State to Review Potential for Supplier Consolidated Billing, Seeks Comment on Practice

The Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, as part of a legislatively prescribed review, has sought stakeholder comment on the use of supplier consolidated billing by electric suppliers, and issued specific questions concerning electric suppliers' collection of supplier and distribution utility charges.

Among other things, PURA sought comment on:

• Feasibility of electric suppliers' billing of all components of electric service

• The process and timeframe in which the EDCs would receive payment from electric suppliers for the EDC distribution charges on customer bills

• Benefits and detriments to customers, EDCs and electric suppliers for the suppliers' billing of all components of electric service.

• Tools and processes that would be necessary for electric suppliers to effectuate the billing of all components of electric service, including the interactions that would be necessary between the EDCs and the electric suppliers

• Statutory changes necessary to accommodate electric supplier direct billing

Electric suppliers were specifically asked to comment on how the following customer service obligations would be fulfilled:

• Complaint handling and dispute resolution;

• Collection process for overdue bills;

• Termination process for delinquent accounts including notification requirements and the steps a customer may take to remedy the situation;

• Compliance with the medical hardship customer special termination protections, including winter moratorium;

• Forgiveness programs for hardship customers to help pay delinquent bills;

• Process for notifying medical customers, customers that use life-support equipment, or a customer's designated third party prior to weather events that could cause significant outages;

• The amount and process for charging late fees;

• How delinquent balances would be reported to credit rating agencies; and

• How customers would be notified of their rights with respect to bill adjustments

Suppliers were also directed to discuss security deposit requirements from residential and commercial/industrial customers, and the types of identification that would be required from new customers.

Furthermore, suppliers who are already billing customers in other jurisdictions were asked to provide, among other things:

• Sample copies of bills, notices, consumer rights, and terms and conditions;

• Procedures for notifying customers of rate changes, including copies of sample notices and other written material used to notify customers of changes (variable and fixed rate customers); and

• Method and frequency of issuing bills

Docket 13-08-15