New York Orders Online Bill Calculator for ESCO Versus Default Supply Costs, Defers On-Bill Comparisons

The New York PSC has authorized Niagara Mohawk to develop an online bill calculator to present residential customers taking electric and natural gas service from ESCOs with the amount that these customers would have been billed had they purchased supply from the utility.

Specifically, NiMo may proceed to implement an online bill calculator for residential ESCO customers, as detailed in a joint proposal in NiMo's rate case, without need of further action by the Commission, provided that a collaborative produces a consensus on how this measure is to be developed. The collaborative should report its results to the Commission within 90 days.

The Commission noted that unlike with other measures concerning ESCO versus default supply cost comparisons, there is general consensus about implementing the online bill calculator, and that "implementation of the Niagara Mohawk bill calculator [is] likely to be resolved in this proceeding versus the generic [retail market] proceeding."

The Commission did not authorize adoption of other measures relating to ESCO versus default service cost comparisons, including the provision of such comparisons on utility consolidated bills, and the provision of the information to payment-troubled customers.

The Commission encouraged parties to consider and address these additional measures in the report from the collaborative, which may contain proposals related to these measures, or an explanation of why such measures may not be feasible or useful in the Niagara Mohawk service territory.

However, the PSC said that it expects that the generic retail market investigation proceeding will be the forum for broader discussion and for any implementation order that may be necessary on the Commission's part pertaining to any measures beyond the online bill calculator.

"Because the range of recommended actions and the extent of agreement or disagreement resulting from the collaborative in this proceeding remain uncertain, and because the issues are also relevant in the context of the generic proceeding, any report of the collaborative on the issues of including comparisons in bills, and outreach to payment-troubled customers, should be submitted to us for further consideration," the PSC said.

Case 12-E-0201 et. al.