Texas ALJ Rules on Whether Additional REPs Are Included in Complaint Case, Seeks Staff Opinion on Disconnect Hold

A Texas ALJ has ruled that a complaint case brought by a customer against Ambit Energy and CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric regarding the imposition of demand charges after the customer's rate class was changed shall only address charges during the period the customer was served by Ambit.

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CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric had sought a clarification from the ALJ regarding the scope of the case, noting that the customer has taken service from three other REPs since departing from Ambit. CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric noted that the customer has generally sought relief from all demand charges, which would implicate those imposed by other REPs after the customer left Ambit.

The ALJ affirmed that the scope of the case, as set forth in prior orders, "will address only the charges to Complainant's account during the original contract term with Ambit."

Further, the scope of the case was previously established as including issues that, "pertain to the limited subject of the demand charges that were charged by CenterPoint to Ambit pursuant to CenterPoint's tariff, and then passed on by Ambit to Complainant on his electric bills while Ambit was Complainant's REP."

"To the extent that Complainant disputes any fees or charges incurred from REPs other than Ambit, those disputes involve nonparties to this proceeding, are beyond the scope of this case, and will not be considered at the contested-case hearing," the ALJ said.

Regarding whether a disconnection hold should continue to apply to the customer's account, since the customer's REP is no longer Ambit and, as delineated above, the current case does not involve any dispute the customer may have with their current REP, the ALJ directed Staff to file a recommendation on the issue.

Docket 42111