Ohio Changes Calculation of Price to Compare

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has changed the calculation of the electric Price to Compare, in an order on rehearing of its retail market order.

In the retail market order, PUCO had ordered the use of a 12-month rolling average Price to Compare.

However, on rehearing, PUCO has ruled that a 12-month rolling average Price to Compare should not be used at this time, opting to return to a Price to Compare that is based on the most recent month's charges.

"The Commission acknowledges the opposition to the rolling annual average price-to-compare ... As argued by DP&L, Duke, and FirstEnergy, the Commission agrees that a rolling annual average price-to-compare could cause confusion among customers with percent-off price-to-compare contracts by CRES providers," PUCO said.

"However, the Commission does not agree that use of a rolling annual average will not provide customers with a useful indication of the cost of SSO service. The Commission initially adopted the rolling annual average price-to-compare in order to provide customers shopping for long-term, fixed-rate CRES contracts with a 12-month span of information in order to account for seasonal pricing fluctuations," PUCO said.

"Although the Commission continues to harbor this concern as to fixed-rate contracts, the Commission finds that, at the present time, Staff's recommendation in the Work Plan should be adopted," PUCO said.

"Consequently, the price-to-compare should be calculated by dividing the dollar amount of the current month's bill that could be avoided with switching by the number of kWh used that month," PUCO said.

PUCO ordered a working group to continue studying methods of calculating the Price to Compare, noting problems with the use of a monthly snapshot.

PUCO also granted rehearing to affirm that electric utilities must provide interval customer energy usage data (CEUD) to retail providers, in a manner consistent with the Commission's rules, Ohio Adm. Code 4901:1-10-24. Utilities must file amended tariffs that specify the terms, conditions, and charges associated with providing interval CEUD within six months of the rehearing order.