{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/56-234.1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/56-234.1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/56-234.1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/56-234.1.html"}],"law_id":74382,"edition_id":1,"section_id":74382,"structure_id":14465,"section_number":"56-234.1","catch_line":"Liability to customer for violation of duty to determine and charge lowest rate applicable","history":"1970, c. 258.","full_text":"It shall be the duty of every public utility, upon written request by the customer, to determine the lowest rate applicable, provided that such public utility shall not be required to make such a determination for any single customer more frequently than annually. If the rate charged thereafter is not such lowest rate applicable, such public utility shall be liable to the customer for the amount of the difference between the amount paid by the customer and the amount that would have been paid if the customer had been charged the lowest rate applicable from and after the customer’s request; provided that the public utility may require and rely on written information from the customer relating to the customer’s expected demand for and use of the utility service where such information is relevant to the determination required hereunder. Where a contract for a specified period of time is lawfully required by the public utility, the rates prescribed by such contract shall be lawful during the term of such contract so long as they are the lowest applicable to the conditions of service specified in the contract, unless the actual conditions of service require the application of a higher rate. This section shall not be applicable to rates charged by any public utility prior to July 1, 1970.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":267332,"text":"It shall be the duty of every public utility, upon written request by the customer, to determine the lowest rate applicable, provided that such public utility shall not be required to make such a determination for any single customer more frequently than annually. If the rate charged thereafter is not such lowest rate applicable, such public utility shall be liable to the customer for the amount of the difference between the amount paid by the customer and the amount that would have been paid if the customer had been charged the lowest rate applicable from and after the customer’s request; provided that the public utility may require and rely on written information from the customer relating to the customer’s expected demand for and use of the utility service where such information is relevant to the determination required hereunder. Where a contract for a specified period of time is lawfully required by the public utility, the rates prescribed by such contract shall be lawful during the term of such contract so long as they are the lowest applicable to the conditions of service specified in the contract, unless the actual conditions of service require the application of a higher rate. This section shall not be applicable to rates charged by any public utility prior to July 1, 1970.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14465,"edition_id":1,"name":"Services, Rates, Charges, Etc","identifier":"2","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13238,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:48:13","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:48:13","permalink":{"id":248755,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14465,"identifier":"2","token":"56\/10\/2","url":"\/56\/10\/2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13238,"edition_id":1,"name":"Heat, Light, Power, Water and Other Utility Companies Generally","identifier":"10","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12881,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:30","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:30","permalink":{"id":248721,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13238,"identifier":"10","token":"56\/10","url":"\/56\/10\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12881,"edition_id":1,"name":"Public Service Companies","identifier":"56","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:58","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:58","permalink":{"id":248473,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12881,"identifier":"56","token":"56","url":"\/56\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":87361,"structure_id":14465,"section_number":"56-234","catch_line":"Duty to furnish adequate service at reasonable and uniform rates","url":"\/56-234\/","token":"56\/10\/2\/56-234","metadata":false},{"id":74382,"structure_id":14465,"section_number":"56-234.1","catch_line":"Liability to customer for violation of duty to determine and charge lowest rate applicable","url":"\/56-234.1\/","token":"56\/10\/2\/56-234.1","metadata":false},{"id":56457,"structure_id":14465,"section_number":"56-234.2","catch_line":"Review of rates","url":"\/56-234.2\/","token":"56\/10\/2\/56-234.2","metadata":false},{"id":78493,"structure_id":14465,"section_number":"56-234.3","catch_line":"Approval of expenditures for and monitoring of new generation facilities and projected operation programs of electric utilities","url":"\/56-234.3\/","token":"56\/10\/2\/56-234.3","metadata":false},{"id":72152,"structure_id":14465,"section_number":"56-234.4","catch_line":"Authority to investigate utility operations to determine efficiency","url":"\/56-234.4\/","token":"56\/10\/2\/56-234.4","metadata":false},{"id":84236,"structure_id":14465,"section_number":"56-234.5","catch_line":"Required disclosure by certain officers and directors of certain utilities","url":"\/56-234.5\/","token":"56\/10\/2\/56-234.5","metadata":false},{"id":77453,"structure_id":14465,"section_number":"56-235","catch_line":"When Commission may fix rates, schedules, etc.; 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defective meters","url":"\/56-245.1\/","token":"56\/10\/2\/56-245.1","metadata":false},{"id":80955,"structure_id":14465,"section_number":"56-245.1:1","catch_line":"Customers to be notified about nuclear emergency evacuation plans","url":"\/56-245.1_1\/","token":"56\/10\/2\/56-245.1_1","metadata":false},{"id":61620,"structure_id":14465,"section_number":"56-245.1:2","catch_line":"Customers to be notified of renewable power options","url":"\/56-245.1_2\/","token":"56\/10\/2\/56-245.1_2","metadata":false},{"id":70183,"structure_id":14465,"section_number":"56-245.1:3","catch_line":"Disconnection suspension for utilities","url":"\/56-245.1_3\/","token":"56\/10\/2\/56-245.1_3","metadata":false},{"id":86241,"structure_id":14465,"section_number":"56-245.1:4","catch_line":"Notice procedures for nonpayment; disconnecting utility service","url":"\/56-245.1_4\/","token":"56\/10\/2\/56-245.1_4","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":87361,"structure_id":14465,"section_number":"56-234","catch_line":"Duty to furnish adequate service at reasonable and uniform rates","url":"\/56-234\/","token":"56\/10\/2\/56-234","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":56457,"structure_id":14465,"section_number":"56-234.2","catch_line":"Review of rates","url":"\/56-234.2\/","token":"56\/10\/2\/56-234.2","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/56-234.1\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1970. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 258 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1970 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":248761,"object_type":"law","relational_id":74382,"identifier":"56-234.1","token":"56\/10\/2\/56-234.1","url":"\/56-234.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/56-234.1\/","token":"56\/10\/2\/56-234.1","dublin_core":{"Title":"Liability to customer for violation of duty to determine and charge lowest rate applicable","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 56-234.1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

It shall be the duty of every public utility, upon written request by the customer, to determine the lowest rate<\/span> applicable, provided that such public utility shall not be required to make such a determination for any single customer more frequently than annually. If the rate<\/span> charged thereafter is not such lowest rate<\/span> applicable, such public utility shall be liable to the customer for the amount of the difference between the amount paid by the customer and the amount that would have been paid if the customer had been charged the lowest rate<\/span> applicable from and after the customer’s request; provided that the public utility may require and rely on written information from the customer relating to the customer’s expected demand for and use of the utility service where such information is relevant to the determination required hereunder. Where a contract<\/span> for a specified period of time is lawfully required by the public utility, the rates<\/span> prescribed by such contract<\/span> shall be lawful during the term of such contract<\/span> so long as they are the lowest applicable to the conditions of service specified in the contract<\/span>, unless the actual conditions of service require the application of a higher rate<\/span>. This section shall not be applicable to rates<\/span> charged by any public utility prior to July 1, 1970.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nLIABILITY TO CUSTOMER FOR VIOLATION OF DUTY TO DETERMINE AND CHARGE LOWEST RATE\nAPPLICABLE (\u00a7 56-234.1)\n\nIt shall be the duty of every public utility, upon written request by the\ncustomer, to determine the lowest rate applicable, provided that such public\nutility shall not be required to make such a determination for any single\ncustomer more frequently than annually. If the rate charged thereafter is not\nsuch lowest rate applicable, such public utility shall be liable to the customer\nfor the amount of the difference between the amount paid by the customer and the\namount that would have been paid if the customer had been charged the lowest\nrate applicable from and after the customer’s request; provided that the\npublic utility may require and rely on written information from the customer\nrelating to the customer’s expected demand for and use of the utility\nservice where such information is relevant to the determination required\nhereunder. Where a contract for a specified period of time is lawfully required\nby the public utility, the rates prescribed by such contract shall be lawful\nduring the term of such contract so long as they are the lowest applicable to\nthe conditions of service specified in the contract, unless the actual\nconditions of service require the application of a higher rate. This section\nshall not be applicable to rates charged by any public utility prior to July 1,\n1970.\n\nHISTORY: 1970, c. 258.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}