Article 3. Electricity
17-301 Director.
The Director of Electric Operations shall have full charge of the city’s electrical properties.
(Ord. 2056; Sec. 1; Ord. 2102; Ord. 2113; Ord. 2159; Code 2016)
17-302 Metering.
All electricity sold shall be metered by standard calibrated meters owned, operated and read by the city.
(Ord. 1864, Sec. 1)
17-303 Connect charges.
The initial service charge, as indicated below, shall apply to all consumers not currently using the specified utility services. It shall not apply to transfer of the same number of utility services from one address on the Beloit system to another address on the same system. Connect charges and connect fees shall not be assessed to commercial or industrial-type businesses which have not previously operated in the city. All residential services and residential services which may also include a home occupation covered by the same meter are subject to the payment of the connect charges and fees. Businesses and industrial-type businesses are those activities operated for a profit. The initial service charge, which shall be nonrefundable, shall be according to current schedule, plus a reconnection fee in such amount as shall be set by resolution of the governing body of the city. If special arrangements are made to have service reconnected during non-business hours, a reconnection fee as set by the governing body of the city shall be charged.
(Ord. 1864, Sec. 1)
17-304 Application for service.
Prior to receiving electric service, a written application for service shall be made to the city. Such application shall be considered a contract between the owner or occupant of the premises served and the city wherein the owner or occupant agrees to abide by the regulations, code and ordinances of the city as a condition of receiving electric service. If the owner or occupant receives electric service without a written application being made to the city, such service is rendered at the convenience of the city and may be disconnected without notice for failure to make the required application. All contracts for electrical service shall be signed in the true name of the customer actually to receive and use such service, unless otherwise permitted by the city in its discretion.
The name of the customer shall be the head of the household, even though the application is made by the spouse. Any change in the identity of the contracting customer at the premises shall require a new application. The city may discontinue electric service until such new application has been made and accepted by the city. A customer who has made application for electric service to a premises will continue to receive such service until such time as the customer properly notifies the city to discontinue the service for his or her account. Electric service to each customer shall be for the sole use of such customer on the premises described in the application for electric service.
(Ord. 1864, Sec. 1)
17-305 Discontinuance of service.
Service will be permanently discontinued at the customer’s request when proper notification is made to the city. Charges for electric service rendered up to and including the time of cut-off shall become due and payable immediately.
(Ord. 1864, Sec. 1)
17-306 Electric bills.
(Ord. 2113, Ord. 2102; Ord. 2056; Sec. 1; Code 2016)
17-307 Tampering with Electric Meter.
It shall be unlawful for any person to break the seal of any electric meter without authorization from the City’s System Operations Department. It shall be unlawful to alter the register or mechanism of any meter, or to make any outlet or connection in any manner so that electricity supplied by the city may be used or wasted without being metered. In addition to any criminal liability, the city may discontinue service to a customer and remove its meter from the customer’s premise in case evidence is found that any portion of the city’s electric service has been tampered with in such manner that a customer may have received unmetered service, or in the event evidence of fraudulent use of electric service in any manner is discovered. In any such event, the city may require a customer to pay such amount of electric services as the city may estimate from information available to have been used but not registered by the city’s electric meter or otherwise fraudulently used and to pay for all damages to the city’s electric services, if any, before electric service is restored. In addition, before service is restored, the customer shall be required to bear all costs incurred by the city for such protective equipment as, in the judgment of the city, may be necessary and give satisfactory assurance that such tampering and fraudulent use of electric service will be discontinued. If such service work is scheduled for the weekend or holiday and requires a city employee to be called out to perform service on a weekend or holiday, the customer will be responsible for the additional cost to the city of paying an employee to perform such services on a weekend or holiday
(Ord. 1864, Sec. 1; Code 2016; Ord. 2183)
17-308 Reserved.
(Ord. 1864, Sec. 1; Code 2016)
17-309 Monthly rates.
Plus energy cost adjustment charge, as applicable. Minimum monthly charge $10.00.
Application: To all urban residential consumers inside the city limits. Each dwelling unit (apartment, duplex, trailer, etc.) is to be metered separately unless the user (apartment house, duplex, trailer court, etc.) elects to be billed as an urban business user. Rooming houses with more than five units available for rent shall be considered business and be under one meter. If the user elects to be billed as a business user and desires private metering in addition to the one meter furnished by the utility, it shall be at the expense of the user.
Service: Such phase and voltage as the utility has immediately available to the site shall be determined by the Director of Electric Operations.
Plus energy cost adjustment charge, as applicable. Minimum monthly charge $11.00.
Application: To all rural residential consumers outside the city limits and to any farm consumer, for domestic plus customary farm uses, where consumption does not exceed 10,000 kwh per month in any months after June 16 and before October 15 in any year. Each dwelling unit (apartment, duplex, trailer, etc.) is to be metered separately unless the user (apartment house, duplex, trailer court, etc.) elects to be billed as a rural business user. Rooming houses with more than five units available for rent shall be a rural business user. If the user elects to be billed as a rural business user and desires private metering in addition to the one meter furnished by the utility it shall be at the expense of the user.
Service: Such phase and voltage as the utility has immediately available to the site shall be determined by the Director of Electric Operations.
Plus energy cost adjustment charge, as applicable. Minimum monthly charge $17.00.
Application: To all urban business and institutional users inside the city limits, unless classified as residential or large business. Residential use may be included where business operated in the home, on the same meter as the household. Each meter is to be considered a separate customer.
Service: Such phase and voltage as the utility has immediately available to the site shall be determined by the Director of Electric Operations.
Plus energy cost adjustment charge, as applicable. Minimum monthly charge $18.70.
Application: To all rural farm business and institutional users outside the city limits, unless classified as rural residential or rural large business. Residential use may be included where business is operated in the home on the same meter as the household. Each meter is to be considered a separate customer.
Service: Such phase and voltage as the utility has immediately available to the site shall be determined by the Director of Electric Operations.
Plus energy cost adjustment charge, as applicable. Minimum monthly charge $130.00.
Power Factor Adjustment: The rates set by governing body of the city are based on the maintenance by the customer of a power factor of not less than 80% at all times. If it is determined by measurement that the power factor at time of customer’s monthly peak load is less than 80% the demand shall be increased by the ratio of 80% to the customer’s power factor expressed as a percentage.
Application: To all urban business and institutional users inside the city limits which elect by signed request to be served hereunder. Commitment shall be not less than 12-month duration renewable automatically and indefinitely.
To such other business or institutional users inside the city limits as are assigned to this classification at the sole discretion of the utility. Criteria for such assignment are:
Service: Such phase and voltage as the utility has immediately available to the site shall be determined by the Director of Electric Operations.
Plus energy cost adjustment charge, as applicable. Minimum monthly charge $145.00.
Power Factor Adjustment: The rates set by governing body of the city are based on the maintenance by the customer of a power factor of not less than 80% at all times. If it is determined by measurement that the power factor at time of customer’s monthly peak load is less than 80% the demand shall be increased by the ratio of 80% to the customer’s power factor expressed as a percentage.
Application: To all rural business and institutional users outside the city limits which elect by signed request to be served hereunder. Commitment shall be not less than 12 month duration renewable automatically and indefinitely.
To such other business or institutional users outside the city limits as are assigned to this classification at the sole discretion of the utility. Criteria for such assignment are:
Service: Such phase and voltage as the utility has immediately available to the site shall be determined by the Director of Electric Operations.
(Ord. 2056; Ord. 2102; Ord. 2113; Ord. 2159; Code 2016; Ord. 2275; Ord. 2378)
17-310 Minimum rate.
The minimum monthly rate shall apply to each electric service connection for which an application for service is in effect whether or not electricity is consumed.
(Ord. 1864, Sec. 1)
17-311 Estimated billings.
If it be found that, during any period of time an electric meter has failed to register, the customer served through the meter shall be billed an estimated charge for electricity delivered, based on the usage during the previous billing period either 30 days before or after the time when such meter was discovered to have failed to register or be in error.
(Ord. 1864, Sec. 1)
17-312 Energy cost adjustment.
(Ord. 2056; Ord. 2102; Ord. 2113; Code 2016; Ord. 2237; Ord. 2264)
17-313 Impact fee.
The city shall charge a property owner, at the time of connection, an impact fee for a new electric utility service connection, or change in service of an existing connection. The impact fee, as set out in the city’s annual fee resolution and adopted by the governing body, shall be based upon the total amperage of the service required. One impact fee is required for each service connection unless specific circumstances, as determined by the building official, require more than one service connection. In that case, the fee shall be calculated using the sum of the amperage of all service included in the impact fee. In the case of a change in service, the impact fee shall be determined by the difference between the new service amperage and the previous service amperage.
(Ord. 1882, Sec. 2; Ord. 2145; Code 2016)
17-314 Franchise fee.
A franchise fee will be charged to all customer accounts each month. For the period May 1, 2015 to April 30, 2016, the franchise fee will be seven percent (7%). Beginning May 1, 2016 and continuing thereafter, the franchise fee will be eight percent (8%).
(Ord. 2102, Sec. 1; Ord. 2113; Ord. 2144; Code 2016)
17-315 Extension of city electric service inside city limits.
(Ord. 2153; Code 2016)
17-316 Extension of city utility service outside city limits.
The following fees and requirements are hereby established for the extension of electric service inside the city limits of the City of Beloit, Kansas:
(a) The customer requesting such electric service shall pay a fee for each electric service connection as set out in the city’s annual fee resolution and adopted by the governing body. This fee shall be in addition to any impact fee charged by the city.
(b) All costs associated with the extension of the electric service shall be paid by the customer. Cost of the extension will include, but are not limited to: Materials including but not limited to poles, wire and transformers, labor and equipment rental.
(c) The Director of Electric Operations shall determine the appropriate size and location of all transformers. If the transformer is intended to serve more than one customer, the customer shall pay a percentage of the total cost of the transformer equal to the percentage of the transformer service actually used by that customer. If the transformer is in a location where it cannot serve multiple customers, the customer shall pay the entire cost of the transformer.
(d) All cost will be paid before commencement of the project unless prior arrangement has been made with System Operations Director, City Manager and City Attorney. Any structure connected to the city’s electric service must be constructed in compliance and maintain compliance with the relevant provisions of the Beloit City Code and city policies.
(e) Prior to commencement of the project, the Director of Electric Operations or the City Manager, or their designee, shall provide an estimated total material cost to the customer.
(Ord. 2146; Code 2016)
17-317 Connection fee for temporary electric service inside/outside city limits.
(Ord. 2154; Code 2016)