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City of Northwood Municipal Utilities Policy Guide
Meters All electric current provided by the municipal utilities to the City, to private consumers or to any other consumer shall be measured by meters or other devices which shall be furnished and installed by, and at all times under the exclusive control of, municipal utilities and which shall remain the property thereof. All such customers are required to use such meters. Meter Connection Fees All new customers of the City�s Municipal Light and Power Plant for electrical utility services, shall pay a meter connection fee, which shall be credited to the operating fund of the municipal electrical department, in the amount of ($100.00) one-hundred dollars prior to or at the time the service connections to furnish such electrical utility services is made, or in the case of existing service connection for utilized for new customers, such meter connection fee shall be payable prior to or at the time such service is first furnished.
All new customers of the City�s Municipal Water and Sewer Utility for water and sewer utility services, shall pay a meter connection fee, which shall be credited to the operating fund of the municipal water department, in the amount of ($50.00) fifty dollars prior to or at the time the service connections to furnish such water and sewer utility services is made, or in the case of existing service connection for utilized for new customers, such meter connection fee shall be payable prior to or at the time such service is first furnished. Such meter connection fees will be credited to the final billing of the customer for such services to the customer.
Commercial Metering CT Metering The City will supply a CT meter socket and CTs. All CT cabinets will be furnished by the owner and must be buss bar type, rated for the service load CTs cannot be hung in the open air on service conductors. Line Voltage Metering The City will furnish a 200 amp line voltage meter socket. Meter sockets above 200 amp will be furnished by the owner and must be bypass type. Commercial off-peak heat metering The City will supply a CT meter socket and CTs. All commercial off peak heat metering will be a direct read installation (deduct not allowed) All line voltage meter sockets will be furnished by the owner and must be 200 amp rated. Meter sockets above 200 amp will be bypass type. CT cabinets must be buss bar type and furnished by the owner. CTs must be installed in a cabinet and not in the service panel. CTs cannot be hung in the open air on service conductors.
Residential Metering The City will furnish a line voltage meter socket for residential customers. Residential off-peak heat metering (Deduct type metering 200 amp or less) The City will supply a CT meter socket and two CTs. CTs must be installed in a cabinet and not in the service panel. Residential off-peak heat metering (Direct read line voltage type 200 amps and above) This method is acceptable only if deduct type metering does not work or if the heating service is larger than 200 amps. All line voltage meter sockets will be furnished by the owner and must be 200 amp rated. Meter sockets above 200 amp must be bypass type. CT cabinets for metering above 200 amp must be buss bar type and furnished by the owner. CTs cannot be hung in the open air on service conductors.
Temporary Service It is the Customer�s responsibility to provide temporary service. Customer must provide the temporary service panel by a ND licensed electrician and the city will connect at a pole of their discretion. If the service is to be on site the customer must pay the cost share portion for underground to be brought to the site. Access to meters No person shall hinder or obstruct the access to any meter or other device which measures the service provided by any departments of the municipal utilities to an individual consumer in a manner which would make it difficult or impossible to repair, maintain, inspect or read the same. If, in the discretion of the superintendent of public works this provision is violated, the service measured by such meter or other device may be discontinued but such discretion may not be exercised upon arbitrary or unreasonable grounds.
Right of entry for purpose of repairing, installing any utility lines or equipment Every consumer of a service provided by any departments of municipal utilities shall permit the superintendent of municipal utilities or any of his employees or duly authorized representative to enter, and such persons shall have the authority to enter into or upon any part of the premises so served at any reasonable time for the purpose of repairing, installing, approving or inspecting any an all connecting or main electric, water, or sanitary sewer lines and any and all equipment or appliances of any nature whatsoever which have any function or purpose related to, or which affect in any way, the functions or purposes of any such departments or the services provided thereby, whether or not any of such lines, equipment or appliances are owned or controlled by municipal utilities, and for the purpose of disconnecting or reconnecting any one or more of such services for any necessary or proper reason. The purpose for which any such entry is to be made, or the urgency thereof, and all other circumstances attendant thereto shall be considered in determining whether or not any given time is reasonable.
BuildingAny new structure must be located 10 feet from any overhead utility line, 10 feet from any underground high voltage line and 5 feet from any underground secondary line. Trees cannot be planted within at least 10 feet of any underground line. Any exceptions to this would require the authorization of the City Public Works Superintendent.
Utility Lines and Landscaping It shall be the responsibility of the customer to report to the Public Works Superintendent of the City if their power line is entangled in any tree so the tree may be trimmed or removed. The Public Works Superintendent will also try to monitor the overhead system as to keep all lines clear of any obstructions or possible hazards to the line, which could cause problems. It is the customer's responsibility to keep the area around any transformer or meter located on their property clear of landscaping that would interfere with the operation, maintenance, and safety of that equipment. All poles and hydrants must be clear of concrete by three (3) feet on all sides for access.
Residential Service Laterals All new and upgrades from the transformer to the meter will be installed underground. Any exceptions to this would require the authorization of the City Public Works Superintendent.
The City will provide the underground wire, the meter, and the meter socket. The cost associated with the trenching and the labor to install the underground wire is the responsibility of the customer. The City will provide for the hook up at the transformer. The city will coordinate/perform all of the necessary underground work and the customer will be billed their portion directly from the City.
If there is an exception approved and an overhead line must be installed, the overhead drop wire from the transformer to the top of the service mask will be provided by the City.
The service mask is responsibility of the customer. The customer owns the service mask and is responsible for all maintenance and repair necessary. If is determined by the Public Works Superintendent that the meter or meter socket needs to be replaced the City will furnish the meter and meter socket and the installation will be the responsibility of the customer. If the is damage to the meter or meter socket is not caused by normal usage the replacement will be billed to the customer or appropriate persons from which the damage occurred.
Wiring Certificate Requirement A North Dakota Electrical Inspection Certificate must be submitted to the City Auditor before the power is turned on to any new account, change in service or any account that has been determined an electrical hazard by the Public Works Superintendent.
Responsibility for wiring Any of the wiring beyond the metering point is the customer's responsibility. The customer should obtain a qualified electrical contractor for any repairs. The City will provide the meter.
It shall be unlawful for any customer or the customer�s agent or the customer�s accomplice, to remove, break, or tamper with any seals on water or electrical meters, or tamper with any city meters or controllers connected to the City�s Municipal Light and Power Plant and Water and Sewer Utility.
Any electrical equipment attached to the customer's building or structure, is the customer's responsibility to keep the equipment in safe working order.
All meters must be installed on the outside of any house, building, or other structure. Porches or buildings of any type cannot enclose the meter. If the customer is placing a fence that would enclose the meter, it shall be the customer's responsibility to pay to have the meter relocated outside of the fence.
It is the customer�s responsibility to request a utility locate from North Dakota One Call at least 2 business days prior to any excavation. The city will then be dispatched by ND One Call and will locate the lines that are the responsibility of the utility. Any wiring beyond the meter is the customer�s responsibility to locate.
Wiring Standards The installation of all electrical wiring, apparatus and fixtures in any building or other structure within the City of Northwood shall be governed by and conform to the standards of the National Electrical Safety Code, the National Electrical Code, the State Electrical Code, the ordinances of the city and rules and regulations adopted or hereafter from time to time to be adopted, by the City Council. All such wiring, apparatus and fixtures shall be made to conform to the requirements of this section and of such rules and regulations before the same be finally approved and accepted by the electrical inspector. It shall be unlawful for any person, either as owner, architect, contractor, or otherwise, to do or cause to permit to be done any electrical wiring or installing of electrical apparatus in such manner that the same shall not form to all provisions of this section.
Commercial Metering and Transformer Requirements 1. Current transformers must be located in a separate CT cabinet. The Public Works Superintendent will determine any exceptions.
2. Where a transformer pad is required, the pad must be six inches larger than the transformer with an opening for high voltage and secondary power by use of a ground sleeve or transformer basement. The City Public Works Superintendent must approve the final size of the transformer.
3. The pad mount transformer setup (including metering equipment, CT cabinet and pad mount CT cabinet) must be a minimum of 10 feet on each of two sides of the transformer and a minimum of 20 feet on the side of the transformer door, from all driveways, roads, parking lots, buildings, propane tanks, or other structures; the side of the transformer that is nearest the structure must be a minimum of 10 feet from the structure. The Public Works Superintendent will determine any exceptions.
4. The City of Northwood will furnish the meter socket, the current transformers and the meter, with the CT cabinet to be located outside the building, subject to approval by the City before installation.
5. The customer will pay the cost of pad mount CT cabinets. Any exceptions will require approval by the City Council.
6. All feeders from the transformer to the CT cabinet are the responsibility of the customer.
7. The payment of costs for a new transformer, including transformer pad, and transformer installation for a new account will be determined by the City Council on a case by case basis.
8. The final location of the transformer is subject to approval by the City of Northwood before installation. Commercial Security Lighting Upon request from a commercial business for security lighting, the City will provide a used pole and install the pole for a total of $300.00 subject to availability of a used pole, crew availability with final approval by the public works superintendent. The business is responsible for utility locates and the pole location must be in an area clear of all underground utilities. The lighting fixtures, wiring and installation are the responsibility of the commercial business and installation must be done by a state licensed electrical contractor.
Power Outage In case of a power outage, first check your fuses to see if any of them have tripped off due to a power overload. If you determine the outage is not in your own electric service, we ask that you check with your neighbors to determine if they are also without service before reporting the outage. This will help us quickly locate the problem.
If the outage is during business hours, Monday through Friday 7am to 5pm, please call 587-6291 or 587-6301.
If the outage is after hours please call 587-5651 to report the outage to the police department and they will contact the appropriate personnel.
Standby Generator Hookup The City of Northwood requires that only a qualified licensed electrician should connect a standby generator to your main power system. There should be a double-throw switch or generator panel with mechanical interlock and a visible open between the service lines and the generator. Please contact our office for a sheet on home generator safety tips.
Billing and Payment All meters shall be read monthly and duplicate statements shall be made out and filed in the office of the City Auditor and mailed to the premises charged, during each month, and all statements shall be due and payable on the date of such billing. A penalty of five percent (5 %) shall be added to each statement if not paid within 15 days from billing date. At the time of said penalty, the City of Northwood shall send notice to the customer of said utilities of the property to which utility services are provided, that a delinquency has occurred. Any consumer of municipal utilities whose bill(s) remains unpaid at 9:00am on the last working day of the month shall have all municipal services under said billing(s) discontinued or disconnected. Any customer who has been disconnected or discontinued under these provisions, shall not have the service reconnected or recommenced until all amounts due, for services rendered prior to and including the date of disconnect, plus applicable penalties, and the reconnection charge of ($100.00) one-hundred dollars for utility services.
When a customer is final billed for an account, the minimum charges will be pro-rated based on the number of days the customer was hooked up to the availability of the utility services.
A customer is required to pay for all usage that passes through any meter. In the event of extreme water usage due to a leak or other reasons that passes through the meter, the customer may have up to ninety days to pay for the excessive usage without penalty. Due to the fact the sewer usage is based on the water usage, the sewer charges must also be paid in entirety.
A customer requesting disconnection at a location at which the customer subsequently requests reconnection (at the same location) within a period of eight (8) months, shall be considered as being a continuing customer, subject to minimum charges for the full period of requested disconnection.
Any customer requesting any of the utility services are required to pay for the availability of such services and therefore the minimum charges for all services. The availability of the service applies if the utility line in the building or location is connected to the main line. These minimum charges are established for the availability of the utility services, the debt incurred by each utility, and the minimum operating cost to continue each service. The only exception to this section is if a construction meter is approved by the City Council. The construction meter allows the elimination of all charges except electric during the period of construction, remodeling, or repair with a time limit of six months.
A customer with multiple locations (business or residential) is responsible for the payment of all utilities at all locations. When that customer makes a payment, the payment will be applied to the account that is most in arrears. In the event that one or more of the locations are disconnected for non-payment, the balance will be transferred to an active account for that customer.
If some of the named persons on a utility account move out, the deposit will stay with the original utility account. The occupant that leaves will need to place a new deposit for the new location at which they are requesting service.
The City of Northwood Utilities offers a budget plan for paying for electric heating. The usage is totaled for twelve months and is evenly divided between the twelve months for payment. The plan begins May 1st of each year. The plan begins at this time to allow the account to �build up� for the winter months. The account must be paid in full to start the budget plan.
ACH Payment of your Utility Bill The City of Northwood offers an Automatic Payment Plan and it uses electronic banking techniques to relieve you of the worry of getting your utility bill paid on time �even if you are out of town on the date your payment is due. Please contact our office for an authorization form to enroll in our Automatic Payment Plan and the city will electronically charge your bank account for your utility bill on either the 5th or the 15th of the month. You are always in control of the payment and you decide which day is more convenient for you. The Automatic Payment Plan is intended not only to make your utility bill paying with the City of Northwood simpler and more convenient but it also helps us control our cost of doing business so we may continue to provide you with superior utility service at a reasonable price.
Returned Check Policy If your check is returned to the City from the bank for insufficient funds or a closed account, the service fee is $15.00 and you will have two business days to pay the amount of the payment that was returned in addition to the service fee in cash. Failure to comply with this policy will result in the disconnection of your utilities. If a customer has three returned checks within thirty-six months, the customer must make payment by cash or money order for the following twelve months. If the same customer has a returned check after the twelve-month period, the customer must make payment by cash or money order for the duration of their utility usage with the City.
Electric Rate Structure Residential (Residential customers for all domestic purposes) Customer Charge $15.00 per month Energy First 1,500 kWh $ 0.070 per kWh All Additional kWh $ 0.065 per kWh
Small Commercial (All non-residential customers with an annual peak demand of less than 30 kW) Customer Charge $25.00 per month Energy Charge All kWh $ 0.076 per kWh
Large Commercial (All non-residential customers with connected load (annual peak demand) 30 kW or more) Customer Charge $35.00 per month Energy Charge All kWh $ 0.052 per kWh Demand Charge $ 8.50 per kW
Industrial (All non-residential customers with a connected load (annual peak demand) of 750 KW or more) Customer Charge $75.00 per month Energy Charge All kWh $ 0.045 per kWh Demand Charge $11.90 per kW
Electric Heat and Off-Peak Requirements 1. All energy used for new electric heat must be controlled by the City of Northwood.
2. Customer shall pay for the wiring and installation of the entire system, including the load management controller. Installation of an off-peak control system must be done by a North Dakota licensed electrical contractor and complete according the specifications of the City of Northwood. Self-wire is not allowed for any load management control. City shall provide the one channel controller and the meter.
3. No electric meter shall be installed inside a building.
4. Customer must have either a backup fossil fuel heating system or a heat storage system of sufficient capacity to meet needs during controlling periods. Customer is liable and responsible for maintenance, operation, and condition of backup fossil fuel heating system or heat storage system.
5. No electric heating system shall be connected without prior approval by City Council. Application for electric heating must be received by the City prior to the time of intended usage.
Rate for Off-Peak electric 1. An off-peak rate of $0.042 per kWh on all energy used only for electric heat shall be available to all residential, small commercial, and large commercial customers, including each customer user of a multiple user unit operating off a single electric meter, as in the case of apartments, which are now being assessed according to the residential rate schedule for each unit so connected and operating off a single meter.
2. All energy used only for electric heat must be metered through a second meter or a second deduct meter. The usage recorded on the second deduct meter shall be deducted from the main meter and shall be billed at $.042 per kWh. In the case of a standard second meter, the usage on the second meter will be billed at $.042/ kWh. There will also be a $3.00 monthly charge year round.
3. Said off-peak rate shall not be granted without prior application by customer and approval by City Council.
Mandatory Load Management Restrictions The owner, occupant, or user of an electric water heater connected to the Municipal Light and Power Utility System of the City of Northwood is compelled to mandatory load management restrictions and compliance on such electric water heater electrical usage.
Franchise Required Except as otherwise provided by law, no person, firm, or corporation shall transmit, furnish, deliver or receive, or cause to be transmitted, furnished, delivered, or received electric energy for light, power, heat and other purposes for public and/or private use within and through the limits of the City, or place or maintain any permanent or semi-permanent fixtures in, over, upon, or under any street or public place for the purpose of operating a public utility or transmitting, furnishing, delivering or receiving, or causing to be transmitted, furnished, delivered, or received electric energy or for any other purpose, except pursuant to a franchise from the City. A franchise shall be granted only by ordinance. Every ordinance granting a franchise shall contain all the terms and conditions of the franchise. The grantee shall bear the costs of publication of the franchise ordinance and shall make a sufficient deposit with the City Auditor to guarantee publication before the ordinance is passed.
The City Council of the City of Northwood reserves the right to change the City of Northwood Municipal Utilities Policy Guide without notification to its customers. City of Northwood Municipal Utilities Policy Guide was adopted by Northwood City Council on Monday, December 20, 1999. Most recent amendment:
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