Term & Conditions - PREPA Ingles
Term & Conditions - PREPA Ingles
SECTION I: INTRODUCTION
Article A: Legal Basis
The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority enacts the Regulation Governing the Terms
and Conditions for Supplying Electric Power in accordance with the powers granted it
under Public Law No. 83 of May 2, 1941, as amended, the Puerto Rico Electric Power
Authority Act, and as provided in Public Law No. 170 of August 12, 1988, as amended,
the Uniform Administrative Procedure Act of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Article B: Purpose
The purpose of enacting this Regulation is to establish the terms and conditions under
which the Authority supplies the electric power service, the requirements that those
interested in obtaining and using same must meet; and the rights and obligations of both
the Authority and its customers. Its purpose also to establish and make provisions for
the penalties for customers who fail to comply with the terms and conditions established
herein, pursuant to the provisions of Public Law No. 170 of August 12, 1988, as
amended.
Article C: Provisions from Other Laws
The provisions of this Regulation are supplementary to those of any other regulations,
norms, manuals, codes, standards, technical correspondence, public policies, or
applicable laws in effect. A list of the current regulations of the Authority can be obtained
on their web page or at the Department of Corporate Studies and Procedures. The
Regulation Governing Rates for Electricity Service prevails over this Regulation.
SECTION II: DEFINITIONS
A. Feeder
The primary power supply circuit or primary distribution line. This is generally
comprised of a trunk emanating from the distribution substation, the branches
deriving from the trunk, and of their sub-branches.
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P. Maximum Demand
Highest demand measured in kilovolt-amperes (kVA) recorded by the meter in
fifteen-minute intervals during a billing period.
Q. Primary Distribution
The Authority’s system of lines that distribute power at voltages higher than 600
volts and lower than 38,000 volts.
R. Emergency
A condition or situation that results in or may result in interrupted service for a
significant number of customers and users in which there is a risk of damage
being caused to lives or property or anything else that, in the Authority’s
judgment, requires action being taken immediately.
S. Energy
The full integration of real power during a given period of time, measured in
kilowatt-hours (kWh).
T. Metering Equipment
Set of components and devices used to quantify the energy, power, and demand
in a circuit. This mainly consists of a meter and its base, current transformers
(CT) and voltage transformers (PT or VT), cables, fuses, and terminals for
interconnecting them correspondingly.
U. Power Factor
The ratio of real power to apparent power (kW/kVA). Mathematically speaking, it
is the cosine of the angle between the voltage and current in a circuit.
V. Force Majeure
Events totally beyond the control of the Authority or acts of nature, such as
storms, electric storms, earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, etc. It also includes, but
is not limited to, hazardous situations, fires, explosions, service interruptions due
to the acts or omissions of any other public authority or natural person or legal
entity, including sabotage and strikes.
W. Distributed Generation
Electric generators or inverters, protection, safety, interconnection equipment,
and related equipment needed to produce energy at a customer’s installation and
capable of operating parallel to the Authority’s distribution system.
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X. Electrical Installation
Set of electrical material, equipment, or items located at a particular site with the
purpose of utilizing electric power.
Y. Net Metering
Process for measuring and crediting the energy exported to the Authority’s
electric system by a customer generating energy using sources of renewable
energy, including, but not limited to, solar, wind, hydraulic, and biomass energy.
Z. Danger
Imminent risk that any harm to life or property may occur.
AA. Regular Billing Period
Period established by the Authority for reading and billing the service, which may
be on a monthly or bi-monthly basis. The Authority reserves the right to change
the number of days within these periods, or to establish new periods based on
reading and billing needs.
BB. Real Power
Real component of electric or apparent power measured in kilowatts (kW). One
kilowatt equals 1,000 watts (W).
CC. Electric or Apparent Power
The product of the voltage and total current flowing in a circuit as a result of the
voltage applied. It is simply referred to as “power” and it is measured in kilovolt-
amperes (kVA). One kilovolt-ampere equals 1,000 volt-amperes.
DD. Electricity Producer
And installation used to produce electricity that uses systems of cogeneration,
renewable energy sources, biofuels, or fossil fuels with advanced technologies
that meet or exceed the standards of environmental efficiency for emissions,
noise or discharges. These facilities have a capacity greater than the maximum
allowed under the Regulations Governing the Interconnection of Generators with
the Electric Distribution System. It includes the interconnection equipment at the
point of delivery for transmission to the Authority’s electric system.
EE. Point of Delivery
The point where the Authority supplies customers with the electric power they are
going to use. It is the place where the customer’s private system is connected to
the Authority’s system. The Authority determines the location of the point of
delivery, which depends of the type of service and customer.
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XX. User
Person using the electric power service and whose consumption is recorded and
billed in the name of another person.
YY. Unauthorized User
Person who used the electric power service whose consumption goes
unrecorded.
ZZ. Voltage
The potential difference between any two points of the electric system, measured
in volts (V) or kilo-volts (kV). This potential difference can be measured between
two lines or conductors, or between one line and a ground. One kilovolt is equal
to 1,000 volts.
1. Secondary Distribution Voltage – Voltage of 600 volts or less
2. Primary Distribution Voltage – Voltage higher than 600 and less than
38,000 volts
3. Subtransmission Voltage – Voltage of 38,000 volts
4. Transmission Voltage – Voltage of 15,000 volts or more
SECTION III: GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article A: Rate Structure
The electric power system in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is an integrated one;
therefore, the rate structure is uniform in both urban and rural zones.
Article B: Applicable Rates
The electric power service is provided and billed under the applicable rate established by
the Authority and depends on the type of client, the magnitude of the connected load,
and the voltage level at the point of delivery of the power. Whenever the conditions of
the service varies and the Authority determines that the rate under which it is being billed
is no longer applicable, the Authority notifies the customer of its determination in writing
and the service shall start being billed under the new applicable rate thirty (30) days after
the notification, unless the customer submits a request to be dropped from the service
and provides access to have the service disconnected prior to that date.
Article C: Purchasing Electric Power
The purchase of electric power and the corresponding related services for all rates and
contracts is established in accordance with the provisions of this Regulation and any
other disposition or regulation adopted by the Authority for this type of service, the
current regulations on planning and zoning, and applicable laws.
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amount of the deposit or bond to charge is $90 per kVA, based on the load
indicated on the Electrical Installation Certificate, multiplied by three, and the
minimum amount is $300.
3. Wholesale service:
If the service is new, the amount of the deposit or bond will be $90 per kVA,
based on the load indicated on the Electrical Installation Certificate, multiplied by
three. When service is requested for a business or industry with no prior
consumption history, the amount of the deposit or bond is the sum of the three
highest bills in the account history.
Article C: Guaranty Increase
1. The Authority reserves the right to increase the amount required as a guaranty,
or to require a guaranty if there is none, from all customers whose history in the
past twelve (12) months reflects one of the following conditions: two (2) or more
bills in arrears, one (1) or more checks that have been returned for insufficient
funds; a bank account that is closed or in a similar status; it has been determined
that there was improper use of electric power; or the service was suspended for
lack of payment. In these cases the required guaranty cannot exceed the
average monthly amount on the bills of the past twelve (12) months of service,
multiplied by three (3).
2. The Authority may also require a guaranty from customers who do not have it, or
increase the existing guaranty when its amount, as determined by the Authority,
is not enough to properly secure payment of the service. In these cases, the
amount required as a guaranty cannot exceed the average monthly amount of
the bills in the past twelve (12) months of service, multiplied by three (3).
3. When the Authority requires a payment guaranty from customers without one or
whose guaranty has been increased, pursuant to the criteria established in the
Article Three, it grants the customers affected by this determination a period of
twenty (20) consecutive days to present the new required guaranty. Failure to
meet this requirement is sufficient cause for the denial or suspension of electric
power service, whichever the case may be, as provided in Section XIV of this
Regulation. If appropriate, the Authority can also charge the required amount as
a service payment guarantee deposit on the next bill that is processed, and send
it to the customer. The customer has until the due date indicated on the bill to
make the corresponding payment.
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always assume the cost of the card, as well as its installation, removal, or
replacement, and they are also responsible for acquiring and installing all
equipment and internal programming needed to process and interpret the card’s
pulses.
The card or the external equipment installed by customers to process or interpret
its pulses cannot interfere with the meter’s functioning. If the meter is damaged
due to the installation or use of the card or of the external equipment related to its
use, customers are responsible for the cost of replacing it. Information obtained
by customers is for their exclusive use and not for billing purposes. To request
consumption information through the pulse card, customers must have their
account up to date and sign an addendum to the main power supply contract.
Primary, subtransmission, and transmission distribution voltage customers must
provide, from amongst the options approved by the Authority, the means of
communication for the meter to be read remotely.
8. The metering of electric power used by customers participating in the Net
Metering Program is done pursuant to the Regulation for Establishing the Net
Metering Program in effect.
Article C: Meter Tests
The Authority reserves the right and may, at its discretion, inspect or test at any time,
any meter or equipment it deems need to be checked or tested. When customers
indicate that their meter is not functioning correctly and requests that it be checked, their
request is processed as a billing objection and investigation request as provided under
Section XIII of this Regulation. If the investigation shows that the meter does function
properly and the customers insist on having its mechanism tested, the customers pay for
the expenses incurred by the Authority to conduct such test when the results prove that
the meter is functioning correctly with the limits established in the American National
Standard Code for Electricity Metering, or applicable regulations.
Article D: Additional Supply Lines
When customers with primary, subtransmission, or transmission voltage wish to obtain
the greater safety and reliability provided by a single supply line through a single point of
delivery, they can request an additional line. The Authority evaluates the request and, if
it determines that it is feasible and that it does not affect their future plans, it can
authorize an additional supply line, provided the customer pays for all costs needed to
construct and connect the line. The additional constructed line and the original line are
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taken up to the established point of delivery or metering so that a single meter records
all the power inputs available to the customer. In cases of emergency, as determined by
the Authority, and in coordination with the customer, the Authority can supply the service
at a voltage other than that at the point of delivery, provided it has the available capacity
and only while the emergency lasts.
Article E: Meter Reading
The Authority reads the meters on a monthly and bi-monthly basis. The readings are
taken using any method adopted by the Authority that allows energy and demand used
by customers, as applicable, to be determined. The Authority has information explaining
how to read meters available to its customers and guides them on the methods it uses to
take readings. The bill sent to the customer must contain at the least information about
the reading at the start and end of the billing period, the dates and the days making up
the billing period, the meter constant, and the date of the next reading. The Authority
reserves the right to amend the bill format as it deems fit and to provide more
information to customers.
Article F: Consumption Estimates
When the Authority is unable to read the meter on the scheduled date for circumstances
beyond its control, including, but not limited to, inaccessibility to the meter or force
majeure, consumption is estimated. Consumption is also estimated when the
information about the meter reading cannot be used for billing as a result of problems
related to data transmission or communication systems and when it is proven that the
meter is defective.
SECTION VII: LINES, SUBSTATIONS AND ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT
Article A: Customer or Owner Responsibility for Property in terms of Lines,
Substations, and other Installed Electric Equipment
1. Customers supply, install, maintain, and replace all lines, substations, and
electric equipment installed from the Authority’s point of delivery to their
structure, space, establishment, or property. They are responsible for all
damages these facilities cause due to lack of maintenance, upkeep, proper
protection, or due to any other reason attributed by the Authority. For secondary
distribution voltage services in which customers do not want another customer to
be given service from the same transformer, customers must construct their own
substation. Customers are responsible for the costs related to acquiring,
installing, maintaining, and replacing the private substation.
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2. All lines, substations, equipment, and other facilities belonging to the customers
must meet the requirements established by the Authority in applicable laws,
regulations, codes, manuals, norms, standards, technical correspondence and
public policies. Customers, property owners, or their representatives are
responsible for maintaining the property to keep them in optimal conditions. If
after an inspection the Authority determines that there is a risky condition, the
provisions of Section XIV, Article D, of this Regulation shall apply.
3. When customers request or authorize the Authority to do work or to provide
service at times that are not business days and hours, the Authority must pay for
all the costs involved, except when the work is for reasons attributable to the
customers.
4. When customers choose for, or when it is required under the Regulation that the
service drop be underground, it becomes the customer’s private property and
they are responsible for its upkeep and replacement. The design and
construction of the service drop must comply with all applicable regulations,
norms, codes, manuals, standards, and technical correspondence in effect.
If there is a breakdown of a residential underground drop with grounded cables
and it needs to be replaced, the Authority evaluates the condition and the cost of
replacing it, so that the new drop complies with current construction standards. In
these cases exclusively, the Authority provides the electric material for the
construction of the service drop, such as cables and pipes, along with the work
related to disconnecting and connecting the drop to the electric power system.
The value of the Authority’s contribution shall not exceed fifty percent (50%) of
the total cost of replacing the service drop. When, in addition to the above, the
service drop runs along the property or land belonging to third parties, the
Authority carries out the drop replacement work and the customer is responsible
for fifty percent of the total replacement cost.
5. Customers, property owners or their representatives are responsible for the
protection and safety at private substations, and they hold the Authority harmless
of any accident or damage that people or property may suffer due to lack of
upkeep, protection, or safety there. These persons must install safety
mechanisms needed to prevent access by unauthorized persons. The Authority
will install safety devices in the cubicle where the metering equipment and the
main safety switch are located, when applicable. The customers or the owners
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are responsible for the damages to the metering equipment supplied by the
Authority due to lack of proper protection. The owner or the customer is
responsible for providing access to Authority employees at all times, for any
service-related process.
6. At the request of owners of existing private substations, the Authority may lease
distribution transformers to them, if they are available in its inventory, whenever
they need to be replaced due to damage and the owner is not able to acquire
one from a private supplier right away. The Authority establishes a monthly
rental fee for each transformer based on its capacity in kilo-volt amperes (kVA).
The lease agreement between the owner of the substation and the Authority is
valid for one year. At the end of this period, if the customer has not replaced the
transformer, the Authority shall charge for the entire cost of same. The Authority
reserves the right to renew the above-mentioned agreement.
7. At a shared substation, the owner or the Owners’ Council or the Condominium
Association and the customers who use said substation hold the Authority totally
harmless of any damage to people or property as a result of the lack of upkeep
or protection thereof.
8. At a condominium or a residential, commercial, or mixed multi-story building, the
primary service drop, substations, equipment, and other electric facilities are the
property of the Owners’ Council, Condominium Association, or the owner of the
building. They are responsible for maintaining the system that connects to the
Authority’s point of delivery and for completing any necessary repairs. Service
interruption resulting from failing to repair these facilities does not constitute a
breach by the Authority of its service contract with the affected customers, nor is
it responsible for the damages these customers may suffer due to lack of service.
9. In buildings that install and use generators as an independent source of electric
power reserve to supply their establishments or apartments, the owners, their
representatives, the Owners’ Council, or Condominium Association is
responsible for the operation and maintenance of the generator and for the
quality of the service provided by the generator. Customers must enter into a
contract with the Authority to establish the special applicable conditions for using
such generator, provided it meets the requirements established by the Authority.
Owners or lessees of establishments or apartments hold the Authority completely
harmless of any damage they may suffer as a result of the operation of the
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generator, and they relinquish any claim against the Authority that may arise from
its use.
10. Customers, property owners, or their representatives are responsible for
submitting a Electrical Installation Certificate to the Authority for the re-inspection
of any private substation and its accessories every three (3) years for substations
connected to a voltage of 38 kV or higher; every five (5) years for substations
connected to primary distribution voltage, or as recommended by the
manufacturer, whichever is less. The first certificate will be submitted three (3)
years, five (5) years, or as applicable, after service was connected, or, if the
service was previously connected, one (1) year following the effective date of this
Regulation. If this requirement is not met, the Authority can file a complaint
against the person who is liable and impose administrative fines, suspend
service in keeping with the procedure provided in Section XIV of this Regulation,
or both, at its discretion.
Article B: Responsibility of the Authority for Lines, Substations, and Electrical
Equipment
1. The Authority is responsible for supplying, installing, maintaining, and replacing
the lines, substations, and electric equipment installed up to the point of delivery
of the electric power for the customer. The Authority supplies, installs, and
replaces the electrical installations in its system in accordance with its capital
improvements program. When the person making the request must extend lines
or install electrical equipment in order to connect with the electric system, the
Authority is responsible for keeping up, maintaining, and replacing these lines
and equipment if they are transferred to the Authority.
2. In secondary distribution services, the Authority is responsible for providing,
installing, keeping up, and replacing the transformers and their accessories,
except when these are installed for the exclusive service of a single customer. In
such cases, the customer is who asks the Authority to receive exclusive service
from a transformer. For exclusive service, customers are responsible for the cost
of installing transformers and their accessories, in addition to paying a monthly
fee established by the Authority for renting these transformers to maintain their
exclusive use. In this case, the Authority is responsible for maintaining and
replacing the transformers. If the customer pays for the cost of the transformers,
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the above monthly fee does not apply, but the customer is responsible for
conserving and replacing them.
Article C: Right of Access
1. Customers are responsible for ensuring that the meter’s base is properly
identified and located in a spot that is accessible to Authority employees for any
service related purpose.
2. When the Authority determines that a meter has been locked away or is
inaccessible, it will request, in writing, that the customer relocate the meter’s
base or mounting to an accessible area, preferably on the front wall of the
structure.
3. The Authority will grant the customer a period of sixty (60) consecutive days to
carry out said work whenever the meter’s base or mounting needs to be
relocated. If the term granted expires without the customer having relocated the
base or mounting as required, the Authority can suspend the electric power
service pursuant to the provisions of Section XIV of this Regulation.
4. The Authority is not responsible for the damages caused to customers while they
are without service. Should customers fail to comply with the aforementioned
paragraphs, they will be charged all expenses incurred by the Authority to gain
access to the meter.
SECTION VIII: CONNECTED LOAD
Article A: Load Capacity
The demand cannot exceed the capacity of the meter’s base, transformer, or substation
through which customers receive service. Customers cannot make changes to the
installation or to the number of equipment connected which can lead to excess demand.
To make any change, customers must request and obtain prior written authorization
from the Authority and a revision of the Wholesale Electric Power Supply Contract, as
applicable. Customers are responsible for the damages caused by increasing the
connected load without prior authorization from the Authority.
Article B: Load Balance in Three-phase Services
Customers use electric power at all times; therefore, the load is balanced based on ten
percent (10%) between phases. In the case of unbalanced loads, the Authority reserves
the right to request that the customer make the necessary changes to correct the
situation. If the customer does not comply with the requirement, the Authority can
suspend the electric power service as provided under Section XIV of this Regulation.
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monitoring, or negligence by customers, they will pay all the costs for repairing or
replacing the damaged property.
Article D: Voltage Fluctuations Caused by Customers
The customer’s electric equipment is used in a way so as to not cause voltage
fluctuations or disturbances or other parameters of the electric signal of the Authority’s
system. The Authority can request customers to install the appropriate and necessary
equipment for maintaining the voltage fluctuations or disturbances within the fluctuation
limits of plus or minus five percent (5%) of the systems nominal voltage. If the customer
does not do as required, the Authority can suspend the electric power service pursuant
to the provisions in Section XIV of this Regulation.
Article E: Authorization to Make Changes to Electrical Installations
Customers must notify and obtain prior written authorization from the Authority for any
change to the electrical installations that may affect the quality of service the Authority
provides to the customer or to other customers receiving services from the same
facilities.
Article F: Prohibition of Electric Power Resale
1. Resale of the electric power agreed upon or contracted with the Authority by one
customer to another customer or to another person is prohibited.
2. The sale and charge of the electric power supplied by the Authority to customers
connected to its electric power system can only be done by the Authority.
Therefore, the Authority installs appropriate metering instruments at a single
point on the electric power service line.
3. If the Authority detects that there has been a resale of electric power, the
customer is responsible for correcting the condition within thirty (30) days from
the notification thereof.
4. If the matter is not corrected within the established timeframe, the Authority can
suspend the customer’s electricity service
5. The matter of resale can be corrected through the installation of a separate
metering system and the third party can contract service with the Authority at the
applicable rate and comply with the requirements established for the requested
service to be provided.
6. The Authority will make an adjustment to the customer’s bill to account for the
time the resale took place at the applicable commercial rate.
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for paying the Authority the amount estimated by the Authority of the unmetered or
unbilled electric power.
Article B: Notification of Charges
Whenever improper use is detected, the employees who detect it will gather the
evidence and correct or eliminate the detected condition. This information is notified to
the commercial office. The manager of the commercial office may file a complaint
against the customer, user or unauthorized user under the provisions of Public Law No.
170 of August 12, 1988, as amended, the Uniform Administrative Procedure Act. In said
complaint, the Authority can request that the customer, user, or unauthorized user be
ordered to pay the sum that is determined was consumed and not recorded by the
metering equipment. The administrative judge may also order the suspension of the
electric power supply if the customer fails to make the ordered payment. Customers,
users, or unauthorized users must pay for the administrative expenses as well as any
administrative fine that is imposed as a result of said process.
Article C: Improper Use that Jeopardizes the Safety of Lives or Property
If the improper use detected is one that jeopardizes the safety of lives or property and it
cannot be corrected or eliminated without service being suspended, or if the service has
been connected without there being a contract or prior request and it has not been billed,
the Authority will suspend service immediately. In such cases, if there is a contract to
provide service, the Authority will notify the customer right away of the detected situation
and the action taken. Customers may request a review of the Authority’s decision in
accordance with the procedure established in Section XVII of this Regulation. If the
customer corrects the situation to the Authority’s satisfaction, service will be restored
while a decision regarding the review is being made. The Authority will take legal action
against any person who does not have a contract with the Authority.
SECTION XII: PAYMENT FOR SERVICE
Article A: Customer Responsibility for Service in their Name
Each customer is responsible for the corresponding payment of all services provided in
his or her name. The responsibility remains in effect even when customers have stopped
using the contracted service or have vacated, sold, assigned, or transferred the property
to which the service in their name is supplied without having made a request for
termination of service and such service is used by another person with or without their
consent or knowledge. Customers must request the termination of the electric power
supply contract at least five (5) business days prior to the desired date, unless the
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contract stipulates for a longer term, in which case, the term provided therein applies.
Customers are responsible for providing access for service to be disconnected. The
request can be made in person at any commercial or local office, by phone through the
Customer Service Center switchboard, by certified mail, return receipt requested, or
through any other means accepted by the Authority. When the request is made in
person or by phone, customers must ask for a request number or a receipt and keep it
as evidence. The electric power supply contract remains in effect if the Authority cannot
disconnect the service on the desired date due to lack of access or because the
minimum effective term has not expired. When the electric power supply contract
ceases, any unpaid balance can be transferred to any other account that is billed in the
name of the same customer or that he or she uses in another person’s name. If there is
no objection pursuant to Section XIII of this Regulation, or if the payment has not been
made before the due date indicated on the bill with charge, the Authority may suspend
service, in accordance with Section XIV of this Regulation. The Authority can inform any
credit bureau of, or refer to a collection agency, any outstanding balance found on the
account when the electric power supply contract is terminated and the payment of the
final bill has not been received by the due date. Before referring the balance, the
Authority will verify that this balance was not objected to in a timely manner as
established in the procedure in Section XIII, or if it was done, that its correction was
accepted and upheld during the process. The Authority may also deny customers new
service, unless objection to the balance was made pursuant to the procedure
established in Section XIII of this Regulation, and even if a decision regarding such
objection has not been rendered, or if the decision was favorable to the customer. An
interest of eight percent (8%) per annum will be charged to any final outstanding balance
up to the date it is transferred to an active account, in which case the charges
established herein for active accounts will apply thereafter or until it is paid in full.
Article B: Responsibility for the Use of Non-Contracted Service
For anybody using electric power service that has not been contracted or that is being
billed in someone else’s name, the Authority must request that they enter into a service
contract in their name and that they meet all the requirements to do so. When the
service is billed in the name of one person and it is used by another, each party agrees
to make the full payment for the service entailed and for all obligations derived from the
service. When the person in whose name the service is billed is not the person paying
for said service, and the user does comply with the Authority’s requirement of
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establishing service in his or her name and does not meet the requirements to do so, the
Authority can suspend the service as provided under Section XIV of this Regulation.
Article C: Bills
1. At its discretion, the Authority performs the reading, billing and charging of
electric power consumption on a monthly or bi-monthly basis, or for reasonable
time periods it deems will provide better, more efficient service to the public. All
electric power bills or bills for any other service related to and authorized by this
Regulation or other Authority regulations must advise customers that they have a
certain term to pay for or object to any charge not previously billed and to request
an investigation. This term can never be less than twenty (20) days and the bill
must indicate the date said term expires and advise customers of the procedure
available for channeling any objection and obtaining more information on same.
Bills may be paid over the Internet, by phone through the Customer Service
Center switchboard, by mail, banks or authorized payment stations, automatic
direct debit, in the Authority’s commercial or local offices, or by any other means
approved by the Authority for such purpose. When there are overdue payments
on the bill, the payment must be received or reflected in the Authority’s billing
system no later than the due date on the bill. If the payment is made through a
bank account and it is not processed due to insufficient funds, uncollected funds,
closed account, stop payment, unauthorized signature, or any other similar
reason, customers must pay the amount owed, plus a twenty-five ($25) fee for
administrative expenses. This fee is also charged when customers pay by credit
card and then ask the card issuing bank not to process the payment, or in the
case of fraud. In such cases, customers lose the privilege of paying by credit
card. The return of a payment for any of the reasons listed above affects the
customer’s payment history and it is cause for suspension or revocation of the
privilege of paying by check or credit card and suspension of service for non-
payment. Not receiving the bill does not exempt customers from their obligation
to pay same. If they do not pay or follow the procedure for objecting to charges
established in Section XIII of this Regulation, the Authority can suspend service
in accordance with the provisions of Section XIV of this Regulation.
2. The Authority credits or debits the customer’s account for any amount collected
in excess or not collected for any reason, including but not limited to, defects,
irregularities, improper use, or errors, whether it be in the customer’s electric
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system, in the equipment related to the service or the installation thereof, in the
readings or the meter constant, in the applicable rate, or in the Authority’s billing
processes. The power to return or recover funds established herein is limited by
applicable legal provisions.
Article D: Calculation of Charge for Demand and of the Fixed Monthly Fee during
Irregular Billing Periods
When the billing period is irregular, the monthly charge for demand is adjusted on
wholesale accounts, if applicable. The fixed monthly fee per customer is also adjusted
in a way that neither the Authority nor the customer is adversely affected. To do so, a
base period of thirty (30) days is used for monthly billing and sixty (60) days for bi-
monthly billing, and the bill is prorated for the number of days of consumption.
Article E: Rate Changes
The Authority has the power under the law to establish new rates and make changes in
the existing rates for the purchase of electric power. When the new rates are set
following the procedure established by law, they apply to all active services and
customers agree to pay for the service at the new prices and to comply with the
conditions for them to apply beginning on the date the new rates go into effect, as
determined by the Authority’s Governing Board.
Article F: Late Fees
When overdue payments on the bill of any customer, with the exception of public
corporations and government agencies, exceed $1,000 or the sum of the last two bills,
whichever is less, an additional charge calculated at two thirds of a percent ( 2/3%)
monthly of the overdue amount is added on to the amount overdue at the time of billing.
To calculate this late fee, the Authority does not take into account current charges or
previously billed charges that are not overdue or that are under objection pursuant to the
procedure established in Section XIII of this Regulation and awaiting a decision
regarding said objection. This charge does not exempt customers from their obligation to
pay bills on time or limit the power of the Authority to suspend service for non-payment
pursuant to the procedure established in Section XIV of this Regulation. Late fees are
considered part of the bill, and should they not be paid prior to the due date, they are
added to any other overdue payments reflected on the account for the purpose of
calculating this fee on future bills. If partial payment is received, it is first applied to
unpaid late fees.
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consideration: the amount owed, the customer’s payment capacity, payment history,
periods in arrears, and other pertinent details. In the cases of disabled persons who use
special equipment, such as respiratory equipment, dialysis units, etc. that need
electricity to function and are indispensable for their survival, customers must report it to
the Authority via a medical certificate to such effect. The Authority sends an investigator
to the customer’s home to verify the information it received and it takes the necessary
measures to prevent suspension of the service. In none of these cases does a flexible
collection procedure apply to the debt for consumption exceeding what is determined to
be reasonable, based on the customer’s particular needs.
Article D: Suspension due to a Situation or Condition at the Customer’s Electrical
Installation
When the Authority detects a situation or condition at the customer’s electrical
installation that requires that the customer to repair it promptly for continuity of service,
notification is given to the customer by any means, whether by telephone, in person, or
in writing. If circumstances so permit, the Authority grants the customer a term of no
more than twenty (20) days to perform the necessary repairs. If after said term the
repairs required to eliminate the risk condition have not been carried out, the electric
power service is suspended immediately. When the risk of causing damage to lives or
property is imminent, the service is suspended as soon as the condition or situation is
detected; but in such case, the notification explaining the reasons for such suspension is
done immediately thereafter. Customers can object to the determination of danger
made by the Authority following the procedure established in Section XVII of this
Regulation.
SECTION XV: SERVICE INTERRUPTIONS
The Authority’s objective is to provide efficient, reliable service to the people of Puerto
Rico. However, the Authority may be forced to interrupt electric power supply without
prior notice due to force majeure. It may also be obliged to suspend service for repairs
or maintenance work, in which case affected customers are notified beforehand. Such
interruptions do not constitute a breach by the Authority of the Electric Power Supply
Contract, and therefore neither the Authority nor any of its employees, officials, or
directors is responsible for any resulting damages, losses, or causes of action.
SECTION XVI: OTHER PROVISIONS
Article A: Powers of the Governing Board
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Secretary of Adjudicative Procedures of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority for the
controversy to be decided on pursuant to the formal adjudication procedure established
in the Regulations Governing the Adjudication Procedure for Complaints of the Puerto
Rico Electric Power Authority, adopted by virtue of Public Law No. 170 of August 12,
1988, as amended, the Uniform Administrative Procedure Act of the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico.
SECTION XVIII: SEVERALBILITY
The declaration of any part of this Regulation as being unconstitutional by a competent
court does not affect the validity of the remaining other provisions.
SECTION XIX: REPEAL
This Regulation substitutes and nullifies the Regulation Governing the General Terms
and Conditions for Supplying Electric Power filed at the Department of State on February
11, 2008, under No. 7464.
SECTION XX: EFFECTIVE DATE
This Regulation enters into effect thirty (30) days after it is filed at the Puerto Rico
Department of State pursuant to the provisions of Public Law No. 170 of August 12,
1988, as amended, the Uniform Administrative Procedure Act of the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico.
SECTION XXI: APPROVAL
The Governing Board of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority approved this
Regulation through Resolution No. 3756 of August 24, 2010.
Date
11/16/10
I, Roslyn C. Famous, a professional translator with an M.A. in Translation, hereby certify that, to the best of my knowledge and
abilities, the foregoing is a true and faithful rendering into English of the Spanish text, made at the request of the interested party.