(1) A deposit, including any interest thereon, made by a subscriber with a utility to secure payment or any sum paid in advance for utility services to be furnished, less any lawful deductions, that remains unclaimed by the owner for more than one (1) year after termination of services for which the deposit or advance payment was made is presumed abandoned.
(2) The public utilities commission may certify that a utility is participating in a financial assistance program which assists the utility’s low income and disadvantaged customers with their utility bills. Upon certification to the administrator, the utility shall pay the funds which would have been presumed to be abandoned under subsection (1) of this section to the financial assistance program certified by the public utilities commission. The utility shall remain obligated to file its report of such abandoned property as required by section 14-517, Idaho Code.