CUC records showed that only 39 of these clients have been reconnected.
According to CUC Executive Director Antonio Muna, they have 675 customers who are LIHEAP clients.
He said a LIHEAP customer is considered delinquent either because the customer has not paid for his share of the bill, or DCCA transmitted the list of LIHEAP clients late or failed to include a customer on its list.
In a report to Rep. Ray N. Yumul, R-Saipan, Muna said before a customer’s bill is sent out, CUC receives a list from DCCA indicating the credit that each LIHEAP client is suppose to receive.
CUC will post the credit in each customer account so that it will appear on the billing’s statement.
“Simultaneously, the amount is recorded as a receivable from DCCA. Payments from DCCA for LIHEAP credits are received at a later date,” Muna said.
He said a LIHEAP customer does not get disconnected from services unless the customer has not paid for his or her share of utility bill which is the balance after the LIHEAP credit.
Pursuant to CUC’s regulations and P.L. 15-80, the corporation collects from every residential customer a one-month security deposit upon submission of an application for utility services.
The one-month deposit is computed based on the monthly fluctuating fuel rate in the month that the customer is applying.
The reconnection fee for all residential customers has been set by P.L. 15-122 at $60.
According to Muna, DCCA’s failure to make timely payments has added to CUC’s financial difficulty in meeting its current obligations.
There is pending legislation in the House that will exempt LIHEAP clients from CUC’s reconnection fee requirement.
