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(1) As used in this section, "eligible customer" means an electrical corporation or a gas corporation customer:
(a) that earns no more than:
(i) 125% of the federal poverty level; or
(ii) another percentage of the federal poverty level as determined by the commission by order; and
(b) whose eligibility is certified by the Utah Department of Workforce Services.
(2) A customer's income eligibility for the program described in this section shall be renewed annually.
(3) An eligible customer may not receive assistance at more than one residential location at any one time.
(4) Notwithstanding Section 54-3-8, the commission may approve a low-income assistance program to provide bill payment assistance to low-income residential customers of:
(a) an electrical corporation with more than 50,000 customers; or
(b) a gas corporation with more than 50,000 customers.
(5)
(a)
(i) Subject to Subsection (5)(a)(ii), low-income assistance program funding from each rate class may be in an amount determined by the commission.
(ii) Low-income assistance program funding described in Subsection (5)(a)(i) may not exceed 0.5% of the rate class's retail revenues.
(b)
(i) Low-income assistance program funding for bill payment assistance shall be provided through a surcharge on the monthly bill of each Utah retail customer of the electrical corporation or gas corporation providing the program.
(ii) The surcharge described in Subsection (5)(b)(i) may not be collected from customers currently participating in the low-income assistance program.
(c)
(i) Subject to Subsection (5)(c)(ii), the monthly surcharge described in Subsection (5)(b)(i) shall be calculated as an equal percentage of revenues from all rate schedules.
(ii) The monthly surcharge described in Subsection (5)(b)(i) may not exceed $50 per month for any customer, adjusted periodically as the commission determines appropriate for inflation.
(6)
(a) An eligible customer shall receive a billing credit on the monthly electric or gas bill for the customer's residence.
(b) The amount of the billing credit described in Subsection (6)(a) shall be determined by the commission based on:
(i) the projected funding of the low-income assistance program;
(ii) the projected customer participation in the low-income assistance program; and
(iii) other factors that the commission determines relevant.
(c) The monthly billing credit and the monthly surcharge shall be adjusted concurrently with the final order in a general rate increase or decrease case under Section 54-7-12 for the electrical corporation or gas corporation providing the program or as determined by the commission.