20150928_4781.pdf

DECISION MEMORANDUM
TO:COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER
COMMISSIONER SMITH
COMMISSIONER RAPER
COMMISSION SECRETARY
LEGAL
WORKING FILE
FROM:MARK ROGERS
DATE:SEPTEMBER 24,2015
SUBJECT:IDAHO POWER’S TARIFF ADVICE NO.15-10 MODIFICATION TO
SCHEDULE 5-RESIDENTIAL SERVICE TIME-OF-DAY PILOT PLAN
On August 21,2015,Idaho Power Company filed a Tariff Advice with the Commission
seeking authority to modify its Electric Service Schedule 5,Residential Service Time-of-Day
Pilot Plan.In this Tariff Advice,Idaho Power proposes that when a customer requests service be
transferred from Schedule Ito Schedule 5,the transfer be made the day after the next billing
cycle.Currently,Schedule 5 specifies that the transfer will occur within 7 days of the request.
Idaho Power requests that the Tariff Advice be processed under Modified Procedure and that the
proposed change be effective October 1,2015.
BACKGROUND
Idaho Power’s Schedule 5 Residential Service Time-of-Day Pilot is an optional schedule
available to certain customers.The schedule provides residential customers with the option to
take electric service with seasonal time-of-day energy rates.According to Idaho Power,the steps
currently used to transfer a customer from Schedule 1 to Schedule 5 result in the customer not
being able to view their historical usage information on their myAccount website.
Idaho Power states that a new process has been identified in the customer relationship
and billing system that will allow historic usage information to continue to be available on the
website when a customer transfers service.However,under the new process the transfer from
one rate schedule to another can only occur at the time of the cycle billing.Therefore,Idaho
Power proposes that in the future all new changes between residential schedules be made the day
after the end of the billing cycle following the request.
DECISION MEMORANDUM 1 SEPTEMBER 24,2015
STAFF ANALYSIS
Staff has assessed the benefits and issues associated with the transfer of a customer from
Schedule I to Schedule 5.The main disadvantage to the customer is that it may take longer than
the currently required 7 days to be placed on Schedule 5.Specifically,if a customer requests a
transfer I to 2 days after the billing cycle,they would need to wait nearly the whole billing cycle
before being placed on the new Schedule.Conversely,to the customers benefit,if a request is
made within a few days of the end of their billing cycle,they could be placed on the new
schedule in less than the currently required seven days.
Staff discovered that Idaho Power’s IT department will not be implementing the new
process that enables the historical usage to be seen until the spring of 2016.Staff confirmed that
customers who switch to Schedule S will not be able to see historical usage for the past 12
months until this IT process is implemented in the spring.
Staff believes the changes to Schedule S can be made effective October 1 despite the fact
that customers will not see their historical usage until spring.Since customers are currently
unable to see their historical usage on Schedule 5,the only effects of the change is the length of
time required to be placed on the Schedule;as previously described.However,given that the
main goal of the modification to ScheduleS is to enable customers to see their historical usage,
Stall believes that the IT changes should be implemented as soon as possible.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff believes that the modification to Schedule 5 Residential Service Time-of-Day Pilot
Plan is fair and reasonable,and recommends approval with an October 1,2015 effective date.
COMMISSION DECISION
Does the Commission wish to approve Idaho Power’s proposed changes to its Schedule 5
—Residential Service Time-of-Day Pilot Plan to be effective October 1,2015?
M42
Udmemos/Idaho Power Tariff Advice 15-10 dec memo
DECISION MEMORANDUM 2 SEPTEMBER24,2015