Utility Files For Approval To Permit Retail Suppliers To Bill Non-Commodity Services On Utility Bill

Dayton Power and Light has filed for approval at the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to implement a non-commodity billing process that will allow retail electric suppliers to include non-commodity products and services on DP&L's consolidated bill ready bill

DP&L had committed to propose such a service as part of a prior stipulation.

DP&L said that it will implement non-commodity billing by updating its billing system and accounting records to allow suppliers to add "non-commodity" charges to DP&L's consolidated bill ready bill, separate from supplier commodity charges. In order to accommodate this new functionality with minimal change to the customer, DP&L will include supplier non-commodity charges in the Miscellaneous section of its consolidated bill and consistent with the Ohio EDI guidelines. These charges will be separately shown and identified as supplier charges.

Any supplier non-commodity charges will be paid last through the posting priorities, as prescribed in O.A.C § 4901:1-10-33(H)(1)(e). This interpretation of posting priorities will prevent DP&L customers from having their electricity shut off for nonpayment of non-commodity services, the utility said

Pursuant to the Approved Amended Stipulation in Case Nos. 16-395-EL-SSO, et al., DP&L is seeking approval of accounting authority to defer all expenses related to the implementation of non-commodity billing, including all carrying charges at DP&L's most recently approved cost of long-term debt on an expedited basis. DP&L estimates that the overall cost to implement non-commodity billing as detailed in this application to be approximately $500,000, plus any appropriate carrying charges.

The Amended Stipulation states that: "DP&L will be permitted to seek cost recovery associated with providing non-commodity billing in part from CRES providers utilizing non-commodity billing and other third parties and ratepayers equally in another proceeding with any application for cost recovery to be submitted on an expedited basis to ensure timely implementation of non-commodity billing."

DP&L proposes that retail suppliers pay half of the final expenses in a lump sum, estimated to be approximately $250,000. The supplier recovery will be used to pay down asset and deferral balances.

Finally, DP&L proposes that the recovery of the remaining expenses be recovered through the Regulatory Compliance Rider (RCR), which is subject to a $20M cap on recovery, in order to ensure cost recovery on an expedited basis.

DP&L intends to implement this new process to allow for suppliers to include non-commodity products and services on its utility consolidated bill within twelve (12) months of final Commission approval of its application

Case No. 19-860-EL-UNC