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Home > Programs and Services > Line Extension Services > General Terms & Conditions
Line Extension Services
General Terms and Conditions
1) Company or customer constructed new line extensions
or relocations, both overhead and underground, will be located in a right-of-way
reasonably acceptable to the Company. The Customer shall grant an easement, without
cost to the Company, for that portion of the right-of-way which traverses property
owned by the Customer or runs along a roadway on property owned by the Customer.
If additional easements are required, the Customer shall bear the Company’s
costs of obtaining said easements. Unless approved by the Company, the right-of-way
must be adjacent to a road which is suitably maintained so as to permit the Company’s
maintenance vehicles to have direct access in all weather conditions. Should the
right-of-way be adjacent to a private road, rights of ingress and egress must be
granted to the Company before any line extension is constructed. New customers must
be attached directly to the Company’s system.
For underground extensions on the Customer's property, all right-of-way clearing,
trenching, and backfilling to Company standards will be performed by the Customer
prior to the start of work by the Company unless other arrangements are made.
The Company’s Delivery points are: CLICK HERE.
Upon the request of the customer, or by request of the Company with consent from
the Customer, the Delivery Point may be modified consistent with the other provisions
of this tariff with the written consent of the Company.
The Company, at its discretion, has the option of metering on the secondary side
of a Customer-owned transformer and line instead of utilizing primary metering.
In such instances, the actual Delivery Point shall still remain as defined in the
above chart.
Each new customer and, in the case of residential service, each new single family
residence or individual dwelling unit, is entitled to a credit equal to the cost
of the service drop as defined under the Definition Section of the tariff installed
to connect the new customer service location to the Company’s existing system.
If a service drop is not required, no credit will be applicable.
When an existing service is relocated at a Customer’s request, all costs associated
with relocation shall be borne by the requesting party and no service drop credit
shall be applicable. The costs, conditions, and requirements for electric service
extensions shall apply to service relocations.
2) All underground cable to be owned and maintained
by the Company must be installed in conduit according to Company specifications.
The Customer shall supply, install and bear the cost of such conduit. The Company
shall credit the Customer’s account in an amount equal to 50% of the material
cost of the underground conduit. Conduit installations shall include conduit, pull
cord, trenching, and backfilling and meet all Company distribution standards and
specifications. When connecting to an overhead source, the Customer shall furnish
a slip joint at the base of the pole, as well as sufficient conduit to reach to
the height on the pole described in the Company’s specifications. The installation
of the conduit on the pole shall be done by the Company.
Customer-Owned Lines: As a general rule, residential customers shall not own primary
lines (overhead or underground) that are installed after October 1, 2008. In certain
circumstances where the Company and Customer agree that such ownership would be
appropriate, the Company and the Customer shall petition the Board for a waiver
of this prohibition. Any such petition shall address the issue of underground damage
prevention with respect to the facilities to be owned by the Customer. However,
no such petition shall be required for a Customer to extend or connect to a line
already owned by that Customer. At no time shall the Company be responsible for
such Customer-Owned Line nor shall the Company be liable for any claims by any persons
relating in any way to the Customer-Owned Line.
3) The Customer will be required to pay the Company
prior to the start of construction the costs to construct the line extension or
relocation, less the service drop credit, if any. Charges will be based upon the
actual route taken by the line extension or relocation. Costs and charges will be
calculated according to this tariff. When the new line extension requires not more
than 150 feet of conductor or cable at secondary voltage, the Company will waive
the application fee, except that, when the extension of not more than 150 feet at
secondary voltage requires the installation of one pole in accordance with the Company’s
construction standards the Company will waive only 50% of the application fee. Such
waivers shall not apply to relocations or underground line extensions.
Special construction charges: Whenever special requirements of the applicant or
the physical properties of the installation site necessitate construction methods
or installations which are not standard for the Company, the Customer shall pay
the additional cost of such methods or installations. The costs to the Company of
tree trimming and/or tree and brush removal are considered as special construction
charges. Whenever special federal, state or local permits, such as ”Act 250”
permits or particular town permits, or condemnation or other expenses necessary
to secure rights-of-way, are required for the construction, the Customer shall pay
the additional cost of obtaining such permit(s) or right(s) as special construction
charges.
The cost of facilities indicated as Actual will be reasonably estimated by the Company
for purposes of establishing the initial CIAC payment by the Customer and will be
adjusted to actual costs when such actual costs are known. An additional payment
by the Customer or refund by the Company (each including the adjustment for Utility
tax liability arising under Federal Tax Reform Act of 1986, if applicable) shall
be made at that time; additional payment by the Customer may be required by the
Company prior to the Company energizing the line. In the event the Company consents
to energizing the line prior to determination and payment of Actual costs, the Customer
shall pay any additional payment within thirty (30) days following receipt by the
Customer of the Company’s billing of such additional payment due. If the Company
incurs costs for collection of any such additional payment due from but not paid
by the Customer, and with approval of the appropriate court, the Company shall be
entitled to collect its costs of collection, including without limitation reasonable
attorney’s fees. The Company also shall be entitled to interest on the unpaid
amount at the same rate that the Company charges its customers for delinquent accounts.
4) When construction of the requested line extension
is delayed more than sixty (60) days following the receipt of funds from the Customer
equal to the estimated cost of the requested line extension, the Company will credit
the cost of the extension with interest as follows:
(a) No interest shall be paid on an initial application fee required.
(b) No interest shall be paid on funds received in advance of line extension construction
and used for the purpose of ordering long lead time specialty items necessary for
the subject line extension.
(c) With the exception of items (a) & (b) above, interest shall be paid, at
the rate of 1% per month to line extension customers on funds received in advance
of construction (unless returned to the Customer due to perceived delays), from
sixty (60) days after the payment is received by the Company to the date of the
commencement of the line extension construction.
(d) No interest shall be paid by the Company under item (c) above as a result of
construction, permitting or right-of-way acquisition delays beyond the control of
the Company.
(e) Interest to be paid on funds received more than sixty (60) days in advance of
the commencement of line extension construction may be waived by customers seeking
priority status for construction at a specified time as agreed to by both the Customer
and the Company.
5) The Customer is entitled to contract with a private
contractor for the construction of a routine line extension or relocation. All construction
and materials shall be in accordance with the Company’s distribution standards
and specifications which the Company will provide to the contractor. All construction
shall be subject to design, inspection and monitoring by the Company at the Customer’s
expense. All primary cable terminations must be made by the Company. Prior to any
construction the Customer must notify the Company of the commencement date of construction.
The Company shall not connect any Customer built line extension or relocation which
does not conform to the Company’s applicable job specifications and standards.
Contractors must maintain insurance with coverage and limits reasonably acceptable
to the Company, and shall provide a satisfactory certificate of insurance to the
Company prior to commencing any construction. The Customer will be charged for application,
engineering, design services, monitoring, inspections, cable terminations, connection
and other costs as specified in this tariff. The Company will reimburse the Customer
for 50% of the material cost of the conduit used in an underground line extension.
At the time the Company connects to the Customer built line extension or relocation
and energizes the Customer’s line, ownership and responsibility for maintenance
of the line extension or relocation shall transfer to the Company. The Customer
shall pay to the Company an adjustment for Utility tax liability arising under Federal
Tax Reform Act of 1986 based upon the reasonable cost or value of the Customer built
line extension or relocation less the credit for the service drop, if applicable,
as defined in Section B above. The Customer is responsible for ensuring that the
Customer built line extension or relocation meets all applicable telephone company
standards.
6) Telephone Company Participation: Whenever the Customer
requests telephone service coincident with the request for electric service, the
Company’s charges shall recognize the telephone company’s participation
in the cost of the extension. The Customer must have a separate agreement with the
telephone company. Pole charges and other costs to the Customer are as specified
in this tariff.
General Job Specification
The Company will determine job specifications for each individual line extension
or relocation upon application for the service by the Customer and payment of the
application fee; such engineering is included in the application fee. These job
specifications will be the standards to which each new extension or relocation must
conform. A copy of the Company’s distribution standards and specifications
is available upon request through any Company office. The Company’s standards
and specifications shall, at a minimum, meet NESC standards. No single-phase line
extension applicant shall receive service at a nominal voltage in excess of 480
volts unless special circumstances are approved by the Company in writing. The Company
shall not connect any line extension or relocation to its system which does not
conform to its applicable job specifications and standards.
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