<?xml version="1.0"?>
<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>64527</law_id><section_number>56-240</section_number><catch_line>Proposed rates, etc., or changes thereof, not suspended effective subject to later change by Commission; refund or credit; appeal; investor-owned public utilities required to show increase complies with &#xA7; 56-235.2</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>56-232</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="56">Public Service Companies</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="10">Heat, Light, Power, Water and Other Utility Companies Generally</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="2">Services, Rates, Charges, Etc</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>Unless the <span class="dictionary">Commission</span> so suspends such schedule of <span class="dictionary">rates</span>, tolls, charges, rules and regulations or changes thereof that are required to be filed under &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Public utilities required to file schedules of rates and charges; rules and regulations; when detariffing of telephone services to be permitted" href="/56-236/">56-236</a>, the same shall go into effect as originally filed by any public utility as defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Public utility and schedules defined" href="/56-232/">56-232</a>, upon the date specified in the schedule subject, however, to the power of the <span class="dictionary">Commission</span>, upon investigation thereafter, to fix and <span class="dictionary">order</span> substituted therefor such <span class="dictionary">rate</span> or <span class="dictionary">rates</span>, tolls, charges, rules, or regulations, as shall be just and reasonable, as provided in &#xA7;&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="When Commission may fix rates, schedules, etc.; conformance with chapter" href="/56-235/">56-235</a> and <a class="law" title="Commission may change regulations, measurements, practices, services, or acts" href="/56-247/">56-247</a>. The <span class="dictionary">Commission</span> may thereupon, in its discretion, <span class="dictionary">order</span> such public utility to refund or give credit promptly to the parties entitled thereto any portion or all of the charges originally filed by the public utility which may have been collected or received in excess of those charges finally fixed and ordered substituted therefor by the <span class="dictionary">Commission</span>. <span class="dictionary">Rates</span> of any utility found to be operating in violation of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Certificate to furnish public utility service; allotment of territory transfers, leases or amendments" href="/56-265.3/">56-265.3</a> may be deemed subject to refund by the <span class="dictionary">Commission</span>, on its own <span class="dictionary">motion</span>, as of the date of the <span class="dictionary">Commission</span>&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">order</span> <span class="dictionary">finding</span> that the utility was operating in violation of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Certificate to furnish public utility service; allotment of territory transfers, leases or amendments" href="/56-265.3/">56-265.3</a>. Such <span class="dictionary">rates</span> shall then be interim in nature and subject to refund until such time as the <span class="dictionary">Commission</span> has determined the appropriateness of the <span class="dictionary">rates</span>. Any amount of the <span class="dictionary">rates</span> found excessive by the <span class="dictionary">Commission</span> shall be subject to refund with interest, as may be ordered by the <span class="dictionary">Commission</span>.
		From any action of the <span class="dictionary">Commission</span> in prescribing <span class="dictionary">rates</span>, refunds, credits, tolls, charges, rules and regulations or changes thereof that are required to be filed under &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Public utilities required to file schedules of rates and charges; rules and regulations; when detariffing of telephone services to be permitted" href="/56-236/">56-236</a>, an <span class="dictionary">appeal</span> may be taken by the <span class="dictionary">corporation</span> whose <span class="dictionary">rates</span>, refunds, credits, tolls, charges, rules and regulations or changes thereof are affected, or by the Commonwealth, or by any <span class="dictionary">person</span> deeming himself aggrieved by such action.
		No such <span class="dictionary">rate</span> increase shall go into effect under the provisions of this section for an investor-owned gas, telephone or electric public utility unless such public utility has filed with its schedule information and data designed to show that any increase complies with the just and reasonable requirements of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="All rates, tolls, etc., to be just and reasonable to jurisdictional customers; findings and conclusions to be set forth; alternative forms of regulation for electric companies" href="/56-235.2/">56-235.2</a>, and unless based thereon the <span class="dictionary">Commission</span> finds a reasonable probability that the increase will be justified upon full investigation and <span class="dictionary">hearing</span>. The <span class="dictionary">Commission</span> is authorized to promulgate any rules necessary to implement this provision.</p></section></text><history>Code 1919, &#xA7; 4066; 1918, p. 675; 1924, p. 540; 1927, pp. 124, 125; 1971 Ex. Sess., c. 31; 1973, c. 262; 1979, c. 249; 1998, c. 63; 2011, cc. 738, 740.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
