State Agency Proposes Tracking Impact On Arrearages From Customer's Participation In Retail Electric Choice

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Bureau of Energy and Technology Policy (BETP) said in comments to the Connecticut PURA, in an energy affordability proceeding (Docket No. 17-12-03RE01), that the impact, on the customer's arrearage status, from a customer's participation in retail electric choice should be tracked

BETP noted the pending draft decision in a separate proceeding, Docket 18-06-02, under which all "hardship" customers would be transferred to standard service and not permitted to choose a retail electric supplier. See more details on such draft decision here, which had been exclusively first reported by EnergyChoiceMatters.com

A hardship customer is defined pursuant to Sections 16-245o(m) and 16-262c of the General Statutes of Connecticut

BETP noted that hardship customers are a subset of low-income customers.

"Many low-income customers who have not qualified as hardship customers may also find themselves struggling with energy costs and either be in arrears or close to it," BETP said

Citing previously reported data offered in Docket 18-06-02, BETP said that, "In Connecticut, hardship customers paid $7.2 million more to third party suppliers than customers on standard service rates."

"BETP is concerned that non-hardship low income customers may also be significantly overpaying for wholesale energy," BETP said

As such, BETP said, "BETP believes it would be useful to track the impacts of consumer participation in retail electric supply on customers’ arrearage status."