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Regulator Asks If "Incidental" Residential Meters Should Be More Narrowly Defined, For Purposes Of Retail Supplier Compliance

Also Seeks Comment On Expanding Required Retail Supplier Summary Information To Commercial Customer Bills

January 4, 2017

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Copyright 2010-17 EnergyChoiceMatters.com
Reporting by Paul Ring • ring@energychoicematters.com

The Connecticut PURA has sought further comment concerning the treatment of incidental residential meters for purposes of compliance with various retail supplier summary information which must be included on bills, and other requirements.

By Decision dated August 12, 2015, in Docket No. 14-07-19RE01, the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority required the electric distribution companies (EDCs) to provide summary information on all residential electric bills with the exception of combined billing statement accounts, residential accounts commingled with a commercial contract, and incidental residential accounts.

By motion dated June 29, 2016, BlueRock Energy requested clarification on the type of information a supplier or EDC must provide on the bill of an incidental residential meter, and how to classify certain accounts. BlueRock Energy sought guidance on account numbers and meters associated with a real estate developer, but which were technically classified as residential, though the accounts were solely in the name of the real estate developer (a business)

To facilitate the Authority’s review of this matter, PURA sought written comments concerning treatment of incidental residential accounts. Written comments and evidence from participants should address, but not be limited to, the following:

1. In the August 12, 2015 Decision, the Authority described incidental residential accounts (IRAs) as those incidental, or secondary, accounts subsumed within a larger group of commercial accounts. Examples include a dean’s residence on a university campus, a home attached to a commercial farm, or residential properties managed by a realtor or corporation. Comment on BlueRock Energy's motion. If suppliers who serve non-residential load have any specific or anecdotal information regarding their interpretation or application of IRA terms and definitions, describe such experiences.

2. Should IRAs be more narrowly defined? If so, propose a more precise IRA definition. Include actual or hypothetical examples of an IRA.

3. Comment on the advantages and disadvantages of allowing IRAs to be subsumed within commercial contracts. Responding parties may focus on how each approach may affect their own particular concerns.

4. What is the best method of determining appropriate IRA rate class designation? Which entity (customer, supplier, EDC) should be responsible for determining or attesting to the validity of an assigned rate class designation?

5. Comment on the treatment of IRAs in relation to the overarching commercial contract. In what cases, if any, can individual residential consumers choose their own generation services supplier?

6. Is it possible for one consolidated commercial contract to be composed primarily, or entirely, of residential customers? Comment on whether such a situation can, or already has occurred. In this scenario, should such a contract be considered incidental for purposes of this docket?

7. Provide any other comment or evidence that may be helpful to the Authority in its review of this matter.

Separately, PURA also sought comment on expanding the summary information required on residential bills to commercial bills, and issued the following questions:

1. Comment on the potential benefits and disadvantages of adding summary information to commercial customer bills.

2. If summary information were to be included on commercial bills, should some level of consumption and/or demand determine which accounts would be required to display the information? Comment on what threshold of consumption and/or demand should be used to determine the cut-off for display of this information.

3. Comment on applying Phase I summary information to commercial customer bills.

4. Comment generally on any technical or administrative barriers which may exist in the implementation of Phase I and/or Phase II summary information for commercial customer bills.

5. How do the EDCs currently display summary bill information on their websites? If customers pay their bills electronically, is it possible for them to miss seeing the summary information entirely? Summarize any noteworthy customer feedback regarding the display of summary information on the EDC websites.

6. Comment generally on how EDC summary bill information is displayed on handheld mobile devices. Are there limitations to displaying summary information on these devices? Summarize any noteworthy customer feedback regarding the display of summary bill information on mobile devices.

7. Include any other information the Authority should consider in its review.

Docket 14-07-19RE02 (incidental residential)

Docket 14-07-19RE03 (commercial)

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