Pennsylvania Adopts Format For Joint Natural Gas Supplier-Utility Bill, Sets Implementation Timeline

The Pennsylvania PUC adopted a final order governing joint natural gas supplier-utility bills, and directed natural gas utilities to implement the new joint supplier-LDC bills within one year.

The joint supplier-LDC bills issued by utilities will include a logo of the customer's chosen supplier, in color or black and white, four lines of supplier messaging space, and a shopping information box.

The PUC said that it will be voluntary for a supplier to include its logo on customer bills.

The PUC directed that suppliers be provided with four lines of messaging space on the joint bill and said, "We believe reasonable attempts should be made to ensure that the additional bill messaging space can be formatted within the framework of existing NGDC bill templates."

"We strongly encourage NGSs to maximize their use of this messaging space often and to provide contract expiration dates, where feasible and appropriate, to inform and remind customers of upcoming generation supply changes," the PUC said.

However, the PUC declined to require LDCs to offer line-item billing for value-added services offered by suppliers

The PUC directed that the joint bill include a Shopping Information Box that includes a customer’s account/customer supplier ID number (whichever is needed to effectuate a switch), the customer’s Rate Schedule and an indication that this information is needed when shopping with a natural gas supplier. The Shopping Information Box should include language reminding a customer who has already shopped to be aware of whether or not their current generation supply contract has an expiration date and, if so, when the expiration occurs, the PUC said.

The PUC is not requiring LDCs to include supplier bill inserts with utility bills at this time

The PUC directed that costs of implementing the new joint bill be recovered from customers via nonbypassable surcharge