Vermont § 227 - Suspension; refund

§ 227. Suspension; refund

• (a) If the Commission orders that a change shall not go into effect until final determination
  of the proceedings, it shall proceed to hear the matter as promptly as possible and
  shall make its determination within seven months from the date that it orders the
  investigation unless the company consents to waive the seven-month requirement. If
  a company files for a change in rate design among classes of ratepayers, and the company
  has a rate case pending before the Commission, the Commission shall make its determination
  on the rate design change within seven months after the rate case is decided by the
  Commission unless the company consents to waive the seven-month requirement. Except
  when the company consents to waive the seven-month requirement, if the Commission
  fails to make its determination within the time periods set by this subsection, the
  changed rate schedules filed by the company shall become effective and final. (b) The Commission, on its own motion, may order an investigation and hearing on the justness
  and reasonableness of existing rates of a company, subject to supervision under this
  chapter. The Commission shall proceed to hear the matter as promptly as possible
  and shall make every effort to make its determination within seven months from the
  date the proceeding was instituted. If the Commission does make its determination
  within such seven months, then its final order shall be retroactive to the day that
  the proceedings were instituted and such final order shall contain a directive that
  the company, other than a common carrier of passengers by motor vehicle, shall repay
  to the persons from whom collected between the time the proceedings were instituted
  and the final order all sums that the Commission determines are in excess of the rates
  ultimately found to be just and reasonable. If the Commission does not make its determination
  within seven months of the institution of the proceedings, then its final order when
  made shall be retroactive only to a date seven months after the institution of the
  proceedings and the final order shall contain a directive that the company shall repay
  to persons from whom collected between the date seven months after the institution
  of the proceedings and the determination thereof all sums that the Commission determines
  are in excess of the rates ultimately found to be just and reasonable. (Amended 1959, No. 329 (Adj. Sess.), § 39(b), eff. March 1, 1961; 1961, No. 263, § 4, eff. July 31, 1961; 1981, No. 226 (Adj. Sess.), § 5, eff. May 6, 1982; 1995, No. 182 (Adj. Sess.), § 17, eff. May 22, 1996; 2019, No. 31, § 20; 2023, No. 33, § 5, eff. July 1, 2023.)