2019 New York Laws
PBS - Public Service
Article 6 - Provisions Affecting Two or More Kinds of the Public Service and the Persons and Corporations Furnishing Such Service
118 - Payment to an Authorized Payment Agency.

§ 118. Payment to an authorized payment agency. 1. In any case where a
public  utility  company  or  municipality  rendering equivalent utility
services permits its customers to pay their bills to  a  payment  agency
authorized  by  the  corporation  or  the municipality for collection of
bills, the date of payment to such authorized payment  agency  shall  be
the  effective  date  of  payment of such bill, and the payment shall be
regarded as if it were paid directly to the corporation or  municipality
on  such  date. Where a customer of such corporation or municipality has
paid a bill to an authorized payment agency on or  before  a  designated
due  date,  no penalty or extra charge shall accrue on such bill for the
reason that the payment did not reach the corporation or municipality on
or before the designated due date. Notwithstanding the provision of this
section,  payments  to  authorized  payment  agencies   by   residential
customers shall be governed by article two of this chapter.
  2.  Backbilling.  Except  as  provided for residential utility service
pursuant to article two of this chapter, no public  utility  company  or
municipality  may  render  a  bill  for  previously unbilled service, or
adjust upward a bill previously  rendered,  to  a  residential  customer
after  the  expiration  of  twenty-four  months from the time service to
which the bill or adjustment pertains was provided. This provision shall
not apply when the culpable conduct of a customer caused or  contributed
to the failure of the company or municipality to have rendered timely or
accurate billing.
  3. Credit or refund of overpayments. (a) The commission shall have the
power  to  require a public utility company or municipality to provide a
refund or credit to a customer when a payment has been made in excess of
the correct charge for actural service rendered to the customer.
  (b) If a residential  customer  becomes  eligible  for  a  lower  rate
because  he  or she changes the character of the service received and if
excess payment resulted from the failure of the customer to  notify  the
utility  or  municipality providing service of a change in the character
of service received or from the failure of the utility  or  municipality
to  change  the  rate  after  such  notification by the customer, such a
customer will be entitled to such lower rate from the  date  the  change
occurs  but such a customer shall not be entitled to such lower rate for
more than twenty-four months prior to the giving of actual notice to the
utility or municipality providing service.