Cal. Civ. Code § PSC 113.012

Definitions.

In Force
Verified 10/26/2026 · Next check 11/2/2026
effective 10/15/2026WisconsinUtilities

Operative Text

Cal. Civ. Code § PSC 113.012
PSC 113.012 Definitions. In this chapter:
(1) “Ability to pay” means a customer’s financial capacity to meet his or her utility service obligation, considering all of the following factors:
(a) Size of the delinquent account.
(b) Customer’s payment history.
(c) Period of time the debt has been outstanding.
(d) Reasons why the debt has been outstanding.
(e) Any other relevant factors concerning the customer’s circumstances, as household size, income and expenses.
(2) “Complaint” means a statement or question by any person whether a utility customer or not, concerning a wrong, grievance, injury, dissatisfaction, illegal action or procedure, dangerous condition or action, or failure of a utility to meet a utility obligation.
(3) “Customer” means the party billed for payment of bills issued for use of utility service at a given premises.
(4) “Customer-requested termination” means that the customer or occupant has asked the utility to cease providing utility service to a premises.
(5) “Denied or refused service” means that a utility has refused to provide present or future service to a customer, occupant or premises.
(6) “Disconnection” means preventing a specific customer from receiving electrical power through a specific action taken by the utility or its agents. This does not include temporary outages for maintenance purposes, storms, or other unplanned outages, or a customer-requested termination of service. “Disconnection” includes but is not limited to: the removal or sealing of an electric meter, severance of the connection between the distribution system and the service facilities or the customer’s internal wiring, or the transmission of an electronic signal to the metering equipment which would deactivate the meter and prevent the flow of electrical current.
(6m) “Potential power line natural hazards” means trees or tree parts located in or reasonably proximate to a utility distribution or transmission line easement that are likely to interfere with the utility’s operations, including distribution or transmission lines, within the utility’s next maintenance cycle.
(7) “Installment payment agreement” means an arrangement between a utility and a commercial or farm customer for payment of a deposit in installments.
(7m) “Jointly-metered property” means a premises where electric service is measured jointly for 2 or more rental dwelling units, pursuant to s. 196.643 (2), Stats.
(7n) “Low-income customer” means a customer whose household income is at or below the federal poverty income guidelines for eligibility for federal energy assistance.
(8) “New residential customer” means a customer who has not received utility service in his or her name during the previous 6 months from the utility from which service is requested.
(9) “Occupant” means the resident or residents of a premises to which utility service is provided.
(10) “Prompt payment” means payment prior to the time when a utility could issue a notice of disconnection for nonpayment of an amount not in dispute.
(11) “Protective service emergency” means a threat to the health or safety of a resident because of the infirmities of aging, other developmental or intellectual disabilities, or like infirmities incurred at any age, or the frailties associated with being very young.
(12) “Voucher agreement” means a payment agreement guaranteed by a third party who has access to or control over the benefits and/or finances of a public assistance recipient. Included without limitation are:
(a) Wisconsin Works (W-2) or Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) restrictive payment arrangements.
(b) Social Security Representative Payee.
(c) General Relief voucher payment systems.
(d) Legal guardian.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Wisconsin Administrative Code § PSC 113.012 establishes the foundational vocabulary used throughout the PSC 113 chapter governing electric utility service. Terms such as "disconnection," "low-income customer," "protective service emergency," and "ability to pay" are given precise meanings that shape how utilities must treat customers in billing, payment, and service disputes. Because these definitions control how the rest of the chapter is interpreted, understanding them is essential context for reading any other provision in PSC 113. For example, "disconnection" explicitly excludes storm outages and customer-requested terminations, while "complaint" is defined broadly enough to cover anyone—not just current customers.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 15, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Landlords and property managers who receive or pay electric utility bills in Wisconsin should be familiar with the definitions in § PSC 113.012, particularly "jointly-metered property," "customer," and "occupant," as these terms determine which party a utility may hold responsible for service obligations and billing. The definition of "jointly-metered property" under § PSC 113.012(7m) is especially relevant for multi-unit rental buildings where electric service is measured collectively for two or more dwelling units. Operators who understand how "customer" is distinguished from "occupant" are better positioned to structure utility billing arrangements that align with the chapter's requirements.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Tenants in Wisconsin benefit from knowing that § PSC 113.012 defines key terms that protect them throughout the PSC 113 chapter, including "protective service emergency," "low-income customer," and "ability to pay." These definitions directly influence how a utility must evaluate a household's circumstances before taking actions like disconnection or denying service. Tenants who believe a utility has not properly applied these definitions—for instance, by failing to consider household income and expenses when assessing ability to pay—may raise that concern as a "complaint" under § PSC 113.012(2), contact the Wisconsin Public Service Commission, or reach out to a local tenant-rights or utility assistance organization for guidance.

General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.

Generated October 15, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

Current
Oct 15, 2026
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References Out

Rules and statutes cited by this regulation

References In

Rules and statutes that cite this regulation

Wis. Admin. Code § PSC 113.0301
Wis. Admin. Code § PSC 113.0803

Related Rules

§ 244.270
Liability for utility service payments
§ 244.580
Supplied facilities
§ 1940.9

Source Information

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