19 CenterPoint Energy Schedule of Rates Notice

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CENTERPOINT ENERGY RESOURCES CORP. D/B/A CENTERPOINT ENERGY ENTEX AND CENTERPOINT ENERGY TEXAS GAS GENERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS APPLICABLE TO NATURAL GAS SERVICE IN TEXAS and advise the complainant of the results thereof. It shall keep a record of all complaints which shall show the name and address of the complainant,the date and nature of the complaint,and the adjustment and disposition thereof for a period of two years subsequent to the final disposition of the complaint. Complaints which require no further action by the Company need not be recorded. (c) Company response. Upon receipt of a complaint, either by letter or by telephone, from the regulatory authority on behalf of a customer, the Company shall make a suitable investigation and advise the regulatory authority and complainant of the results thereof. Initial response shall be made within 30 days. The Commission encourages all customer complaints to be made in writing to assist the regulatory authority in maintaining records of the quality of service of the Company. (d) Deferred payment plan. The Company may,but is not required to,offer a written deferred payment plan for delinquent residential accounts. If such a plan is offered,it shall conform to the following guidelines: (1) Every deferred payment plan entered into due to the customer's inability to pay the outstanding bill in full must provide that service will not be discontinued if the customer pays current bills and a reasonable amount of the outstanding bill and agrees to pay the balance in reasonable installments until the bill is paid. (2) For purposes of determining reasonableness under these rules the following shall be considered: size of delinquent account; customer's ability to pay; customer's payment history; time that the debt has been outstanding; reasons why debt has been outstanding; and other relevant factors concerning the circumstances of the customer. (3) A deferred payment plan offered by the Company shall state, immediately preceding the space provided for the customer's signature and in bold face print at least two sizes larger than any other used, that "If you are not satisfied with this agreement, do not sign. If you are satisfied with this agreement, you give up your right to dispute the amount due under the agreement except for the utility's failure or refusal to comply with the terms of this agreement". (4) A deferred payment plan may include a one time five per cent penalty for late payment on the original amount of the outstanding bill except in cases where the outstanding bill is usually high as a result of the Company's error(such as an inaccurately estimated bill or an incorrectly read meter). A deferred payment plan shall not include a finance charge. (5) If a customer for utility service has not fulfilled terms of a deferred payment agreement or refuses to sign the same, the Company shall have the right to disconnect pursuant to disconnection rules herein and, under such circumstance, it shall not be required to offer a subsequent negotiation of a deferred payment plan prior to disconnection. (6) If the Company institutes a deferred payment plan it shall not refuse a customer participation in such a program on the basis of race,color,creed,sex,or marital status. (e) Delayed payment of bills by elderly persons. (1) Applicability. This subparagraph applies only to: (A) A utility that assesses late payment charges on residential customers and that suspends service before the 266 day after the date of the bill for which collection action is taken;