(a) A propane distributor who offers customers a budget payment plan must make that same plan available to all customers, including those who participate in the LIHEAP program.

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(b) A budget payment plan must equalize a customer’s estimated annual propane bill by dividing it into equal monthly payments. Any budget plan started after the propane distributor’s traditional budget plan start date will be divided by the remaining months in the budget plan year. Any positive balance remaining at the end of a year may, at the customer’s discretion, be provided to the customer as a cash payment or carried over as a credit on the customer’s bill for the next year.

(c) A propane distributor must notify a customer on a budget payment plan of a price or fee change that may affect the monthly amount due under the budget payment plan by more than 20 percent.

(d) A propane distributor may alter or terminate the plan if a customer has failed to pay two monthly payments during the period of the budget payment plan. In lieu of the requirements of this section, the parties may enter into a mutually agreeable plan.