Duke Energy Ohio to Make More Rate Codes Available to Retail Suppliers

Duke Energy Ohio, as part of a natural gas rate case settlement, has agreed to make additional rate codes available to retail natural gas suppliers.

Currently, there is a limit of 40 rate codes for natural gas suppliers using Duke's consolidated billing.

Under the settlement, Duke Energy Ohio shall make available to competitive retail natural gas suppliers up to 80 rate codes per supplier to be provided under the company's current fee structure as set forth in Duke Rate SAC, PUCO Gas No. 18, Sheet No. 45.2, meaning that 25 rate codes will be provided at no charge and any rate codes above 25 used by a supplier will be provided at a cost of $30 per rate code per month. Duke shall make these additional rate codes (up to 80) available to suppliers within 60 calendar days of the Commission's Opinion and Order in the rate case.

Additionally, Duke Energy Ohio shall enter into good faith negotiations with suppliers to: (1) determine ways in which the supplier could help streamline rate code processing to lessen or avoid costs associated with additional incremental rate codes above 80 and (2) to the extent necessary, establish supplier paid fee structure to compensate the company for its incremental costs for processing additional incremental rate codes above 80. Duke shall not charge through distribution rates or any other recovery mechanism the incremental cost of making additional rate codes available to suppliers to Duke Energy Ohio's customers

Duke Energy Ohio shall also work with suppliers to complete, within 12 months of the date of the Opinion and Order in these proceedings, a plan for a permanent billing system modification to replace the current rate code per month fee structure if such permanent billing system modifications are more economical than long-term continuation of the per rate code per month structure. Upon mutual agreement that permanent billing system modifications are more economical, Duke Energy Ohio and suppliers shall work in good faith to agree upon the details of implementing and suppliers paying for the permanent billing system modification including a reasonable time frame for completion. The company shall not charge through distribution rates or any other recovery mechanism the cost of any such billing system modification to Duke Energy Ohio's customers.

The settlement was signed by Duke Energy Ohio, Inc., the Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel (OCC), Commission Staff, and Direct Energy Services, LLC and Direct Energy Business, LLC, among others

Case No. 12-1686-GA-ATA et. al.