3514                                   LAWS OF MARYLAND                                Ch. 603

metered service, the owner, operator, or manager may not
impose upon any unit any utility cost except charges
authorized by the Public Service Commission and actually
imposed by the utility upon the owner, operator, or manager,
which charges have been allocated among the units in
proportion to the actual usage of CUBIC FEET OR kilowatt
hours by the unit. However, an additional service charge
not to exceed $1 per unit per month may be collected to
cover administrative costs and billing. Except in units
constructed, managed, operated, developed, or subsidized by
a local housing authority as established under Article 44A,
if, during the term of any lease or agreement which includes
the cost of GAS OR electricity consumed for the unit, the
owner, operator, or manager elects to install submeters, the
owner, operator, or manager shall determine the amount of
GAS OR electric costs saved and pass this amount on to the
occupant of the unit as a reduction in rent or payment.

(d) In addition to other appropriate safeguards for
the occupant of the dwelling unit, commercial rental unit,
or store, these rules and regulations shall require that:

(1) An apartment house, office building, or
shopping center owner, operator, or manager may not impose
on any unit any utility cost except charges authorized by
the Public Service Commission and actually imposed by the
utility upon the owner, operator, or manager, which charges
have been allocated among the units in the apartment
building, office building, or shopping center in proportion
to the actual usage of CUBIC FEET OR kilowatt hours by the
unit. However, an additional service charge not to exceed
$1 per unit per month may be collected to cover
administrative costs and billing; and

(2) The apartment house, office building, or
shopping center owner, operator, or manager maintain
adequate records regarding submetering and make such records
available for inspection by the occupant of the unit during
reasonable business hours.

(e) Any rule, regulation, or standard promulgated by
the Commission pursuant to this section shall be deemed to
have been entered or adopted under Article 78, and for
purposes of enforcement pursuant to § 62 and § 101 of this
article. All submetering equipment shall be subject to the
same rules, regulations, and standards established by the
Public Service Commission for accuracy, testing, and record
keeping of meters installed by GAS OR electric utilities and
shall be subject to the meter requirements of § 51 and § 52
of this article.

(f) In implementing this section, an apartment house,
office building, or shopping center may not be considered a
public service company engaged in the business of
distributing or reselling GAS OR electricity, and the