NOTICE OF INTENT TO INCREASE RATES.

(a) The gas utility shall:

(1) publish, in conspicuous form, notice to the public of the proposed increase once each week for four successive weeks in a newspaper having general circulation in each county containing territory affected by the proposed increase; and

(2) provide notice of the proposed increase to any other affected person as required by the regulatory authority's rules.

(b) Instead of publishing newspaper notice, a gas utility may provide notice by:

(1) mailing the notice by United States mail, postage prepaid, to the billing address of each directly affected customer;

(2) including the notice, in conspicuous form, in the bill of each directly affected customer; or

(3) sending the notice by e-mail to each directly affected customer if that address is available to the utility.

(c) A gas utility may provide a customer with notice of the utility's intent to increase rates by e-mail as described by Subsection (b)(3) only if the customer has consented in writing to the use of the customer's e-mail address for that purpose.