While Heartland is not required to follow the Cold Weather Rule established by the Kansas Corporation Commission, Heartland's board of directors has elected to adopt its own version of the policy. See below for details.
(1) The provisions of the COLD WEATHER RULE establish the disconnection procedures for delinquent accounts of any Residential Customer of the Cooperative throughout the cold weather period, which extends from November 1 through March 31.
(2) The Cooperative will not initiate the disconnection process for Residential Customers’ service between November 1 and March 31 when the National Weather Service office forecasts the temperature to drop below 35 degrees (the activating temperature) within the following 48 hour period unless:
(a) It is at the Customer’s request;
(b) The service is abandoned;
(c) A dangerous condition exists on the Customer’s premises;
(d) The Customer violates any rule of the Cooperative, which adversely affects the safety of the Customer or other persons, or the physical integrity of the Cooperative’s delivery system; or (e) The Customer causes or permits tampering as defined in section 6.J.
In any of these situations, the Cooperative may disconnect the service immediately. Services disconnected under (c), (d) or (e) above may be restored as soon as possible after the physical problems defined in (c), (d), and (e) above have been corrected.
(3) To avoid disconnection during the cold weather period and qualify for the benefits of the COLD WEATHER RULE the Customer must meet the requirements of the GOOD FAITH TEST. To meet the requirements of the GOOD FAITH TEST, the Customer will:
(a) Inform the Cooperative of the Customer’s inability to pay the bill in full;
(b) Give sufficient information to allow the Cooperative to make payment agreement;
(c) Make an initial payment of the most recent bill for consumption plus one-third of the arrearage;
(d) Enter a level payment plan agreement for past, current and future charges for electric service with arrears paid in equal installments over the next two months. The Customer and the Cooperative may negotiate other payment arrangements mutually agreeable, individualized to the Customer’s situation providing the most appropriate terms, after the Customer has been informed that he or she has at least two months in which to pay;
(e) Apply for federal, state, local or other funds for which the Customer is eligible;
(f) Not obtain electric service by tampering as defined in Section 6. J.; and
(g) Not default on a payment plan.
(4) In addition to fulfillment of the procedures outlined in Section 5, (with the exception of C.2., which is replaced with the more stringent requirement of (a) below), the Cooperative will:
(a) On the day prior to disconnection, make at least one telephone call attempt with the Customer of record or make one attempt at a personal contact with the Customer of record if telephone contact on that day is not made. If the Customer is not contacted during the phone call(s) or the personal contact the day prior to termination of service, the Cooperative
employee will leave a disconnect message on the door on the day prior to disconnect;
(b) On the day of disconnection, receive a 24-hour forecast above the activating temperature from the National Weather Service. If the temperature is then forecast to be below the activating temperature, the disconnection may not be carried out and the Cooperative must wait for another 48-hour forecast above the activating temperature to initiate the disconnection procedures;
(c) Inform the Customer in the telephone contact(s), the written notice, the personal contact and the disconnect message on the door, of the existence of the Cold Weather Rule and that the Customer can avoid disconnection by bringing the Customer’s electric bill current;
(d) Inform the Customer of, or provide a list of, organizations where funds are available to pay electric bills.