(a) It is the policy of the town to discontinue electric, water and sewer service to customers by reason of nonpayment of bill only after notice and a meaningful opportunity to be heard on disputed bills. The town’s form for application for electric service and all bills shall contain "customer’s rights prior to discontinuance of service: It is the policy of the town to discontinue electric, water, sewer service to customers by reason of nonpayment of bill only after notice and a meaningful opportunity to be heard. If you dispute the accuracy of this bill, you have a right to a hearing at which you may be represented in person or by any other person of your choosing and may present orally or in writing, your complaint and contentions. If you desire a hearing, please contact the town clerk at the Town Hall, 120 E. Railroad Street, La Grange, North Carolina, Telephone 566-3186. Hearings are held between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. The town clerk has authority to make a final determination of your complaint and the authority to order that your service be discontinued. In the absence of payment of this bill or resort to the hearing procedure prior to the cutoff date shown on the reverse side of this notice, your service will be discontinued for nonpayment of bill."

(b) Any customer disputing the correctness of his bill shall have a right to a hearing at which time he may be represented in person and by counsel or any other person of his choosing and may present orally or in writing his complaint and contentions to the town’s official in charge of electric utility billing who shall be authorized to order that the customer’s service not be discontinued and authority to make a final determination of the customer’s complaint.

(c) The town reserves the right to discontinue electric, water or sewer service without notice for any one or more of the following reasons:

1. To prevent fraud or abuse.
2. Consumer’s willful disregard of the town’s rules and regulations.
3. Emergency repairs.
4. Insufficiency of supply due to circumstances beyond the town’s control.
5. Legal process.
6. Direction of public authorities.
7. Strike, riot, fire, flood, accident or any unavoidable cause.

(Code 1981, § 5-4002)