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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20061214_1761.pdfDECISION MEMORANDUM TO:CO MMISSI 0 NER KJELLAND ER COMMISSIONER SMITH COMMISSIONER HANSEN COMMISSION SECRETARY COMMISSION STAFF LEGAL FROM:DONOVAN E. WALKER DATE:DECEMBER 12, 2006 SUBJECT:IDAHO POWER'S PETITION FOR A PERMANENT EXEMPTION FROM CUSTOMER RELATIONS RULE 201.03 AS APPLIED TO TIME- ARIANT PRICING SERVICE, CASE NO. IPC-06- On December 1 , 2006, Idaho Power Company filed a Petition requesting a permanent exemption from Utility Customer Relations Rule (UCRR) 201.03, IDAPA 31.21.01.201.03, as it applies to all current and future time-variant pricing services. UCRR 201.03 requires that the beginning and ending meter readings appear on customer billings. Idaho Power was previously granted a waiver of the requirements of UCRR 201.03 as it applies to the inclusion of the beginning and ending meter readings for time-variant pricing service on customers ' bills under Schedules 4 , 5 , and 19. Order No. 29834. That waiver expires on December 31 , 2006. !d. The Company requests that its Petition be processed by Modified Procedure. THE PETITION Idaho Power currently has three tariff schedules with time-variant pricing based on usage data collected by Advanced Meter Reading (AMR) systems. Schedule 19 is available to large commercial customers with metered demand of 1 000 kW or more per billing period. Schedules 4 and 5 are voluntary pilot programs, the Energy Watch and Time-of-Day Pilot Programs, available to residential customers in the Emmett Valley until April 1 , 2007. The Company states that it uses meter data management systems (MDMS) provided by a third-party vendor, and the MDMS is not designed in such a way that the beginning and ending meter readings can be displayed on customers' bills. The Company states that it does not believe it is the best use of resources to modify the MOMS to enable the display of the beginning DECISION MEMORANDUM and ending meter reading on the monthly bills of those participating in time-variant pricing options. The Company states that it has not received any inquiries from customers regarding their beginning and ending monthly meter readings. Customer bills currently display the total metered energy consumption broken into time periods as well as other data required by UCRR 201. The Company states that its customer service representatives have access to the beginning and ending meter read information, and can directly assist customers should a dispute or inquiry arIse. The Company states that it requests a permanent exemption from the requirement of displaying the monthly beginning and ending meter reading, in order to cost-effectively accommodate the technological advances in meter reading and billing made possible by AMR. It states that such an exemption will allow the Company to make additional time-variant pricing services available in the future without requesting additional limited waivers. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff has reviewed the Company s Petition and recommends that it be processed by Modified Procedure with comments due on January 8, 2006. Staff also recommends that the December 31 , 2006 expiration of the previously granted, temporary waiver be extended during the pendency of this case. COMMISSION DECISION Does the Commission wish to authorize the use of Modified Procedure to process the Company s Petition? Does the Commission wish to extend the previously granted waiver during the pendency ofthis case? Donovan E. Walker --- DECISION MEMORANDUM