

     § 2205.  Duties of natural gas distribution companies.
        (a)  Integrity of distribution system.--
            (1)  Each natural gas distribution company shall maintain
        the integrity of its distribution system at least in
        conformity with the standards established by the Federal
        Department of Transportation and such other standards
        practiced by the industry in a manner sufficient to provide
        safe and reliable service to all retail gas customers
        connected to its system consistent with this title and the
        commission's orders or regulations.
            (2)  In performing such duties, the natural gas
        distribution company shall implement procedures to require
        all natural gas suppliers to supply natural gas to the
        natural gas distribution company at locations, volumes,
        qualities and pressures that are adequate to meet the natural
        gas supplier's supply and reliability obligations to its
        retail gas customers and the natural gas distribution
        company's supply and reliability obligations to its retail
        gas customers. The procedures shall include, but not be
        limited to:
                (i)  A communication protocol with natural gas
            suppliers.
                (ii)  An ability to issue system maintenance orders
            to control the flow of gas into the distribution system.
                (iii)  The right to issue and enforce penalties
            pursuant to commission direction, provided, however, that
            the commission may approve additional procedures of like
            nature by order or regulation to preserve reliability.
        (b)  Installation and improvement of facilities.--
            (1)  The natural gas distribution company shall not have
        an obligation to install nonstandard facilities, either as to
        type or location, for the purpose of receiving natural gas
        from the natural gas supplier unless the natural gas supplier
        or its retail gas customer pays the full cost of these
        facilities.
            (2)  Nothing in this chapter shall prevent the natural
        gas distribution company from maintaining and upgrading its
        system to meet retail gas customer requirements consistent
        with the requirement of section 1501 (relating to character
        of service and facilities) or compliance with other statutory
        and regulatory requirements.
            (3)  Disputes concerning facilities shall be subject to
        the jurisdiction of the commission and may be initiated by
        the filing of a complaint under section 701 (relating to
        complaints) by the commission or any interested party.
        (c)  Customer billing.--
            (1)  Subject to the right of a retail gas customer to
        choose to receive separate bills from its natural gas
        supplier for natural gas supply service, the natural gas
        distribution company shall be responsible for billing each of
        its retail gas customers for natural gas distribution
        service, consistent with the orders or regulations of the
        commission, regardless of the identity of the provider of
        natural gas supply services.
            (2)  (i)  Bills to retail gas customers shall contain
            sufficient unbundled charge information to enable the
            customer to determine the basis for those charges and
            shall comply with section 1509 (relating to billing
            procedures). At a minimum, such charges shall include
            those services which are unbundled as a result of a
            restructuring filing or rulemaking.
                (ii)  Bills to retail residential customers rendered
            by a natural gas distribution company for natural gas
            distribution services shall include information required
            by commission regulations governing standards and billing
            practices for residential utility service.
                (iii)  Bills rendered by a natural gas distribution
            company on behalf of a natural gas supplier shall
            include, in a form and manner determined by the natural
            gas distribution company in consultation with the natural
            gas supplier, the following information with respect to
            natural gas supplier services: the name of the natural
            gas supplier; the rates, charges or prices of natural gas
            supply services billed, including adjustments to prior
            period billings, if applicable, and taxes, if applicable;
            and the natural gas supplier's toll-free telephone number
            and hours of operation for customer inquiries.
            (3)  Incremental costs relating to billing services
        designed, implemented and rendered by the natural gas
        distribution company, at its election, on behalf of a natural
        gas supplier or other entity may be recovered through fees
        charged by the natural gas distribution company to the
        natural gas supplier or other entity. Either party may
        request that the commission consider the appropriate level of
        the fee. In doing so, the commission shall consider fees
        charged by other natural gas distribution companies for
        similar services. The commission shall either permit the fee
        to continue as set or shall establish an alternative
        mechanism to permit full recovery of unrecovered just and
        reasonable costs from the supplier or the supplier's
        customers. Nothing in this section shall permit the recovery
        of such costs from natural gas supply service customers of
        the natural gas distribution company.
            (4)  If services are provided by an entity other than the
        natural gas distribution company, the entity that provided
        those services shall furnish to the natural gas distribution
        company billing data sufficient to enable the natural gas
        distribution company to timely bill retail gas customers. The
        entity shall provide data for billing purposes in a format
        and in a time frame as required by the natural gas
        distribution company. The natural gas distribution company
        shall consider the data and information confidential and
        shall treat it as such.
            (5)  No natural gas distribution company shall be
        required to forward payment to entities providing services to
        customers and on whose behalf the natural gas distribution
        company is billing those customers before the natural gas
        distribution company has received payment for those services
        from customers. The commission shall issue guidelines
        addressing the application of partial payments.
            (6)  Natural gas distribution companies and natural gas
        suppliers shall take reasonable steps to allow retail gas
        customers to contribute via their bill to hardship energy
        funds which benefit low-income residential retail gas
        consumers.
        (d)  Enhanced metering.--Subject to commission approval, the
     natural gas distribution company may require the installation,
     at the retail gas customer's expense, of enhanced metering
     capability sufficient to match the natural gas delivered by the
     retail gas customer's natural gas supplier or suppliers with
     consumption by that retail gas customer. In exercising its
     discretion, the commission shall consider the effect on low-
     income retail gas customers.
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Last modified: November 27, 2007