1. A. The following may not constitute sufficient cause for refusal of service to a present or prospective customer:

   1. (1) Failure of a prior customer to pay for service at the premises to be served;
   2. (2) Failure to pay for merchandise purchased from the utility;
   3. (3) Failure to pay for a public utility service other than water service;
   4. (4) Failure to pay for a different class of service;
   5. (5) Failure to pay the bill of another customer as guarantor of the customer;
   6. (6) Failure to pay the undercharge for the period in excess of 4 months as described in Regulation .06E of this chapter; or

   7. (7) Failure to pay an outstanding bill that is over 7 years old, unless the:

      1. (a) Customer signed an agreement to pay the outstanding bill before the expiration of this period;
      2. (b) Outstanding bill is for service obtained by the customer by means of tampering with equipment furnished and owned by the utility or by unauthorized use of service by any method; or

      3. (c) Outstanding bill is for service obtained by the customer by means of an application made:

         1. (i) In a fictitious name,
         2. (ii) In the name of an individual who is not an occupant of the dwelling unit, without disclosure of the individual's actual address,
         3. (iii) In the name of a third party without disclosing that fact or without bona fide authority from the third party, or
         4. (iv) Without disclosure of a material fact or by misrepresentation of a material fact.
2. B. This regulation applies to both residential and nonresidential classes of service.

Authority: Public Utilities Article, §§2-113, 2-121, and 5-101, Annotated Code of Maryland

Effective date: July 1, 1968 (Order No. 57171)

Regulations .03 and .06A amended effective January 23, 1981 (8:2 Md. R. 117)

Regulation .09 amended effective May 10, 1993 (20:9 Md. R. 780)