An applicant who intends to collect or a gas supplier who collects a deposit or prepayment for gas supply from a customer shall post a bond as required under this regulation. The initial bond requirement for an applicant or gas supplier who intends to collect a deposit or prepayment from a customer shall be $50,000. Six months after the posting of the initial bond, or when the amount of deposits or prepayments exceed the initial bond required by this regulation, whichever is earlier, a gas supplier shall: Conduct an audit, performed by an independent certified public accountant or a Commission auditor; If an independent certified public accountant is used, provide a copy to the Commission; and Comply with the bonding requirements in §§D and E of this regulation. Except as provided in §B of this regulation, the bond required under §A of this regulation shall equal or exceed the total amount of any deposits or prepayments a gas supplier collects. In calculating the bonding requirement under §D of this regulation, prepayments or deposits do not include funds: Collected from a customer whose metered use is expected to or does exceed 625 dekatherms during any month of the previous 12-month period; or Received in advance of service from a customer that voluntarily participates in a billing plan under which the customer's electric costs are averaged over a period of time. The bond required by §A of this regulation shall be obtained from a company licensed in the State to write surety types of insurance.