Section 280.80  Estimated Bills

a)         All utilities shall make an actual meter reading at least every second billing period, and no utility may consecutively estimate a customer's service usage unless:

1)         the procedure used by the utility to calculate estimated bills has been approved by the Commission; and

2)         the word "estimate" appears prominently on the face of the bill, in a manner previously approved by the Commission.

b)         Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this Section, the utility may render an estimated bill for any billing period in which:

1)         the utility has taken appropriate and reasonable measures to read the meter, including but not limited to, making an appointment with the customer, scheduling readings for times other than normal business hours, and/or providing postal cards on which the customer may record the reading and mail it to the utility; or

2)         the customer has knowingly and willfully denied reasonable access to the utility's representative for the purpose of taking an actual reading of the meter; or

3)         the customer has otherwise made an actual reading of the meter unnecessarily difficult; or

4)         circumstances beyond the control of the utility make an actual reading of the meter extremely difficult.