YOUR RIGHTS CONCERNING DISCONTINUATION OF ENERGY SERVICE
Under Rule 3407-3409 or 4407-4409 of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC), you have certain rights related to discontinuance and restoration of your energy service. These rights are set out below and in the disconnect notice. Also, a list of agencies that may be able to assist qualified low-income customers with payment of winter utility bills is printed on the left side of this notice.
PROMPT ACTION IS REQUIRED ON YOUR PART TO AVOID DISCONTINUATION OF ENERGY SERVICE
If you have questions regarding your rights, contact the PUC External Affairs Section at 303-894-2070. Outside the (303) calling area, call 1-800-456-0858. The address is:
1560 Broadway, Suite 250,
Denver, CO 80202.
- You may avoid discontinuation of service by paying at least one-tenth of the amount shown on the disconnect notice before the expiration date and entering into a payment arrangement with us to pay off your past-due balances. To avoid discontinuation or to restore discontinued service, we may require payment by cash or certified funds.
- If you are a residential customer and discontinuance of service would aggravate or create a medical condition or emergency, you can delay service disconnection for 90 days by providing us with a medical certificate. The certificate must be from a Colorado-licensed physician or health practitioner licensed to prescribe and treat patients. It must clearly show the name of the customer or individual whose illness is at issue and the Colorado medical identification number, the telephone number, and the signature of the physician or health care practitioner acting under a physician's authority who certifies the medical emergency. The certification is effective on the date it is received by the utility and is valid to prevent discontinuance of service for 90 days. You may receive one 90-day extension by providing a medical certificate before the expiration of the original 60-day period. A medical certification may be invoked only once in any 12-month period.
- You are entitled to a hearing, in person, before one of our customer service managers or the manager's designee, according to procedures adopted by us for such hearings.
- You can contact us to resolve any dispute by calling the phone number shown on the disconnect notice. Our Customer Service Center can be contacted at 1-888-890-5554 during normal Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Mountain.
- You have the right to make an informal complaint to the PUC by letter, telephone, e-mail or in person. You may also request, in writing, a hearing before the Commission. The PUC may order us not to terminate your service pending an investigation and/or hearing. When you request a hearing before the PUC, you may be required to give us a deposit or increase an existing deposit amount. The amount will be determined by the PUC.
- When service to a customer has been discontinued, it must be restored within 24 hours (excluding weekends and holidays), or within twelve (12) hours if the customer pays any necessary after-hour charges, if the customer satisfies any one of the conditions set out hereunder. Unless prevented from doing so by safety concerns or extenuating circumstances, service must be restored after the customer:
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A. Pays in full the amount for regulated charges shown on the disconnection notice plus any required deposit and collection and reconnection charges.
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Pays any collection or reconnection fees required by Company tariff, enters into an installment payment plan and makes the first installment payment, unless the cause for disconnection was a customer's breach of such an arrangements. Installment payment plans may be for up to 12 equal monthly installments.
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Presents a medical emergency certificate as set out in Rule 3407 (e) (IV).
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Demonstrates to the Company that the cause for discontinuance, if other than nonpayment, has been cured. Regular connection of electricity service performed during time periods, as shown:
Normal Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Mountain Time $0
After Hours: all other hours, including all day on weekends, and holidays $75.
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Reconnection of electricity service performed during time periods, as shown:
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Residential and Small Commercial Customers requested within 24 hours excluding weekends and holidays: $15.00
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Residential and Small Commercial Customers requested within 12 hours, or weekends and holidays: $15.00
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All Other Non-Residential Customers requested within 24 hours excluding weekends and holidays: $50.00
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All Other Non-Residential Customers requested within 12 hours, or weekends and holidays: $75.00
Note: All Customers Calls received by the Company after 9:00 pm Mountain Time will be scheduled for daytime hours, unless Company determines and emergency exists which determination will include, but not be limited to, health and age of the occupants, and potential property damage such as frozen pipes.
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The Company will postpone disconnection of residential customers when the morning forecast by the National Weather Service forecasts that the temperature will be 35 degrees Fahrenheit or lower during the following 24 hours.
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The Company will postpone disconnection of residential customers when the morning forecast by the National Weather Service forecasts that the temperature will be 95 degrees Fahrenheit or higher during the following 24 hours.
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The Company will not disconnect service during the following times:
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if it is outside the hours of 8:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M Monday through Thursday;
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if it is outside the hours of 8:00 A.M. and 12:00 Noon on Friday;
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if it is between 12:00 Noon the day before a state or federal holiday and 8:00 A.M. the day following a state or federal holiday; or
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if it is between 12:00 Noon the day before Black Hills’ local office is closed and 8:00 A.M. the day following Black Hills’ local office is closed.
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BILL HELP RESOURCES
- LOW-INCOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (LEAP)
The Colorado Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) is a federally funded program that is run by the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) and helps eligible Coloradans pay a portion of their winter home heating costs. The LEAP program works to keep communities warm during the winter (November through April) by providing assistance with heating costs, equipment repair and/or replacement of inoperable heating tools. While the program is not intended to pay the entire cost of home heating, its aims to help alleviate some of the burdens that come with Colorado's colder months. To learn more about LEAP, visit the CDHS webpage here:https://cdhs.colorado.gov/leap - BLACK HILLSENERGY AFFORDABILITY PROGRAM (BHEAP)
The purpose of this program is to provide bill-payment assistance to residential customers in accordance with Commission Rule 3412, 4 Code of Colorado Regulations 723-3. BHEAP is a percentage-of-income-payment plan (PIPP). For more information regarding BHEAP, including eligibility requirements and how to apply, please visit our webpage. - DEMAND SIDE MANAGEMENT (DSM)
Black Hills' DSM plan has a wide variety of programs that can help to reduce customer usage. For a list of DSM programs, including requirements to participate, the benefits of participating, and contact information relating to such programs visit our energy efficiency webpage here.
Other agencies
The following agencies provide assistance to customers in need:
| Agency | Contact information |
|---|---|
| Energy Outreach Colorado | |
| Aspen Mine Center (Community of Caring Foundation) | 166 E Bennett Ave Cripple Creek, CO 80813 719-689-3584 |
| Crowley County Dept. of Human Services | 631 Main St. Suite 100 Ordway, CO 81063 |
| Catholic Charities-Diocese of Pueblo | 429 W. 10 St. Suite 101 Pueblo, CO 81001 719-544-4233 |
| Pueblo County Department of Social Services | 212 W 12 Street Pueblo, CO 81003 |
| Tri-County Family Care Center | 512 1/2 North Main St. Rocky Ford, CO 81067 719-254-7776 |
| Custer County Board of County Commissioners | 205 South 6th St. Westcliffe, CO 81252 |
| Arch 2-1-1 Senior Link | SRDA Building 230 N Union Pueblo, CO 81003 |
| Loaves and Fishes Ministries - Fremont County | 241 Justice Center Rd. Canon City, CO 81212 |
| POSADA | 827 E 4th St. Pueblo, CO 81001 719-545-8776 |
| Pueblo County United Way | 310 E Abriendo Avenue Suite 300 Pueblo, CO 81004 719-225-8580 |
If you are an occupant of a service address, not a customer of record, and have a court ordered protection against a customer of record, please contact Black Hills Energy to either transfer service to yourself or create a new account. In such instances, you may be responsible for any balances on the account but not for fees incurred due to non-payment. Discontinuance of service may also be delayed, and service may be temporarily restored and will be determined on a case-by-case basis.