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Summary of Idaho utility consumer’s rights and responsibilities
Rocky Mountain Power has prepared this summary of your rights and responsibilities when you apply for an account with or are
a current customer of a utility company in Idaho.
Customer responsibilities
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Use services safely and pay for them promptly
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Contact Rocky Mountain Power when you have a problem with payment, service, safety, billing or customer service
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Notify Rocky Mountain Power about billing or other errors
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Contact Rocky Mountain Power when you anticipate a payment problem to try to set up a payment plan
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Notify Rocky Mountain Power when you are moving to another location
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Notify Rocky Mountain Power about stopping service in your name or about stopping service altogether
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Allow safe, unobstructed access to your property for meter reading, tree trimming and other essential Rocky Mountain Power
personnel and equipment
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Provide notice to Rocky Mountain Power if you are making any significant change that may affect the electrical character of
your load affecting you or others
Deposits
If you are a current customer with a good payment record or a new customer who has good credit with your previous utility
company you will not need to make a security deposit. If you don’t meet these requirements, however, you may be asked to make
a security deposit. If a deposit is required, it cannot be more than two months’ worth of the estimated yearly billing at
your service address, based on current rates. If you can’t pay all the required deposit, you can arrange to pay half of the
deposit when you apply for service and the rest the following month.
Rocky Mountain Power will pay the current interest rate set yearly by the Idaho Public Utilities Commission on all deposits
at the time the deposit is returned.
Billing
You will receive a bill for electric service each month, based on the number of kilowatt-hours of electricity registered on
your electric meter during the billing period. Your bill will show the date on which your payment is due, the applicable rate
schedule and the amount of the bill. You may ask that another person receive your bills and notices if you are unable to receive
or understand them.
Payment plans
There are three types of payment plans, available under special circumstances:
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Payment Arrangements — If you pay only part of your total bill, your payment will be
applied toward the oldest portion of your outstanding balance. If you cannot pay a bill in full, we may be able to make special
arrangements with you. To decide if we can offer you these arrangements, we take into account your ability to pay, how much
you owe, your payment history and the reasons why you may not have been able to pay. You can make payment arrangements over
the phone or by mail. Your first payment will be due on the next business day after the arrangements have been made. If you
miss the first payment, or the check you write to make the payment is not honored by the bank, your service may be disconnected
after we give you 24-hour notice.
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Equal Payment Plan — Our Equal Payment Plan is available if you’d like to spread your payments evenly out over a full year.
The plan divides the total cost of electricity used each year into 12 equal monthly payments. Every year your account is reviewed
to determine if your usage has changed. Any price changes will automatically be figured in the Equal Payment amount.
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Winter Payment Plan — If you tell us that you are unable to pay your electric bill in full
and you have children, elderly persons or persons with medical needs living in your household, you may qualify for our Winter
Payment Plan. This plan requires that your bill be paid in full, but allows for a lower monthly payment from November to March.
Your monthly payments during this time cannot be less than one-half of the amount you would pay if you were using our Equal
Payment Plan. You can use any source of funds to make Winter Payment Plan monthly payments. If you have an outstanding balance
under this plan, you must either pay this balance or a make a new payment arrangement on or after April 1. If you don’t pay
your balance or don’t make payment arrangements on or after this date, your service may be disconnected. You may participate
in the Winter Payment Plan in following years if you have made payments as arranged and the balance you owe as of Nov. 1 is
not more than $75 or not more than your bill for the previous 30 days, whichever is greater.
Disconnection notices
Before we disconnect your service, in most instances, we will send you a written notice mailed at least seven calendar days
before the disconnection date. However, only a 24-hour notice will be given when you do not make a first payment according
to a payment arrangement, when you make a first payment with a check not honored by the bank, or you pay a Rocky Mountain
Power collector with a check not honored by the bank. At least 24 hours before the service is disconnected, we will attempt
to contact you in person or by phone and repeat the information on the original notice. If we do not shut off the service
within seven days after the proposed date, we will make another attempt to contact you and remind you that your service can
be disconnected after 24 hours. During December, January and February, we will not disconnect your service if there are children,
elderly persons or persons with medical needs in the house. Remember to notify us if either of these conditions exist, and
we will work with you to set up a payment plan. Before disconnecting your service, we will try to reach an adult in your household
or another person you have told us to call in case you cannot be reached.
If someone in your household is seriously ill, you can get an extension of up to 30 days by giving us a physician’s or public
health official’s certificate of medical emergency. Also, if someone in your household uses an iron lung, respirator, dialysis
machine or other lifesustaining equipment, please let us know.
We can disconnect your service at any time without notifying you if: (a) a situation exists that is immediately dangerous
to life, physical safety of property or to prevent a violation of health and safety codes; (b) if the IPUC, a court or other
authorized public agency orders a disconnection; or (c) if you obtained service through fraud or without our permission. If
you cannot pay the total bill, installment payments may be arranged in the form of a “deferred payment agreement.” This agreement
says that you will pay your past due bill in installments and keep your current bills paid when due. If you keep the conditions
of the agreement, service will not be disconnected.
Moving
You need to let us know as soon as possible if you plan to move. It’s a good idea to do this yourself and not depend on someone
else to do it for you. We can’t close your account or process your closing bill until you let us know your move-out date.
Consumer organizations
We have lists of consumer organizations that provide assistance in the various communities we serve. If you would like a list
of the organizations in your community, call us toll free at
1-888-221-7070.
Complaints and disputes
We will promptly investigate every complaint or dispute we receive, and we’ll report to you on the results. Contact us through
our toll-free phone number at 1-888-221-7070. This number is also printed on your bill. If you’re not satisfied with the assistance
you received from the first person you talked to at Rocky Mountain Power, you have the right to request that your problem
be handled by that person’s supervisor, and we’ll give you the supervisor’s name and how he or she can be reached.
We aim to keep this information up-to-date. Please see
Rocky Mountain Power’s actual filed tariffs, including rate schedules and general rules and regulations, in their original wording.
We aim to give you a certain level of service. Learn about our
Customer Service Guarantees program.
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