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Rate Review

Please note that process described below only applies to Utility Districts within the State of Tennessee.

The Tennessee Board of Utility Regulation has authority under TCA § 7-82-402 to review rates charged and services provided by a public utility district when initiated by a protest as defined below. 

Protest:

  1.   Within sixty (60) days of Utility's Fiscal Year End, a customer may file a rate protest with the commissioners of the utility , stating their opinion and including their reasoning, for determining that the published rates are too high or too low.
  2.    Within fifteen (15) days after the end of this sixty-day period during which such protest may be filed, the commissioners will notify each protestant of a hearing to be held by the commissioners on such protests as may have been filed within the sixty-day period. The commissioners will hear all protests during the same hearing, which must be within (60) days of notifying the customer of a hearing. After hearing and examining statements, exhibits, and arguments of the protestants, the commissioners shall share their finding as to the reasonableness or unreasonableness of the published rates.
  3.  After review by the utility district commissioners, an appeal may be made to the TBOUR by written request within thirty (30) days of the decision of the utility's governing body.

    All information in the appeal must be legible and submitted to Utilities@cot.tn.gov.

The Tennessee Board of Utility Regulation has authority under TCA § 7-82-102 to review rates charged and services provided by a public utility district when initiated by a petition as defined below. 

Petition:

  1.  The petition must contain the genuine signatures of at least ten percent (10%) of the customers within the authorized area of the public utility district;
  2.   The customer or customers initiating the petition must file a letter of intent to compile and file the petition with the TBOUR before the petition is signed. All signatures of customers on the petition must have been obtained within ninety (90) days after the date the notice of intent to compile and file petition is filed with the board. 
  3.    Each customer signing the petition shall include the address at which the customer receives utility service and the date the customer signed the petition. The petition must be addressed to the Tennessee board of utility regulation and a copy of the petition must be served to the board of commissioners of the affected utility district. 
  4.  Once the petition is filed with the TBOUR, Board staff will then verify the names and addresses of the signers of the petition to ensure that they are bona fide customers of the utility district and to ensure that all signatures have been obtained within ninety (90) days of the date the notice of intent to compile and file petition is filed with the board. 
       
    Note:    As used in this part, "customer" means a person who receives a bill for utility services and pays money for such                services. Each utility account shall be entitled to one (1) signature, but no person shall sign the petition more                than once. Only one (1) petition to review the rates and services provided under this section can be filed in any                    twelve-month period. The review by the Tennessee board of utility regulation shall be held only upon public                         hearings, after notice.

    All information in the appeal must be legible and submitted to     Utilities@cot.tn.gov.