As used in sections 324.01 to 324.12 of the Revised Code:
(A) "Utility" means:
(1) An electric company, gas company, heating company, cooling company, telephone company, or communications company supplying a utility service;
(2) Any municipal corporation, county, or other political subdivision, instrumentality, or agency of the state supplying a utility service;
(3) Any individual, firm, partnership, association, trust, joint-stock company, joint venture, corporation, nonprofit corporation, cooperative, receiver, assignee, trustee in bankruptcy, estate, trustee, or organization of any kind which owns or operates any office building, storeroom building, shopping center, apartment building, apartment hotel, condominium, or other multiple business or dwelling unit, and which sells, furnishes, or delivers a utility service to the tenants or occupants thereof, provided the charge for such utility service is separately stated.
(B) Any individual, firm, partnership, association, trust, joint-stock company, joint venture, corporation, municipal corporation, county, or other political subdivision, instrumentality, or agency of the state, nonprofit corporation, cooperative, receiver, assignee, trustee in bankruptcy, estate, trustee, or organization of any kind:
(1) Is an electric company when supplying electricity for light, heat, cooling, or power purposes to customers within a county levying a utilities service tax;
(2) Is a gas company when supplying artificial gas or natural gas for light, heat, cooling, or power purposes to customers within a county levying a utilities service tax;
(3) Is a heating company when supplying water, steam, or air through pipes or tubing for heating purposes to customers within a county levying a utilities service tax;
(4) Is a cooling company when supplying water, steam, or air through pipes or tubing for cooling purposes to customers within a county levying a utilities service tax;
(5) Is a telephone company when transmitting telephonic messages to, from, or within a county levying a utilities service tax;
(6)
Is a communications company when supplying the services described in section 4931.05 of the Revised Code, other than transmitting telephonic messages, to, from, or within a county levying a utilities service tax.
(C) "Utility service" means the supplying of water, steam, or air through pipes or tubing for heating or cooling purposes to customers within the county, the supplying of electricity, artificial gas, or natural gas to customers within the county, and the transmission of telephonic messages or the supplying of any of the services described in section 4931.05 of the Revised Code when the transmission or supplying originates from and is charged to or is received by and charged to a customer within the county.
(D) "Charge for utility service" means the amount charged to the customer for a utility service without deduction for any discount for early payment but after deducting the amount of any federal excise tax on such utility service, and excluding the amount paid for the purchase of appliances or other merchandise, and the amount paid for the installation of pipes, meters, poles, apparatus, instruments, switchboards, and other facilities by the utility for the purpose of rendering utility service to the customer if the charge therefor is separately stated by the utility in its bill to the customer and is not included in the basic rates charged to customers of the utility.
(E) "Customer" means any individual, firm, partnership, association, trust, joint-stock company, joint venture, corporation, nonprofit corporation, cooperative, receiver, assignee, trustee in bankruptcy, estate, trustee, or organization of any kind receiving utility service from a utility, but does not include the United States, the state, any political subdivision of the state, or any agency or instrumentality of any of them.
(F) "Business" has the same meaning as in division (E) of section 5701.08 of the Revised Code.
Amended by 128th General AssemblyFile No.43, SB 162, ยง1, eff. 9/13/2010.
Effective Date: 07-26-1991
Section: 324.01 324.02 324.021 324.03 324.04 324.05 324.06 324.07 324.08 324.09 324.10 324.11 324.12 324.99 NextLast modified: October 10, 2016