A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT authorizing the utilities commission to approve central natural gas systems and meters to serve residents in multiunit residential buildings who use energy efficient appliances.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 143‑151.42 reads as rewritten:
"§ 143‑151.42.  Prohibition of master meters for electric and natural gas service.
(a)	From and after September 1, 1977, in order that each occupant of an apartment or other individual dwelling unit may be responsible for his own conservation of electricity and gas, it shall be unlawful for any new residential building, as hereinafter defined, to be served by a master meter for electric service or natural gas service. Each individual dwelling unit shall have individual electric service with a separate electric meter and, if it has natural gas, individual natural gas service with a separate natural gas meter, which service and meters shall be in the name of the tenant or other occupant of the apartment or other dwelling unit. No electric supplier or natural gas supplier, whether regulated public utility or municipal corporation or electric membership corporation supplying the utility service, shall connect any residential building for electric service or natural gas service through a master meter, and the electric or natural gas supplier shall serve each apartment or dwelling unit by separate service and separate meter and shall bill and charge each individual occupant of the separate apartment or dwelling unit for the electric or natural gas service. A new residential building is hereby defined for the purposes of this section as any building for which a building permit is issued on or after September 1, 1977, which includes two or more apartments or other family dwelling units.
(b)	Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, any owner or builder of a multi‑unit residential building who desires to provide central heat or air conditioning or central hot water from a central furnace, air conditioner or hot water heater which incorporates solar assistance or other designs which accomplish greater energy conservation than separate heat, hot water, or air conditioning for each dwelling unit, or who desires to provide central natural gas from a central supply to be used for energy efficient appliances, including stoves, grills, fireplaces, and dryers, may apply to the North Carolina Utilities Commission for approval of the central heat, air conditioning, hot water, or natural gas system, which may include a central meter for electricity or gas used in the central system, and the Utilities Commission shall promptly consider the application and approve it for the central meters if energy is conserved by the design or appliances.
(c)	This section shall apply to any dwelling unit normally rented or leased for a minimum period of one month or longer, including apartments, condominiums and townhouses, but shall not apply to hotels, motels, dormitories, rooming houses or nursing homes, or homes for the elderly. This section shall also not apply to continuing care retirement facilities or existing hotels or motels that are converted into condominiums or townhouses if alternative conservation measures, including the use of energy efficient appliances, are used in the individual dwelling units."
SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.