[CC 1984 §25.160; Ord. No. 292 §1, 8-8-1966; Ord. No. 877 §1, 12-11-2006]
A.
Each
customer shall sign a request for gas service prior to the actual
installation of facilities. The request for gas service form shall
be completed by all customers requesting firm service. Customers desiring
interruptible seasonable or volumes of gas for other than space heating
use shall execute a special contract to be obtained from the City.
B.
When
signed, the request for gas service constitutes a contract effective
on the date when service is first rendered and continues to be effective
unless cancelled by either the customer or the City.
C.
Customers
attaching to the gas system within ten (10) days of a meter reading
date shall not have their meter read or be billed for the partial
month until the end of following month.
D.
Service Connection Charges.
[Ord. No. 1086 §1, 8-11-2014]
1.
General connection charge. A customer making
request for natural gas service shall be responsible for all costs
of materials necessary to tap the natural gas main and install connecting
lines between the gas main and the individual building(s). The costs
of material shall include the costs of a tap, meter, regulator, valves,
piping and appurtenance facilities. The connection charge for customers
connecting to the high-pressure distribution lateral may also include
the costs of labor, equipment and other costs necessary to make the
connection. If street excavation is required to make the tap and service
line installation, the customer shall additionally be responsible
for all costs of said excavation.
2.
Connection charge procedure. The City or its
representative shall, upon a customer request for natural gas service,
prepare an estimate of all costs necessary to make the service connection.
This estimate, once accepted by the customer, shall become the service
connection charge for this individual service. The connection charge
shall be paid in full prior to activation of the service.
3.
Costs of gas main extension. In the event that
a new service connection requires extension of the City natural gas
main, the customer may be required to pay all or a portion of the
costs necessary to extend the gas main. The City shall evaluate such
requests on a case-by-case basis. The City may negotiate agreements
with customers for sharing of costs related to gas main extension,
subject to approval by the Board of Aldermen.
4.
Commercial and industrial service connections. The City reserves the right to amend, reduce or waive connection
charges for new commercial and industrial customers, based on new
volumes of natural gas anticipated to be used by the customer. The
City shall evaluate such requests on a case-by-case basis.
5.
Standard City residential connection charge. Notwithstanding the above provisions, the standard charge for residential
customers requesting new natural gas service within the City limits
of the City of New Haven shall be a flat fee of four hundred dollars
($400.00) for each individual connection. For a customer to qualify
for this service connection charge, the following conditions must
apply:
a.
The residential location must be located within the City limits
and must have existing natural gas service either at or immediately
adjacent to the property and/or residence.
b.
The length of the service connection (gas piping between the
gas main and the residential meter set) must be no greater than one
hundred fifty (150) feet.
c.
The residential location must have, at minimum, a new natural
gas furnace or water heater, or an existing furnace or existing water
heater to be converted to gas service.
d.
In the event that a service connection is greater than one hundred
fifty (150) feet, the City may adjust the connection charge to include
the additional cost of materials necessary to make the connection.
Example: A customer with a service connection two hundred (200) feet
in length would be charged four hundred dollars ($400.00) plus the
cost of materials for the additional fifty (50) feet of piping necessary
to make the connection.
6.
Notwithstanding any of the provisions above, the City reserves
the right to refuse any application for natural gas service.
[CC 1984 §25.170; Ord. No. 292 §2, 8-8-1966]
A.
All
gas piping and gas equipment connected to the City's natural gas system
shall be installed in accordance with accepted standards as specified
by the American Standards Association and in compliance with municipal
codes established by the City.
B.
The
City or its duly appointed representatives shall inspect and approve
all gas piping and gas appliances in accordance with the established
codes prior to placing the equipment in service. No equipment shall
be approved or placed in service until all faulty conditions are corrected.
C.
Inspection
or approval on the part of the City does not give warranty as to the
adequacy, safety or other characteristics of the equipment and facilities
installed and maintained by the customer.
[CC 1984 §25.180; Ord. No. 292 §3, 8-8-1966]
The City may require a deposit up to the estimated amount of
a customer's bill for seventy-five (75) days' service to insure payment
of gas bills. Such deposit may be required at the beginning of service
or at any time thereafter. Such deposits or balance of deposits shall
be used to satisfy amounts owed by customers for gas purchased or
returned to customers when service is discontinued. A non-transferable
receipt shall be given each customer who makes a deposit.
[CC 1984 §25.190; Ord. No. 292 §4, 8-8-1966]
The City's schedule of rates shall be as set forth by the rate
ordinance. A copy of the latest of which shall be on file with the
City Clerk.
[CC 1984 §25.200; Ord. No. 292 §5, 8-8-1966]
In the event a customer intends to substantially increase his/her
use of natural gas, the City should be notified so that meters and
other equipment of adequate capacity may be installed at minimum inconvenience
to the customer. If the customer fails to so notify the City, he/she
will be held responsible for all damages to the meter or other equipment
caused by the increased load.
[CC 1984 §25.210; Ord. No. 292 §6, 8-8-1966]
The City will not furnish gas to retail customers for resale.
[CC 1984 §25.240; Ord. No. 292 §9, 8-8-1966]
A.
All
meters and piping placed on the customer's premises by the City for
the purpose of rendering natural gas service to such premises, unless
otherwise specifically provided for, shall be and will remain the
City's property. The customer shall be responsible for protection
of such property from loss or damage. The customer shall not knowingly
permit anyone other than an authorized employee or representative
of the City to remove or tamper with the City's property.
B.
Only
authorized employees or representatives of the City shall remove,
cut, raise or in any way change piping or equipment belonging to the
City. The cost of such changes for the convenience or protection of
the customer shall be at the customer's expense, if done at the request
of the customer.
[CC 1984 §25.250; Ord. No. 292 §10, 8-8-1966]
Customers shall report all natural gas leaks, suspected leaks
or other unsafe conditions to the City or its authorized representatives
promptly. The customer will not be charged for a leak or unsafe condition
call. Remedy of such condition when on customer's piping or equipment
shall be at the customer's expense. Remedy of such condition on the
City's facilities shall be at the City's expense, unless such condition
was a direct result of action by the customer or other person or persons,
in which case the responsible party may be charged with the cost of
repairing the facilities.
[CC 1984 §25.260; Ord. No. 292 §11, 8-8-1966]
A.
The
City shall extend the service line and install metering equipment
at a point that is convenient and accessible to the customer and the
City. Only in special cases will metering facilities be located inside
a residence or business.
B.
Normally
the gas main is installed on public property and the meter and service
line installed largely on the customer's premises. Where the City's
facilities must be constructed across or through property other than
public property, the customer shall supply the right-of-way for such
installation.
[CC 1984 §25.270; Ord. No. 292 §12, 8-8-1966]
Natural gas shall be measured to the consumer by the City through
meters of standard industry type. The volume of gas delivered to a
customer shall be determined by using an absolute pressure base of
fourteen and seventy-three hundredths (14.73) psi and a temperature
base of sixty degrees Fahrenheit (60°F). Where flowing conditions
vary from standard conditions, the City may adjust measured volume
by the application of proper factors.
[CC 1984 §25.280]
A.
Prior
to placing into service any new gas installation line in a new or
remodeled structure, the installer or owner must have the same inspected
and tested by the City prior to use.
B.
The
installer or owner shall pay a fee to the City of fifty dollars ($50.00)
for the inspector and fees or if reinspection and retesting is necessary
on the same structure, an additional fee of thirty dollars ($30.00)
is to be paid. Fees are to be pair prior to inspection and testing.
C.
The
agent making the inspection and test shall, after test, certify to
owner that the inspection and test was made when made and the results
of tests, including discrepancies. Agent shall further record the
same information in the appropriate records of the City.
D.
If
any installer or owner or both fails to have the gas installation
tested prior to use, said installer or owner shall upon conviction
be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a fine of not less than
fifty dollars ($50.00) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500.00).
[Ord. No. 1011 §1, 9-12-2011]
A.
The
City may, at its sole option, waive the costs of certified welder
expenses necessary to make new gas service connections on the City's
high-pressure distribution lateral for customers who apply for said
natural gas service. This waiver is conditioned upon the City's ability
to schedule said certified welder services with other similar contracted
services required by the City, and to provide such services within
a time frame mutually acceptable to City and customer.
B.
This
rebate shall only be available to customers that install, at minimum,
a natural gas furnace and water heater on the premises.
C.
The
City reserves the right to reject any application for natural gas
service.
[Ord. No. 981 §1, 10-11-2010; Ord. No. 1011 §2, 9-12-2011]
The fee for tapping of a natural gas main, together with the
fee for inspection of new gas installations, shall be waived for all
new natural gas installations on the City of New Haven low-pressure
distribution system. This waiver shall not apply to new installations
on the City of New Haven high-pressure distribution lateral.
[Ord. No. 1063 §1, 10-14-2013]
For any customer establishing a farm tap gas service connection
after the date of passage of this Section, the City shall keep an
accurate record of the costs of making such farm tap service connection,
such costs to include all labor and materials required to make such
connection. In the event that a second customer applies for gas service
from this farm tap, the customer who paid for the initial farm tap
connection shall be entitled to reimbursement of one-half (50 percent)
of the costs of the initial farm tap connection. The City shall collect
this cost from the second customer as part of the charges for making
such second connection and shall upon collection remit this amount
directly to the first customer.
