How far back Hawaii utilities refund overcharges
Where a customer was overcharged because the wrong rate schedule was applied, the overcharge is refunded or credited for every billing period affected. Here is the rule behind it, what starts or limits the clock, and what it means for a business with a billing error in Hawaii.
Hawaii at a glance
| Hawaii | |
|---|---|
| Rule | Hawaiian Electric companies' tariff Rule No. 11, Section C, as described in the companies' 2015 filing with the Hawaii PUC |
| How far back refunds go | Where a customer was overcharged because the wrong rate schedule was applied, the overcharge is refunded or credited for every billing period affected |
| What starts or limits the clock | The tariff sets no historical limit; the companies said their practice is to refund all overcharged periods, however long ago the error began |
| Interest | Not stated in the filing read |
| Regulator | Hawaii utility commission |
What it means for a refund claim in Hawaii
- This is the strongest rate-misclassification rule verified here: the companies themselves told regulators there is no look-back limit.
- The rule covers Hawaiian Electric, Hawaii Electric Light and Maui Electric; Kauai Island Utility Cooperative has its own tariff.
- Read the utility's tariff rules on billing and meter error too: tariffs often repeat or extend the commission rule.
- Municipal utilities and cooperatives usually set their own billing rules.
Discovery Energy reviews 36 to 48 months of history on every account and pursues the longest period each jurisdiction allows. See how overcharge recovery works, or compare Hawaii with every other state.
Sources
- Hawaiian Electric companies' tariff Rule No. 11, Section C, as described in the companies' 2015 filing with the Hawaii PUC
- Pennsylvania PUC national list of utility commissions