The electric light and power system of the town shall be under
the immediate supervision of the Town Superintendent, who shall exercise
immediate control of the electric light and power system, under the
general supervision of the Committee on Electric Power.
It shall be unlawful for any person to connect any wires with
the town electrical system or cut on electric current, whether within
or without the corporate limits of the town, without first having
obtained a permit from the Electrical Inspector.
Any person desiring a permit, as required by § 81-6, shall file an application therefor with the Electrical Inspector. Such application shall be in such form and contain such information as may be required by the Electrical Inspector, including a statement as to the location of the building or place in question.
B.
The Electrical Inspector may refuse to issue a permit as required in 81-6 if, in his or her opinion, the building or place referred to in such application is not properly wired or is not wired strictly in accordance with the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code as adopted in Chapter 59, Building Construction, Article I, Statewide Building Code.
The Electrical Inspector shall keep in the town office a permanent record of each permit issued as provided in § 81-8.
All connections made under a permit as required in § 81-6 and all current cut on under such permit shall be made or cut on only under the supervision of the Electrical Inspector and by a duly authorized agent or employee of the town.
Each individual residence shall have a separate connection with
the electric light and power system of the town and shall also have
a separate meter.
It shall be unlawful for any person to take electricity from
the electric light and power system of the town except through a meter
or as otherwise provided for in this article or from any premises
not owned by him or her, without the permission of the Electrical
Inspector.
A consumer of electricity furnished or supplied by the town
may use it for any and all purposes on his or her premises as contracted
for, but shall not supply electricity to any person or premises without
the consent of the Council.
A.
Electric service may be discontinued by the town without notice for
any of the following reasons:
(1)
For repairs.
(2)
For want of supply.
(3)
For any fraudulent representation in relation to the consumption
of current.
(4)
For violation of contract or any rules or regulations or ordinance
applying at any time to the consumer's service.
(5)
On account of riots, strikes, insurrections, government, state or
municipal authorities, or acts of God.
B.
The town shall not be liable for damage to any person for such discontinuance
of service.
It shall be unlawful for any person to remove, injure or destroy
any pole, wire, lamp, transformer, meter or other apparatus or equipment
belonging to the town and used by it in connection with the town electrical
system or used by it in connection with its electrical system. It
shall be unlawful for any person to tamper with an electric meter
so as to injure the same, or to prevent or interrupt the proper and
accurate registering by it of the quantity of electricity used or
supplied. No person shall divert electric current from any wire connected
with the electric system of the town nor shall any person otherwise
unlawfully use or cause to be used without the consent of the town
any electricity manufactured or distributed by the town.
It shall be unlawful for any person to short-circuit fuse plugs
by the use of any metal or otherwise, on their property or anywhere
on the town electrical system.
All electricity furnished by the town shall be measured by meters
furnished, located and installed by the town for that purpose, such
meters to remain the property of the town; provided, however, no meters
shall be required for windows, outside decorative lighting or transient
consumers, if in the opinion of the Electrical Inspector such service
is equipped with a proper device or other method whereby a true measure
can be taken of the electricity sold, nor shall a meter be required
when a special contract is entered into with the consumer for a temporary
period that would make the installation of meters impracticable. All
meters shall be installed outside of the buildings where they will
be easily accessible for the reading of same.
A.
In the event a meter is found defective, it shall be immediately
changed or repaired. In the event such a meter ceases to register,
the kilowatts consumed will be estimated, at the direction of the
Electrical Inspector, either by the average of a correct meter or
by the kilowatts consumed during the previous corresponding or like
period.
B.
Upon the making of a complaint to the Electrical Inspector that a
meter is defective, the Electrical Inspector shall cause the meter
in question to be checked for accuracy in measurement and if the meter
is defective, it shall be either repaired or replaced; provided, however,
that if the meter in question should prove to be accurate, then the
costs of having the meter checked shall be borne by the consumer who
made the complaint.
The Town Treasurer shall collect all charges made for electric
current furnished and supplied by the town to its consumers.
Monthly charges for electric current furnished and supplied
by the Town of Elkton shall be as set forth in schedules of rates
and charges promulgated and fixed by the town Council, and subject
to rules and regulations adopted therewith, and a copy of all current
schedules of rates and charges and a copy of the rules and regulations
shall be maintained in the Treasurer's office of the Town of
Elkton available for public inspection.
A.
All meters for measurement of electric current furnished and supplied
by the town to its consumers shall be read monthly, weather permitting,
and the bills for such current shall be due on the day of reading.
If any such bill is not paid by the 26th day of the month in which
such bill is rendered, or within 10 days of the date such bill is
mailed, whichever comes later, a penalty of 10% shall be added.
[Amended 12-17-1990]
B.
It is the policy of the town to discontinue electric service to customers by reason of nonpayment of bill only after notice and a meaningful opportunity to be heard on disputed bills. If any bill is not paid by the date specified in Subsection A, a second bill will be mailed containing a cutoff notice that if the bill is not paid within five working days of the mailing of the second bill, service will be discontinued for nonpayment.
[Amended 1-16-1995]
C.
Any customer disputing the correctness of the bill shall have a right
to a hearing at which time he or she may be represented in person
and by counsel or any other person of his or her choosing and may
present orally or in writing the complaint and contentions to the
Town Treasurer at the Treasurer's office in the Municipal Building,
Elkton, Virginia, during regular working hours. The Town Treasurer
is authorized to order that the customer's service not be discontinued
and to make a determination of the customer's complaint. Request
for delays and waiver of payment will not be entertained; only questions
of proper and correct billing will be considered. The decision of
the Town Treasurer may be appealed within five working days to the
Electric Committee, in writing, and the Electric Committee is authorized
to make a final determination of the customer's complaint.
[Amended 2-19-1996[1]]
D.
Notice of the customer's right to a hearing and appeal for the
purpose of disputing the correctness of a bill as herein provided
shall be given to all new customers applying for electric service
and shall be sent by regular mail with second bills and cutoff notices,
which notice shall indicate the address and telephone number of the
Town Treasurer whereby a hearing may be requested.
