20040618Responses of Avista to CAPAI.pdf

Avista Corp.
1411 East Mission PO Box 3727
Spokane. Washington 99220-3727
Telephone [phone]
Toll Free 800-727-9170
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June 17, 2004
iD \iU tUbL IC.
UT iLIT iES COf'1t'lISSION
Brad Purdy
Attorney at Law
2019 N. 17th 8t.
Boise, ID 83702
Re:First Production Request of CAP AI.
in Case Nos. A VU-04-01 and A VU-04-
Mr. Purdy,
I have attached one copy of Avista s response to CAP AI's Data Request No(s). 12 , 16
, 24, 25 , 26, 28, 33, 35, 36, 42, and 43.
If you have any questions, please call me at [phone] or Don Falkner at (509) 495-
4326.
Mike Fin
Rate Analyst
A vista Utilities
Enclosures
Cc:M. Karp
S. Woodbury
D. Peseau
A. Yankel
C. Ward
(A W.I.S.
(IPUC)
(Utility Resources, Inc.
(Yankel & Assoc, Inc.
(Potlatch)
JURISDICTION:
CASE NO:
REQUESTER:
TYPE:
REQUEST NO.
REQUEST:
VISTA CORPORATION
RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
Idaho
A VU-04-01 / A VU-04-
CAP AI
Data Request
012
DATE PREPARED:
WITNESS:
RESPOND ER:
D EP AR TMENT:
TELEPHONE:
06/15/2004
Brian Hirschkom
Tara Knox
Rates
[phone]
Please provide the average residential bill by month for each month January 1 , 1998 to present.
RESPONSE:
See attached list.
AVISTA UTILITIES
CASE NOS. AVU-04-1 and AVU-04-
2004 Idaho Electric and Gas Case
Community Action Partnership Association of Idaho
Data Request No. 12
Average Idaho Residential Bills 1998 to the present
Date Electric Bill Natural Gas Bill Date Electric Bill Natural Gas Bill
Jan-$ 74.$62.Jan-$ 74.91.
Feb-$ 59.$52.Feb-$ 63.79.
Mar-$ 54.$46.Mar-$ 60.84.
Apr-$45.41 $34.Apr-$ 52.67.
May-$ 38.$22.May-O 1 $ 45.47.
Jun-$ 36.$18.Jun-$ 40.27.
Jul-$ 34.$11.Jul-$ 39.19.
Aug-$ 38.$ 8.Aug-$ 41.15.
Sep-$ 36.$ 9.Sep-$ 43.43 16.
Oct-$ 36.$15.Oct-$ 41.28.
Nov-$ 44.44 $31.Nov-$ 53.63.
Dec-$ 58.$48.Dec-$ 69.95.
Jan-$ 76.$68.Jan-$ 80.$ 119.
Feb-$ 59.$55.Feb-$ 70.46 $ 105.
Mar-$ 52.$49.Mar-$ 68.47 $ 102.
Apr-$ 46.$40.45 Apr-$ 58.79.42
May-$ 39.$29.May-$ 50.52.
Jun-$ 36.$20.44 Jun-$ 45.49 33.
Jul-$ 35.$14.Jul-$ 44.19.
Aug-$ 36.$10.49 Aug-$ 46.16.
Sep-$ 39.$11.Sep-$ 45.18.
Oct-$ 40.$19.Oct-$ 44.32.
Nov-$ 45.$33.Nov-$ 58.42 70.
Dec-$ 59.$51.Dec-$ 69.78.49
Jan-$ 70.$67.Jan-$ 75.88.
Feb-$ 62.$62.Feb-$ 66.79.
Mar-$ 56.$51.Mar-$ 65.77.
Apr-$ 49.$39.Apr-$ 58.60.
May-$ 41.$26.May-$ 50.45 43.
Jun-$ 39.45 $19.40 Jun-$ 47.26.
Jul-$ 38.41 $13.Jul-$ 46.16.48
Aug-$ 42.$1 0.Aug-$ 51.13.
Sep-$ 41.$13.Sep-$ 49.15.
Oct-$ 41.$27.Oct -$ 45.22.
Nov-$ 51 .$51.Nov-$ 57.56.
Dec-$ 70.$86.- Dec-$ 76.92.
Jan-$ 87.$ 111.
F eb-$ 73.92.
Mar-$ 64.74.
Apr-$ 54.51.41
May-$ 47.35.
CAPAI DR 012.xls
JURISDICTION:
CASE NO:
REQUESTER:
TYPE:
REQUEST NO.
REQUEST:
VISTA CORPORATION
RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
Idaho
A VU-O4-01 / A VU-O4-
CAP AI
Data Request
DATE PREPARED:
WITNESS:
RESPOND ER:
D EP AR TMENT:
TELEPHONE:
06/16/2004
Don KopczYnski
Renee Webb
Planning! Anal ysis
[phone]
Please provide the annual number of arrearages, disconnects, and bad debt broken down by
customer class.
RESPONSE:
Please see the following information relating to Avista s 2002 Test-year.
Annual Number of Arreara es - Year 2002
RESIDENTIAL
NON-RESIDENTIAL
Annual Number of Disconnects - Year 2002
RESIDENTIAL
NON-RESIDENTIAL
RESIDENTIAL
NON-RESIDENTIAL
5039
269
JURISDICTION:
CASE NO:
REQUESTER:
TYPE:
REQUEST NO.
REQUEST:
VISTA CORPORATION
RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
Idaho
A VU-O4-01 1 A VU-O4-
CAP AI
Data Request
. DATE PREPARED:
WITNESS:
RESPONDER:
DEP ARTMENT:
TELEPHONE:
06/16/2004
Don KopczYnski
Renee Webb
Planning! Analysis
[phone]
For each year since 1997, please provide the number of each of the following:
RESPONSE:
Disconnection of service for nonpayment;
The negotiation of a deferred payment arrangement;
Issuance of a written disconnect notice;
The reconnection of service;
A field collection visit;
A field visit to deliver a personal or written disconnect notice;
A telephone reminder of nonpayment.
Please see the attached spreadsheet with the information available for the years 1997
through 2003.
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JURISDICTION:
CASE NO:
REQ UES TER:
TYPE:
REQUEST NO.
VISTA CORPORATION
RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
DATE PREPARED:
WITNESS:
RESPONDER:
DEP ARTMENT:
TELEPHONE:
Idaho
A VU-04-0 1 1 A VU-O4-0 1
CAP AI
Data Request
06/16/2004
Don KopczYnski
DJ Spooner
Customer Service
[phone]
REQUEST:
Please provide a detailed description of each different type of deferred payment plan
offered by the company to residential customers. Separately indicate to whom (or under
what circumstances) each type of deferred payment plan is offered.
RESPONSE:
The various payment arrangements described below are available to A vista s customers.
The specific type of arrangement offered is often a direct result of a customer request.
Additional circumstances that are evaluated by Avista s Customer Service
Representatives (CSR) and may determine the type of payment plan offered include:
. A specific need identified/perceived by Avista s CSR'
The Customer s account balance, payment history, and past history for keeping
arrangements
Whether the current arrangement is the result of preceding broken arrangement
and
The individual Customer s ability to pay.
Short Term
Extends the due date of the account balance owing, or splits the balance into
agreed upon increments to be paid before the next bill's due date.
Balance in Full
Extends the due date of the entire account balance if the current charges are past
due.
rrent Bill Plus
Allows the balance owing to be paid with the next monthly bill, or split into
increments and paid over time with the upcoming monthly bills.
Levelized
The customer pays the average bill amount plus a minimum of 1/1ih the account
balance. The plan ends once the account balance is lower than the Levelized
amount.
Comfort Level Billing
Averages the annual energy bill into equal monthly payments.
Suspend Until
Suspends collection activity on the account to the agreed upon date noted on the
arrangement. Often used to allow time for the customer to contact assistant
agencIes.
Preferred Pay Day
Changes the due date on the monthly bill to a date that is more convenient for the
customer, often based on when the customer is paid.
Temporary Payment Plan
Allows a payment plan of any agreed upon amount, lasting no longer than six
months.
Moratorium
Offered yearly from December 1 8t through the last day in February to customers
with household members who are children, elderly or infirmed.
CAPAI Data Request No. 24 Page 2
VISTA CORPORATION
RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
JURISDICTION:
CASE NO:
REQUESTER:
TYPE:
REQUEST NO.
Idaho
A VU - E-O4-0 1 1 A VU -O4-0 1
CAP AI
Data Request
DATE PREPARED:
WITNESS:
RESPOND ER:
DEP ARTMENT:
TELEPHONE:
REQUEST:
06/16/2004
Don KopczYnski
Renee Webb
Planning! Analysis
[phone]
Please provide for each year for the past three years:a. The total number of customers on each type of payment plan.b. The total number of low-income customers on each type of payment plan.c. The total number of low-income customers who have failed to maintain one or
more payment plans for each type of payment plan.
RESPONSE:
Balance in Full
Current Bill Plus
Short Term Arrangement
ual Pa Arreara e
Special Pa ment Pro ram
Levelized Pa ment Plan
Total
13,209 18 872
10,736 11 923
604 70,426
547 739
545 1 902
83,647 103,874
292
921
514
406
587
733
b. & c.
It has been A vista s long-standing practice to not collect data regarding our individual
Customer s personal income levels. As a result, we cannot distinguish between low-
income and non-low-income customers, and can therefore not quantify the number of
low-income customers who have failed to maintain one or more payment plans for each
type of payment plan shown above.
VISTA CORPORATION
RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
JURISDICTION:
CASE NO:
REQ UES TER:
TYPE:
REQUEST NO.
Idaho
A VU - E-04-0 1 1 A VU -O4-0 1
CAP AI
Data Request
DATE PREPARED:
WITNES S
RESPONDER:
D EP AR TMENT:
TELEPHONE:
6/15/2004
Don KopczYnski
DJ Spooner
Customer Service
[phone]
REQUEST:
Please provide:a. the total bad debt expense associated with low-income customers;b. the total number of disconnects for nonpayment of low-income customers;c. The total number of deferred payment arrangements with low-income customers;d. The total number of written disconnect notices to low-income customers;e. The total number of service reconnections for low-income customers;f. The total number of field collection visits to low-income customers;
g.
The total number of field visits to deliver a personal or written disconnect notices to
low - income customers;h. The total number of telephone reminders of nonpayment to low-income customers.
RESPONSE:
It has been A vista s long-standing practice to not collect data regarding our individual Customer
personal income levels, so we cannot provide the requested totals associated with our low-
income customers.
VISTA CORPORATION
RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
JURISDICTION:
CASE NO:
REQUESTER:
TYPE:
REQUEST NO.
Idaho
A VU-O4-01 1 A VU-O4-
CAP AI
Data Request
DATE PREPARED:
WITNESS:
RESPONDER:
DEPARTMENT:
TELEPHONE:
06/16/2004
Don KopczYnski
DJ Spooner
Customer Service
[phone]
REQUEST:
Please describe the basic administrative process a customer must "walk-through" in order
to obtain a deferred payment arrangement. A response to this Request should contain a
description of the process from the point of initial contact with the Company to the point
where the Company and the custpmer document the agreement.
RESPONSE:
Customers can initiate payment arrangements on their account by simply calling A vista
Contact Center and speaking to a Customer Service Representative (CSR) or by initiating
short-term arrangements through Avista s Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system.
the Customer, however, finds the arrangements offered through Avista s IVR do not meet
their needs, they can always choose to speak to a CSR.
When making payment arrangements with our Customers, Avista s CSRs are instructed
to follow our Six-Step Payment Arrangement Guidelines. These guidelines will lead the
CSR and prompt them to first address the Customer s full account balance, while still
providing the latitude to offer longer term arrangements as needed.
Six-Step Payment Arrangement Guidelines
1. Address full balance. Arrangements should always include the entire account balance
and deposit if applicable.
2. If customer is unable to pay balance in full, ask for minimum of the full past due
balance on the account.
3. If customer is unable to pay full past due balance, ask for the amount due on
delinquent notice.
4. If unable to pay notice amount, ask what the customer can pay.
5. If customer does not propose a satisfactory arrangement, ask for at least Y2 of the
notice amount now and account balance within 30 days.
6. Ask for longer-term arrangements.
All payment arrangements are documented on the Customer Service System (CSS) and
retained in the Customer s account recap history. Additionally, long-term payment
arrangement amounts are reflected on the Customer s monthly bill.
JURISDICTION:
CASE NO:
REQUESTER:
TYPE:
REQUEST NO.
REQUEST:
VISTA CORPORATION
RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
Idaho
A VU-O4-01 1 A VU-O4-
CAP AI
Data Request
DATE PREPARED:
WITNESS:
RESPOND ER:
DEPARTMENT:
TELEPHONE:
6/15/2004
Don Kopczynski
DJ Spooner
Customer Service
[phone]
If no such "collectability studies" exist, please provide the methodology for assessing allowances
for doubtful accounts and describe in detail how residential accounts receivable are evaluated to
calculate the allowance.
RESPONSE:
Please see Avista s response to CAP AI data request number 34.
VISTA CORPORATION
RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
JURISDICTION:
CASE NO:
REQUESTER:
TYPE:
REQUEST NO.
Idaho
A VU - E-O4-0 1 1 A VU -O4-0 1
CAP AI
Data Request
DATE PREPARED:
WITNESS:
RESPONDER:
DEPARTMENT:
TELEPHONE:
06/16/2004
Don KopczYnski
Renee Webb
Planning! Analysis
[phone]
REQUEST:
Please provide the number of residential accounts with each vintage of arrears on the first
day of each month for each month since January 1998 inclusive. Provide the following
vintages if available: (a) 30-60 days; (b) 61-90 days; (c) 91+ days. Ifnot available
provide what vintages are available.
RESPONSE:
Please see the attached spreadsheet. Idaho specific data is only available for the period
January 1 , 2002 to present.
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VISTA CORPORATION
RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
JURISDICTION:
CASE NO:
REQUESTER:
TYPE:
REQUEST NO.
Idaho
AVU-O4-01 1 AVU-O4-
CAP AI
Data Request
DATE PREPARED:
WITNESS:
RESPOND ER:
D EP AR TMENT :
TELEPHONE:
06/16/2004
Don KopczYnski
Renee Webb
Planning! Analysis
[phone]
REQUEST:
Please provide the dollars of arrears for the residential class on the first day of each
month for each month since January 1998 inclusive. Provide the following vintages if
available: (a) 30-60 days; (b) 61-90 days; (c) 91+ days. Ifnot available, provide what
vintages are available.
RESPONSE:
Please see Avista s response to CAP AI Data Request No. 35.
VISTA CORPORATION
RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
JURISDICTION:
CASE NO:
REQUESTER:
TYPE:
REQUEST NO.
Idaho
A VU-O4-01 1 A VU-O4-
CAP AI
Data Request
DATE PREPARED:
WITNES S
RESPONDER:
DEP ARTMENT:
TELEPHONE:
06/16/2004
Don KopczYnski
Renee Webb
Planning! Analysis
[phone]
REQUEST:
Please provide the total number of customers receiving LIHEAP grants for service
provided by the Company in the:
a. 2001-2 program year;
b. 2001-2 program year. . (assumption you meant 2002-2003 program year)
RESPONSE:
A vista does not capture the number of customers receiving LIHEAP grants, nor the dollar
amount of LIHEAP grants provided to our customers, separately from other grant agency
information (e., Project Share, Catholic Charities, Salvation Army).
VISTA CORPORATION
RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
JURISDICTION:
CASE NO:
REQ UES TER:
TYPE:
REQUEST NO.
Idaho
A VU - E-O4-0 1 1 A VU -O4-0 1
CAP AI
Data Request
DATE PREPARED:
WITNESS:
RESPONDER:
DEP ARTMENT:
TELEPHONE:
06/16/2004
Don KopczYnski
Renee Webb
Planning! Analysis
[phone]
REQUEST:
Please provide the amount of benefits (in dollars) receiving in LIHEAP grants for eligible
customers in the:
a. 2001-2002 program year;
b. 2001-2002 program year. (assumption you meant 2002-2003 program year)
RESPONSE:
A vista does not capture the number of customers receiving LIHEAP grants, nor the dollar
amount of LIHEAP grants provided to our customers, separately from other grant agency
information (e., Project Share, Catholic Charities, Salvation Army).