The following definitions shall apply throughout this part except as otherwise required by the context and any references to this part shall include these definitions:

1. (1) “Answered” means that an employee or automated system is:

   1. (A) Ready to provide assistance and accept the information necessary to process the call; and
   2. (B) Not simply an acknowledgement of the customer;
2. (2) “Applicant” means any person or entity requesting utility service, except as excluded by the exception in 23 CAR § 455-301(b);
3. (3) “Automated system” means a menu-driven, automated, interactive answering system that includes the option of transferring to an employee;

4. (4) “Business office” means a utility office where an individual may:

   1. (A) Arrange for service connection;
   2. (B) Make or arrange to make payments on his or her bill; and
   3. (C) Ask questions regarding service or the status of his or her account;
5. (5) “Busy-out rate” means the number of calls to a call center that received a busy signal divided by the number of calls that were attempted;

6. (6) “Call center” means a centralized operation staffed and dedicated to responding to telephone calls from retail customers regarding:

   1. (A) Service;
   2. (B) Billing;
   3. (C) Outages; and
   4. (D) Other issues concerning regulated utility service;
7. (7) “Calls attempted” means calls received plus the total number of busy calls;
8. (8) “Calls busy” means calls attempted by customers to the utility’s call center that receive a busy signal;
9. (9) “Calls received” means calls that have entered the customer premise equipment or telephone system of a utility call center;
10. (10) “Character of service” means the distinguishing features that identify the type of service provided to the customer, for example, three-phase service or call-waiting service;

11. (11)

    1. (A) “Class of service” means a customer group that has similar characteristics such as volume of use, time of use, extent of use, and nature and purpose of use as classified by the utility and approved by the Arkansas Public Service Commission for ratemaking purposes.
    2. (B) For example, the commercial or residential class of service;
12. (12) “Closed account” or “finaled account” means a permanent shut off of service by a utility to a customer account;
13. (13) “Commission” means the Arkansas Public Service Commission;

14. (14)

    1. (A) “Complaint” means any objection from an applicant or customer concerning a charge, facility, rule, service, or other Arkansas Public Service Commission-regulated activity that requires:

       1. (i) An investigation or an account review; and
       2. (ii) Corrective action by a utility.
    2. (B) Exceptions. Trouble reports, as defined in the Arkansas Public Service Commission’s Special Rules, shall not be considered complaints under this definition;
15. (15) “Corresponding water utility” means an individual or entity that owns or operates equipment or facilities for diverting, developing, pumping, impounding, distributing, or furnishing water to or for the public for compensation as defined in Arkansas Code § 14-234-702(1);
16. (16) “Customer” means any person or entity that has applied for and agreed to pay for utility service;
17. (17) “Deposit” means an amount paid to a utility by an applicant or customer to guarantee payment for utility service;
18. (18) “Display” means to have an item conspicuously available for public inspection in the public reception area of each utility business office;
19. (19) “Elderly person” means a residential customer who is at least sixty-five (65) years old;

20. (20)

    1. (A) “Estimated bill” means any bill that does not reflect an actual meter reading for gas, water, or electric service.
    2. (B) Any actual meter reading for electric, gas, or water service that is changed by a utility before billing shall also be considered an estimated bill;
21. (21) “Extended due date” means regular monthly extension or change of a bill’s due date by a utility;
22. (22) “Failure to pay” includes payment by check, other negotiable instrument, or automatic draft that is dishonored by a bank for reasons other than bank error;

23. (23)

    1. (A) “Individual with disabilities” means any residential customer who is certified to the utility as having a severe physical or mental impairment that substantially limits his or her ability to pay for utility service.

    2. (B) Certification shall be provided by:

       1. (i) A physician;
       2. (ii) A licensed psychologist;
       3. (iii) The United States Veterans’ Administration;
       4. (iv) The Social Security Administration;
       5. (v) The Department of Human Services;
       6. (vi) The Arkansas State Hospital; or
       7. (vii) A licensed mental health center;
24. (24) “Insufficient funds check” means any negotiable instrument such as a check or automatic bank draft dishonored by a bank for reasons other than bank error;
25. (25) “Interest” means an interest rate set annually by the Arkansas Public Service Commission for customer deposits as required by Arkansas Code § 23-4-206(b);

26. (26) “Interruption of service” means temporarily stopping service for:

    1. (A) Maintenance;
    2. (B) Testing;
    3. (C) Repair; or
    4. (D) Safety;
27. (27) “Kind of service” means either electric, natural gas, water, or sewer service;
28. (28) “Landlord” means the owner, agent, manager, or lessor of premises who receives lease, rent, or other payments that include amounts for utility service;
29. (29) “Outage” means an unplanned temporary loss of utility service caused by a malfunction of or damage to utility facilities;
30. (30) “Payment agent” means a business located in the community that acts as an agent for the utility by accepting utility payments from customers;
31. (31) “Payment date” means the date the utility or its authorized agent receives payment on an account;

32. (32) “Physician” means any person licensed to practice medicine by:

    1. (A) The Arkansas State Medical Board; or
    2. (B) A comparable licensing authority of another state;
33. (33) “Public utility” or “utility” means a jurisdictional utility as defined by Arkansas Code § 23-1-101;
34. (34) “Rider” means a tariff that includes an addition or amendment applicable to one (1) or more rate schedules;
35. (35) “Rules” or “commission rules” means this part;

36. (36)

    1. (A) “Serious medical condition” means an illness or injury that results in a physician’s determination that the loss of utility service would give rise to a substantial risk of death or gravely impair health.
    2. (B) A serious medical condition shall exist in the case of elderly persons or infant children under the age of twelve (12) months if a physician certifies that the loss of utility service will gravely impair health, regardless of the current existence of illness or injury;
37. (37) “Special Rules” or “Commission’s Special Rules” means the Special Rules — Electric, 23 CAR pt. 463, Special Rules — Water, 23 CAR pt. 465, or Special Rules — Gas, 23 CAR pt. 464;
38. (38) “Suspension of service” means a temporary shut off of service by a utility without a customer request, not an outage or an interruption of service;

39. (39) “Tariff” means a rate schedule, service rule, or other document required to be:

    1. (A) Filed as a tariff by the Arkansas Public Service Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, 23 CAR pt. 462; and
    2. (B) Approved by the Arkansas Public Service Commission or by operation of law; and

40. (40) “Utility service” means service:

    1. (A) Provided by a public utility; and
    2. (B) Subject to regulation by the Arkansas Public Service Commission.