- A. The Public Service Commission of Maryland, in these regulations referred to as the “Commission,” declares that it is in the public interest for each utility to fairly and without discrimination administer a reasonable policy reflected by written regulations, in accord with these regulations, which will permit an applicant for permanent residential service to establish, or an existing residence customer to re-establish, credit with the utility for the use of its service.
- B. The Commission further declares that when it is necessary for an applicant or customer to make a cash deposit to establish or re-establish credit in accord with these regulations, the making of the deposit is in the public interest because it avoids, to the extent practicable, the creation of a burden arising from uncollectible bills which would have to be borne ultimately by all the utility's rate payers.
- C. The Commission further declares that the essential ingredient in each utility's administration of its deposit policy, as expressed by these regulations, is the equitable and indiscriminate application of that policy to all applicants for service and customers throughout its service area without regard to the economic character of the area or any part of it, and that this deposit policy shall be predicated upon the credit risk of the individual without regard to the collective credit reputation of the area in which he lives.
Authority: Public Utilities Article, §§2-113, 2-121, 4-503(a), 5-101, and 5-105, Annotated Code of Maryland
Effective date: July 1, 1970 (Order No. 58089)
Regulations .02 and .03 repealed effective November 18, 1985 (12:23 Md. R. 2222)
Regulations .02, .03, and .04-1 adopted effective November 18, 1985 (12:23 Md. R. 2222)
Regulation .04 amended effective November 18, 1985 (12:23 Md. R. 2222)
Regulation .04C amended effective March 1, 1993 (20:4 Md. R. 373)
Regulation .04G amended effective September 21, 2009 (36:19 Md. R. 1438)
Regulation .04H amended effective January 26, 1979 (6:2 Md. R. 75); April 21, 1986 (13:8 Md. R. 903)
Regulation .04H amended as an emergency provision effective January 1, 2002 (29:3 Md. R. 214); emergency status expired June 30, 2002
Regulation .04H amended as an emergency provision effective January 1, 2003 (30:5 Md. R. 364); amended permanently effective January 20, 2003 (30:1 Md. R. 28)
Regulation .04I adopted effective January 1, 1978 (Order No. 62792)
Regulation .05 amended effective November 18, 1985 (12:23 Md. R. 2222)