Texas TDU To Pay $20,000 To Settle Alleged Violations Due To Excessive Consecutive Use Of Estimated Meter Reads

AEP Texas, Inc., as the successor in interest to AEP Texas Central Company, would pay $20,000 under a settlement with Staff of the Public Utility Commission of Texas to resolve alleged violations of 16 Tex. Admin. Code (TAC) § 25.214(c), relating to Transmission and Distribution Utility Tariffs, and specifically tariff provisions governing the use of estimated meter reads

The tariff generally provides that a TDU shall not perform an Estimated Meter Reading for more than three consecutive Scheduled Meter Reading Dates for a Retail Customer's Premises when Retail Customer has not denied access

PUC Enforcement Staff alleged that AEP TCC failed to comply with the terms of the tariff by estimating customer meter readings for more than three consecutive months. As stated in the settlement, AEP TCC estimated meter usage data for more than three consecutive months as indicated in its Annual Performance Measures for the Retail Market Report for the following period: June 2014 through January 2015.

Staff identified 80 meters with readings that were estimated for more than three consecutive months, the settlement stated.

AEP Texas provided O&E the following explanation regarding the 80 meters with readings that were estimated for more than three consecutive months.

a. 48 meters — AEP TCC was waiting for end-use customer repairs that were due to conditions on the end-use customer's side of the meter requiring temporary meter disconnections in instances such as structure and equipment fire, unsafe conditions such as the meter loop not up to code and meter tampering.

b. 8 meters — AEP TCC being delayed in obtaining needed end-use customer clearance from large industrial accounts in which clearance must be coordinated.

c. 17 meters — AEP TCC had AMI communication issues where the meter was not communicating.

d. 2 meters — AEP TCC did not have access to the meter due to completely impassable roads.

e. 5 meters — AEP TCC had to order new metering equipment for these commercial/industrial end-use customers where AEP Texas found damaged metering equipment.

AEP has taken various corrective measures to prevent similar issues in the future

Docket 47519