Section 56.261. Billing frequency

(a) A utility shall render a bill once every billing period to every residential customer in accordance with approved rate schedules.

(b) A utility may utilize electronic billing in lieu of mailed paper bills. Electronic billing programs must include the following:

(1) The electronic billing option is voluntary and only with the prior consent of the customer. The customer retains the right to revert to conventional paper billings upon request. The customer shall provide the utility with a one billing cycle notice of a request to revert to paper billing.

(2) A customer shall receive the same information that is included with a paper bill issued by the utility.

(3) The electronic bill must include the same disclosures and educational messages that are required for paper bills. The electronic transmission of termination notices may not be permitted unless the customer has affirmatively consented to this method of delivery. The electronic delivery of a termination notice does not relieve the public utility of the obligation to provide termination notices as required under § § 56.331—56.338.

(4) The electronic bill must include all required bill inserts in an easily accessed and easily readable format.

(5) The electronic bill must include the option for the customer to contribute to the utility’s hardship fund if the utility is able to accept hardship fund contributions by this method.

(6) A customer may not be required to pay an additional fee to receive an electronic bill.

(7) The utility shall maintain a system to deliver electronic bills if the bill is emailed to a customer.

(8) The utility shall employ all reasonable measures to protect customer information from unauthorized disclosure and prevent access to customer account records by persons who are not properly authorized to have access.