Pennsylvania PUC Stays Order Approving Modified PECO Prepay Pilot Program

The Pennsylvania PUC has issued an order staying its prior order approving a modified prepaid pilot for electricity and dual-fuel customers at PECO

PECO's proposed prepaid pilot was proposed to be limited to 2,000 residential shopping and default service customers. See more on PECO's proposal, as originally filed, here

As previously reported by EnergyChoiceMatters.com, the PUC, in adopting a modified version of the prepay program, departed from an ALJ's initial decision which had found that PECO's proposed pilot, due to barriers to the EGS-customer relationship and the different access provided to the utility versus retail suppliers, "inhibits [the] competitive market." See discussion concerning the ALJ's findings in our prior story here

As more fully discussed in our prior story (details here), the PUC approved PECO's prepay program subject to additional consumer protections, such as providing that a customer who has not paid during the five-day prepay grace period is automatically removed from the program and returned to standard payment terms

PECO was directed to indicate whether it accepted the modified terms.

Various consumer advocates have filed for reconsideration of the PUC's approval of the prepay program, as such parties sought additional consumer protections (or outright rejection of the pilot)

Retail suppliers did not seek reconsideration of the PUC's order

Given the requests for reconsideration, the consumer advocates asked for a stay of the PUC's order approving the modified prepay pilot program. PECO did not oppose a stay, noting that it wished for certainty on the final PUC-authorized design before making a compliance filing or otherwise moving forward or indicating acceptance of the PUC's modifications

For such reasons, the PUC granted a stay, stating that, "in order to make best use of the time and resources of all Parties and the Commission in the instant case, we shall stay the implementation of the June 18 Order until such time that a final Order is entered that resolves the issues raised in the Petitions for Reconsideration and potentially establishes a new timeline for a future PECO compliance filing."

P-2016-2573023