Industry Rule 3. Methods of Customer Notice (see General Rule 4.2)

3.1 Method of Notice for Advice Letter Increasing Rates

A Utility shall give notice by bill insert or by separate mailing of an advice letter requesting approval of a more restrictive term or condition, or of a rate or charge increase, except that if the requested revenue increase is less than ten percent of the revenue requirement last authorized for the Utility (or district of the Utility for which the increase is requested), the Utility may give notice of the requested increase by publishing a legal notice in a newspaper of local circulation or, if no such newspaper exists, by posting notice prominently in an area in which customers normally gather. Mailed notice should be provided, whenever possible, to the customer's permanent mailing address if a Utility serves a high percentage of vacation homes.

Staff will create the notice of an Informal General Rate Case advice letter and provide the notice to the Utility for distribution by bill insert or special mailing.

3.2 Method of Notice for Compliance Advice Letter

Normally, notice to customers of a Compliance Advice Letter need not be provided; however, for a Compliance Advice Letter submitted in an Informal General Rate Case, the Utility shall give notice using the form provided by the Water Division (see Standard Practice U-9-W).

3.3 Other Required Notice

In addition to the notice required by General Rule 4.2 and Industry Rule 3.1, a Class A Utility shall publish at its Internet site the notice and contents of each advice letter it has submitted whose disposition is pending. For a particular advice letter, the Director of the Water Division may require a Utility to give notice to other persons, or by other means, in addition to those specified in these Industry Rules.