(a) No electric or natural gas utility shall assess any convenience fee, surcharge, or other fee to any customer who elects to pay for service using a credit card that the electric or natural gas utility would not assess to the customer if the customer paid by other available methods acceptable to the utility. The Commission may consider as an operating expense, for the purpose of determining whether a rate or other charge or classification is sufficient, costs incurred by a utility to process payments described in this Section so long as those costs are determined to be prudent, just, and reasonable.
     (b) As used in this Section, “credit card” means an instrument or device, whether known as a credit card, bank card, charge card, debit card, automated teller machine card, secured credit card, smart card, electronic purse, prepaid card, affinity card, or by any other name, issued with or without fee by an issuer for the use of the holder to obtain credit, money, goods, services, or anything else of value.