Some commercial surety bonds have nothing to do with opening a business or obtaining a license. Sometimes a surety bond is needed in order to do business with a company.
Certain utility companies are known to require surety bonds that they require their customers to hold while doing business with them. These bonds are used instead of requiring a deposit. In these cases, the surety bond acts as the deposit.
Common types of surety bonds that are required by certain utility companies include:
California Utility Payment Bond
Utility companies that require a California Utility Payment Bond include: Southern California Edison Company, Southwest Gas Corporation, PG&E, and San Diego Gas and Electric. The bond ensures that the bonded party will abide by the user agreement. This is to protect the utility company from any financial loss or harm as a result of non-payment of any bills or fines. The amount of the bond is set by the utility company that requires the bond.