06-25-20 CenterPoint Schedule of Rates

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CENTERPOINT ENERGY RESOURCES CORP. DB/A CENTERPOINT ENERGY ENTEX AND CENTERPOINT ENERGY TEXAS GAS GENERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS APPLICABLE TO NATURAL GAS SERVICE IN TEXAS FOR JURISDICTIONS FOR WHICH TARIFF IS APPROVED ON OR AFTER MAY 23, 2017 with rules for prompt, payment of bills. Subject to these rules, a residential applicant shall not be required to make a deposit; (A) if the residential applicant has been a customer of any utility for the same kind of service within the last two years and is not delinquent in payment of any such utility service account and during the last twelve consecutive months of service did not have more than one occasion in which a bill for such utility service was paid after becoming delinquent and never had service disconnected for nonpayment; or (B) if the residential applicant furnishes in writing a satisfactory guarantee to secure payment of bills for the service required; (C) if the residential applicant demonstrates a satisfactory credit rating by appropriate means, including but not limited to, the production of generally acceptable credit cards, letters of credit reference, the names of credit references which may be quickly and inexpensively contacted by the utility, or ownership of substantial equity. (b) Reestablishment of credit. Every applicant who has previously been a customer of the Company and whose service has been discontinued for nonpayment of bills shall be required before service is rendered to pay all his amounts due the Company or execute a written deferred payment agreement, if offered, and reestablish credit as provided herein. (c) Amount of deposit and interest for residential service and exemption from deposit. (1) The required residential deposit shall not exceed an amount equivalent to one -sixth of the estimated annual billings (rounded up to the nearest $5.00). If actual use is at least twice the amount of the estimated billings, a new deposit requirement may be calculated and an additional deposit may be required within two days. If such additional deposit is not made, the Company may disconnect service under the standard disconnection procedure for failure to comply with deposit requirements. Estimated Annual Billings as such term is used in this Section shall be either (i) the 12- month billing history at the service address involved (if a billing history is available for the service address), or (ii) the average annual residential bill in.the Division serving the customer (if a billing history is not available at the service address); provided, that such average annual residential bill determined pursuant to clause (ii) hereof, shall be determined periodically but no less frequently than annually. (2) All applicants for residential service who are sixty-five years of age or older will be considered as having established credit if such applicant does not have an outstanding account balance with the Company or another utility for the same utility service which accrued within the last two years. No' cash deposit shall be required of such applicant under these conditions.