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BEFORE THE
IDAHO PUBLIC UTiliTIES COMMISSION
IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION
OF A VISTA CORPORATION FOR
AUTHORITY TO INCREASE ITS RATES
AND CHARGES FOR ELECTRIC AND
NATURAL GAS SERVICE TO ELECTRIC
AND NATURAL GAS CUSTOMERS IN
THE STATE OF IDAHO.
) CASE NO. AVU-O4-) AVU-O4-
DIRECT TESTIMONY OF MARilYN PARKER
IDAHO PUBLIC UTiliTIES COMMISSION
JUNE 21 , 2004
Please state your name and address for the
record.
My name is Marilyn Parker.My business
address is 472 West Washington Street, Boise, Idaho.
By whom are you employed and in what capacity?
I am employed by the Idaho Public Utilities
Commission as a Utilities Compliance Investigator.
accepted that position with the Consumer Assistance Staff
in November 2002.
What is your educational and professional
background?
Prior to my employment wi th the Idaho Public
Utilities Commission , I had twenty years experience
working in private industry for three different utili ty
compani e s In 1973 and 1974 , I was employed by Central
Alaska Utilities, a water company in Anchorage, Alaska, as
the Executive Secretary to the President of the company.
From 1982 until 1987 , I was employed as a Customer Service
Representative for Idaho Power Company in Salmon , Idaho.
From February 1989 until November 2002, I was employed by
Intermountain Gas Company in Customer Services.During my
last six years at Intermountain Gas, I supervised
representatives at the Customer Service Center s Emergency
Answering Service.
I received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in
CASE NO. AVU-04-1/AVU-04-06/21/04
(Di)PARKER, M.
STAFF
, 19
Management and Organizational Leadership from George Fox
University in Boise, Idaho in June of 2002.
In June 2003, I attended the National Low
Income Energy Consortium Annual Conference in Sacramento
California.
Have you previously testified before the
Commission?
Yes, I have.
What is the purpose of your testimony in this
proceeding?
I will address issues related to: 1) customer
comments received by the Commission regarding this case;
2) proposed charges and rates; 3) Staff's proposed tariff
revisions; 4) low-income issues , payment options, and
special needs customers; 5) Company operations with regard
to customer service; 6) customer relations, and 7) out-of-
cycle meter readings.
Please summarize Staff's recommendations to
the Commission as discussed in your testimony.
Staff recommends that the Company be commended
for its Customer Assistance Referral Program (CARES) and
its ~We Personally Care program.
Staff also recommends that:
1 )the Company s proposed charges for
reconnection of seasonal gas customers
CASE NO. AVU-E- 04 -1/AVU-G- 04-06/21/04
(Di)PARKER, M.
STAFF
2 )
3 )
4 )
5 )
6 )
CUSTOMER COMMENT
and after hours connection charges for
both gas and electric customers be
approved.
the provision in the tariffs that allows
an additional $4.00 charge to connect a
second meter at the same location be
el imina ted.
the Company resolve its computer
programming limitation issues whereby a
customer currently cannot receive the
benefits of the Winter Payment Plan
the customer has declared eligibility for
the Moratorium.
the Company improve communication with
customers about the Winter Payment Plan
and the Moratorium.
the Company answer 80% of calls within
seconds by January of 2005.
the Company significantly reduce the
number of abandoned calls per month.
Have you reviewed the written customer
comments that have been received by the Commission
regarding this case?
Yes.As of June 18, 2004 the Commission had
CASE NO. AVU-E- 04 -1/AVU-G- 04-06/21/04
PARKER,
STAFF
(Di)
received comments well peti tions from the
Sil ver Valley area with more than 500 signatures.
the comments,were from school districts,7. we from
business customers, wi th the remainder coming from
residential customers.All those commenting, as well as
those that signed the peti tions, opposed any rate
lncreases.
What are the concerns mentioned by customers?
The majority of those commenting (58%) said
that the economy in northern Idaho should be considered
before granting the Company any rate lncreases.The other
primary lssues commenters wanted the Commission to
consider were: the negative impacts higher rates have on
fixed income individuals, senior ci tizens, and low income
customers; the concern that the Company may not have done
all it could to promote efficiencies from within, thereby
eliminating the need for a rate increase; and opposition
to an increase in the fixed monthly residential customer
charge.
What are the economlC condi tions in northern
Idaho and how does northern Idaho compare to other areas
of the State?
In reviewing recent data from the Uni ted
States Census Bureau, some counties served by Avista in
northern Idaho are clearly experiencing economic distress.
CASE NO. AVU-E- 04 -1/AVU-G- 04-06/21/04
(Di)PARKER, M.
STAFF
However , the counties in northern Idaho cannot be singled
out as the only area of the state with poor economic
condi tions.Several counties wi thin the state suffer from
the same slow growth, high poverty rates, high
unemployment, and low wages.
As a whole, northern Idaho has a higher number
of individual s over the age of 65 (14. 8 %) compared to the
state average of 11.3%.Some northern Idaho counties have
near 1 y 20% of the popul at ion over 65 years of age.This
fact probably accounts for the number of comments from
Avista customers on fixed incomes concerned about being
able to afford higher utility rates.Staff Exhibit No.
149 compares some of the economic indicators for northern
Idaho counties with state average percentages.
PROPOSED CHARGES AND RATES
Many comments to the Commission in this rate
case convey customers ' opposi tion to the proposed increase
in the fixed monthly residential customer charge to $5.
for both gas and electric service.What is the primary
reason customers ci ted for opposing increased customer
charges?
About one-third of those commenting stated
opposition to increases in fixed residential customer
charge s Customers are generally against these types of
charges because the perception is they have no control
CASE NO. AVU-04-1/AVU-04-06/21/04
(Di)PARKER,
STAFF
over them by ralslng or lowering the thermostat.One
customer from Mullen , Idaho wrote in his comments that he
felt basic customer charges should be abolished
al together.
Does Staff support the Company s proposal to
ralse the gas customer charge to $5.00 from $3.28 and the
electric customer charge to $5.00 from $4.00?
Uniform customer charges are certainly eaSler
for customers to understand and for the Company to
administer.A customer with both gas and electric serVlce
sees both customer charges itemized on one bill.It is
difficul t to explain to customers why the two customer
charges vary, especially when purported to recover the
same basic costs for meter reading and billing.Al t houg h
Staff supports uniform customer charges, Staff does not
support the Company s proposed increase to $ 5. 00.Staff
wi tness Schunke has addressed the Staff recommendation for
specific customer charges in his testimony.
Does Staff support the Company s proposed
changes for the cost of seasonal reconnect fees for gas
customers?
The Company has proposed to lower itsYes.
seasonal reconnect fee to $24.00 from $31.00 provided
satisfactory arrangements for payment of all proper
charges have been made during the hours of 8: 00 a.
CASE NO. AVU-E- 04 -1/AVU-G- 04-
06/21/04
(Di)PARKER,
STAFF
through 4: 00 p. m. Monday through Friday, except hol idays
They have also proposed to increase the charge for a
seasonal reconnect from $46 to $48 after hours (4: 00 p.
through 7: 00 p. m. Monday through Friday, except hol idays)
Staff supports both changes because it aligns the fees for
gas charges wi th the electric charges for the same
servlce.
What changes have been proposed to the
Company s charges for new customer connections?
Avista proposes to increase its gas and
electric charges for connecting new customers after hours
to $48 from $32.Staff supports these changes.Avista is
attempting to keep charges in line with the costs to
provide the serVlce.
Are Avista ' s proposed reconnect ion fees and
after hours connection charges reasonable and comparable
with other Idaho utilities?
Staff Exhibit No. 150 provides aYes.
comparison of Idaho regulated energy company reconnection
fees and service establishment fees.In Staff's oplnlon
Avista s proposed charges are not out of line.
STAFF'S PROPOSED TARIFF REVI S IONS
In your review of Avista s tariffs, did you
find any areas of concern?
Of concern to Staff is the provision inYes.
CASE NO. AVU-04-1/AVU-04-06/21/04 (Di)PARKER , M.
STAFF
Avista s tariffs that allows for an additional $4.
charge for each additional service being reconnected the
same time at a premise.Staff proposes that references to
this charge be eliminated from Electric Tariff No. 28,
Sheet 70-, Rule 14.3, and Gas Tariff , No. 27 , Sheet
170-, Rule 15.
Avista s usual practice is to disconnect only
the electric service of a customer wi th both electric and
gas service.As a resul t, the Company rarely needs to
reconnect more than one meter at a premise, and the
Company-seldom bills an additional $4.00.If this
provlslon were eliminated, the revenue impact would be
negligible.Avista collected a total of $96.00 from
customers in 2003 for reconnecting additional meters.
Staff questions whether this charge is necessary if it is
rarely assessed, produces little revenue, and is not
designed to influence customers ' behavior.
LOW INCOME ISSUES, PAYMENT OPTIONS, AND SPECIAL NEEDS
CUSTOMERS
Does Staff believe Avista is doing an adequate
job of supporting community-based agencies with funds for
the purpose of helping low income customers meet energy
needs?
In the past four years, AvistaYes.
shareholders have given 515, 000 to proj ect Share, all of
CASE NO. AVU-E- 04 -1/AVU-04-
06/21/04
(Di)PARKER, M.
STAFF
which went back to northern Idaho residents for the
purpose of helping low income individuals meet energy
needs.Since proj ect Share is a fuel-blind fund, some
monies went to other energy sources such as wood, propane,
or oil; but, since the year 2000, Avista customers have
received $563,340 from Project Share.In the past four
heating seasons, 2,574 Avista customers have received an
average of $217 from Project Share to help with heating
costs.
What options do Avista customers have if they
are not able to pay their bills in full?
Avista customers can make payment arrangements
by placing a call to the Company and asking for an
extension on a bill's due date or asking to set up a
mutually satisfactory payment plan.Avista also offers a
program called ~Comfort Level Billing U that allows
customers to pay an average amount which is determined by
dividing the customer s proj ected yearly energy billings
by twelve months.These estimated average amounts are
reviewed every three months by Avista to determine if the
amount the customer was asked to pay each month has kept
in ine wi th the proj ected usage.This proactive
procedure to review the Comfort Level Billing amount every
three months minimizes any surprises to customers that can
resul t from a miscalculated monthly average.
CASE NO. AVU-E- 04 -1/AVU-G- 04-
06/21/04
(Di)PARKER, M.
STAFF
Customer service representatives are also
trained to determine if a customer might qualify to
receive help from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance
Program (LIHEAP)During the heating season of 2002-2003
Avista s Idaho customers received a total of $1,134,611.
Another program that can benefit some low-
lncome customers during the winter months is the Winter
Payment Plan.During the months of December , January and
February, customers who declare that they are unable to
pay their Avista utility bills in full and also have
children, elderly, or infirm in the household are exempt
from disconnection for nonpayment.When a customer makes
the declaration of his or her inability to pay the bill in
full, the utility is required to offer the Winter Payment
Plan to the customer.I f the customer agrees to
participate in the Winter Payment Plan , the protection
from disconnection is extended to the shoulder months of
November and March.Customers who agree to participate in
the Winter Payment Plan must pay by the due date each
month an amount equal to one-half of what the customer
Comfort Level Billing would be.
Avista takes a customer s inability to pay one
step further wi th its Customer Assistance Referral and
Evaluation Service (CARES) program.The CARES program
discussed in greater length below.
CASE NO. AVU-E- 04 -1/AVU-G- 04-06/21/04 PARKER , M.
STAFF
(Di) 10
Does Avista offer the Winter Payment Plan to
customers as required by the Utility Customer Relations
Rule 306.03?
Staff was concerned that no Avista customers
in Idaho participated in the Winter Payment Plan during
the last two heating seasons.One of the reasons may be
due to the Company not making available to its customers
any written material regarding protection from
disconnection during the winter months if there are
children , infirm , or elderly in the household and the
customer declares that he or she cannot pay the bill in
full.The Company stated that customer serVlce
representatives are expected to apprise customers of the
program s availabili ty if the representative determines
the customer is eligible.CARES representatives work
closely with agencies to help identify those who are
eligible.
An addi tional problem is caused by the fact
that Avista has a computer programming limitation that
prohibi ts a customer from being placed on the Winter
Payment Plan and receive Moratorium protection from
disconnection simul taneously.The Company prefers to
classify an eligible customer as being a Moratorium
participant as opposed to placing the customer on the
Winter Payment Plan because the Moratorium classification
CASE NO. AVU-E- 04 -1/AVU-G- 04-06/21/04
PARKER , M.
STAFF
(Di) 11
takes the customer out of the normal credit and collection
work cycle and avoids the possibility that the customer
would be inadvertently turned off for nonpayment during
the winter months.
It is Staff's position that Avista needs to
resolve its computer programming problem so that customers
can have the opportuni ty to participate in the Winter
Payment Plan while simul taneously receiving protection
from disconnection afforded by declaring eligibility for
the Moratorium.This will also allow the Company to be in
compliance with the Utility Customer Relations Rules
(UCRR) regarding both the Moratorium and Winter Payment
Plan.
In June of this year , a task force comprised
of representatives from Avista, Idaho Power Company,
Intermountain Gas Company, Utah Power, the IPUC, Community
Action Partnership Association of Idaho (CAPAI) , Salvation
Army, and Idaho Community Action Network (ICAN), met to
determine the best practices for informing customers about
the Moratorium and the Winter Payment Plan.Before this
comlng heating season begins, the task force intends to
have a preferred methodology in place concerning how
utilities communicate with customers regarding the Winter
Payment Plan and the Moratorium.
Does Avista provide any addi tional serVlces
CASE NO. AVU-04-1/AVU-04-
06/21/04
PARKER, M.
STAFF
(Di) 12
for customers that have special needs, such as, but not
limited to, those with severe disabilities or diminished
mental capacity?
Avista has a program entitled ~Customer
Assistance Referral and Evaluation Service u (CARES)For
Idaho customers, Avista employees two specially trained
customer service representatives, called CARES
representatives.These representatives specialize in
helping customers who are facing hardships obtain access
to a wide variety of programs, including special payments
arrangements, and referral to agencies for the purpose of
assisting wi th more than energy bills.
CARES representatives in Idaho recently
organized an effort to collect personal care items for
low- income customers.Personal care items include items
that cannot be purchased wi th food stamps such as shampoo,
soap, toiletries, and/or paper products.Avista s program
is called ~We Personally Care. Last year , the Avista
CARES representatives not only organized the drive to
collect the personal care items, they al so located
churches and other facilities such as the local Community
Action Agencies to store and assist in the distribution of
the collected items.More than 6, 000 pounds of personal
care items were collected and distributed last year.
Avista s worthwhile effort to reach out into the community
CASE NO. AVU-E- 04 -1/AVU-G- 04-06/21/04 PARKER, M.
STAFF
(Di) 13
deserves high marks for exceptional communi ty serVlce.
Avista Utilities also offers free consumer
credi t counsel ing through a partnership wi th Consumer
Credi t Counseling Service of the Inland Empire.
COMPANY OPERATIONS WITH REGARD TO CUSTOMER SERVICE
How does Avista compare to other energy
companles regarding its abili ty to answer incoming
customer service calls in a timely manner?
According to the Edison Electric
Institute/American Gas Association (EEI/AGA) in its 2002
annual data source survey, the average service level (the
percentage of calls answered within a defined number of
seconds) among the 62 reporting utility companies was
73 .8% of calls answered in 32.3 seconds.Avista recently
set its internal service level goal at answering 70% of
incoming customer calls within 60 seconds, somewhat lower
than the average service levels reported by the companies
In the EEI/AGA survey.
In the past four years, has the Company met
its goal?
In 2003, there were only three months in which
the Company was able to meet its goal.In 2002, the
Company met its goal in nlne of the twelve months, and in
2001 , the Company was abl e to meet its goal in three of
the months.The Company met its goal every month in 2000.
CASE NO. AVU-04-1/AVU-04-06/21/04
(Di) 14PARKER, M.
STAFF
Is Avista s serVlce level acceptable to Staff?
The fact that the Company has been unableNo.
to consistently meet its own lowered service level goal,
especially in recent months, is of concern to Staff.
Why did the Company choose to lower its
service level from 80% of calls answered within 20 seconds
to answering 70% of calls wi thin one minute?
The Company s customer service managers stated
that this lowered goal is not a permanent service level
goal.The plan is to return to a more desirable serVlce
level as soon as the full complement of Customer Service
Representatives (CSRs) lS reached.One of the primary
reasons to temporarily change the service level standard a
few years ago was to raise employee morale wi thin the call
center.Before the change, managers saw CSRs leaving
the end of their shifts exhausted and frustrated because
they were not able to meet expected goal s .Managers al so
were concerned that providing good customer serVlce was In
jeopardy.That is because CSRs sometimes cut calls short
in an effort to process as many phone calls per day as
possible.By slightly lowering the standard, the CSRs
were glven permission to concentrate on the quality of the
phone call rather than just the quanti ty of phone calls
answered per day.
Company call center managers state they are
CASE NO. AVU-04-1/AVU-04-
06/21/04
(Di) 15PARKER, M.
STAFF
still recovering from staffing issues related to past
financial constraints.They were unable to say
specifically when service levels would be raised to higher
levels.
Does Staff believe that Avista s step to
improve employee morale in the Call Center had an effect
on the customer service provided to customers?
Staff's opinion is that customer service was,
in fact, compromi sed.This is evident in the number of
calls that were abandoned in the past few years.In 2003,
the average number of abandoned calls per month was 3,292;
in 2002, an average of 2 , 998 call s were abandoned; in
2001, the number was 3,243; and in 2000, the average
number of calls abandoned was 2 148 per month.(Abandone d
telephone calls are the number of customers that reach the
Company, wait on hold, and then hang up before speaking to
a live representative) The Company posted its worst year
for service levels in 2003 with an average of answering
only 62% of its calls wi thin one minute.Because Avista
call center operates in a virtual environment , the numbers
of abandoned calls cannot be isolated to identify the
number of calls abandoned specifically by Idaho customers.
The numbers cited above include abandoned calls from
Avista s four call centers located in Idaho, Washington
Oregon, and California.
CASE NO. AVU-04-1/AVU-04-06/21/04 PARKER, M.
STAFF
(Di) 16
The Company s overall abandoned call rate points to
an imbalance between customer accessibility and Company
responsl veness.When the Company is able to decrease its
customers ' waiting-on-hold times, the number of abandoned
call s wi 11 decrease.
Regarding the Company s accessibili ty, did
Staff find any other areas of concern?
UCRR 304.02 requlres utilities toYes.
diligently attempt to contact a customer in jeopardy of
losing service due to nonpayment at least 24 hours before
the proposed action.Avista s current practice is to
provide a recorded message to meet this requirement.If a
live person answers the telephone, a recorded message
left with whoever answers the telephone.
Of particular concern to Staff is that a
customer on the cusp of being disconnected may actually
answer the telephone only to hear a recorded message
telling him or her to ~call the Company for an important
mes sage. "If the customer attempts to call back to the
Company he or she , in all likelihood, would be placed in
the telephone queue awaiting the next available
representati ve.This practice compounds the Company
problems with respect to service levels and abandoned
calls by directing calls into the Call Center.It also
represents a missed opportunity to negotiate a payment
CASE NO. AVU-E- 04 -1/AVU-G- 04-06/21/04 PARKER , M.
STAFF
(Di) 17
arrangement with the customer.
Staff does not believe this practice complies
wi th the spiri t of the rule.However , the Best Practices
Task Force plans to address the issue soon of how to
improve the disconnection notification process.Both
Avista and Staff will be participating in the discussions.
Does Staff have any recommendations regarding
Avista levels goals?serVlce
Yes.Staff suggests that Avista return
goal answerlng 80%call s wi thin seconds by
January 2005.interlm step,Avista can aim to
meet or exceed its current service level goal of answerlng
70% of calls within one minute.Staff also recommends
that the Company significantly reduce the number of
abandoned calls per month.
CUSTOMER RELATIONS
Please describe how many and what type of
complaints and inquiries the Commission has received
regarding Avista.
The Commission received more complaints and
inquiries in 2001 and 2002 than in 2000 and 2003.Higher
rates no doubt contributed to the increase in the number
of complaints during 2001 and 2002.During each of the
last four years, complaints fell into three maln
categories: credi t and collections, billing, and rates and
CASE NO. AVU-E- 04 -1/AVU-G- 04-06/21/04 PARKER,
STAFF
(Di) 18
policies.Staff Exhibit No. 151 provides a breakdown of
the individual complaint and inquiry categories for each
of the past four years.
What did your analysis reveal regarding
complaints and inquiries received by the Commission in
2003?
The majority fell within the category of
credit and collections.Of the total number of complaints
and inquiries in 2003, 65% concerned credit and collection
lssues.Most of those were regarding a threat of or
actual disconnection of service due to nonpayment of an
account, a clear indication that some customers continue
to have difficul ty paying their energy bills.
How does Avista compare wi th other maJ or Idaho
energy companles wi th regard to the number of complaints
and inquiries to the Commission?
In three of the last four years, Avista had
fewer complaints and inquiries per 1 000 customers than
Idaho Power Company.In each of the last four years,
Avista had more complaints and inquiries per 1 000
customers than Intermountain Gas Company or Utah Power.
The number of complaints and inquiries per 1 000 Avista
customers in 2003 was 1.These numbers are not
indicative of a particular problem with Avista s customer
relations; however , they do reveal an obvious correlation
CASE NO. AVU-E- 04 -1/AVU-G- 04-06/21/04 PARKER,
STAFF
(Di) 19
between higher rates and customers ' inabili ty to pay bills
in full.Staff Exhibi t No. 152 shows in graph form how
Avista s number of complaints and inquiries per 1,000
customers compares to other maj or Idaho regulated energy
companles.
Is Avista responslve to the Commission
Utility Compliance Investigators during complaint
investigations?
Yes, Company representatives are responsive to
lssues raised by customers and Staff and they respond in a
timely manner.The average length of time in which Staff
was able to resolve Avista s complaints in 2003 was 3.
business days for electric related complaints and 3.38 for
natural gas related complaints.The average length of
time among all Idaho regulated electric customers was 3.
days and 2.81 for natural gas customers.
What observations do you have about the
Company s Website?
Many functions are available on Avista
customer- friendly Websi te.Customers can sign up for
service, disconnect service, or transfer service using the
Company s Websi te.Bills can be received and paid online.
Currently, Avista does not have the abili ty for customers
to make payment arrangements online; however , this feature
is on Avista s project list although no definite date for
CASE NO. AVU-04-1/AVU-04-06/21/04 PARKER, M.
STAFF
(Di) 20
implementation has been determined.
How many Avista customers in Idaho recel ve
their bills online?
Nearly 3,000 Idaho customers have signed up to
receive their bills online, saving the Company printing
and postage costs.
Do you believe Avista provides adequate
customer serVlce for non-English speaking customers?
The Company has indicated to Staff thatYes.
it usually has one Spanish-speaking representative on
shift during weekday business hours.They also offer a
translation service through a contracted service called
Language Line that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week.At this time, the low number of Hispanic and non-
English speaking residents in the Idaho counties served by
Avista does not justify requiring the Company to provide
bills, notices, and/or brochures in any languages other
than English.It is not clear how customers in need of
translation services are made aware of the availability of
the Language Line service since those in need do not speak
or read English.However , the question of how best to
meet the needs of non-English speaking customers will be
addressed by the recently formed Best Practices Task
Force.As mentioned previously, both Avista and the Staff
are members of the task force.
CASE NO. AVU-E- 04 -1/AVU-G- 04-
06/21/04
PARKER,
STAFF
(Di) 21
Did you reVlew the Company s bills, notices
forms, and other document s to ascertain compl iance wi
the Utility Customer Relations Rules (UCRR)?
Staff suggested many changes be made toYes.
Avista s Rules Summary as required by Rule 701.In a
meeting held in June of this year, Avista and other
regulated energy companies asked Staff to develop a model
Rules Summary that could be used as a guideline by the
companies.Consumer Staff is currently working on a model
Rules Summary that should be completed and available by
August 2004.
Staff also reviewed the Company s bills,
notices, and forms and identified ones that were not in
compl iance wi th the UCRR.The areas of non-compliance
were discussed wi th Avista and the Company agreed to
revise the non-compliant forms.The Company wi 11 provide
coples to Staff for review prior to final printing of the
revised forms.
OUT-OF-CYCLE METER READINGS
In your review of Company procedures regarding
out-of-cycle meter reading and billing, did you find
anything of concern?
Yes. Avista does not physically disconnect
service after a customer moves and discontinues service.
Unless another customer moves in immediately after the
CASE NO. AVU-04-1/AVU-04-06/21/04 PARKER , M.
STAFF
(Di) 22
former customer discontinues serVlce, this resul ts in
unbilled usage not attributable to any customer.The
Company has also established a policy of not routinely
reading meters outside of regular monthly meter reading
cycles.A customer who establishes or discontinues
serVlce on a date that does not coincide wi th the
Company s regularly scheduled meter reading will receive a
bill based on estimated rather than actual usage.
Property owners who have landlord-tenant agreements with
Avista and customers who move or discontinue service
seasonally are affected by this policy.Staff's primary
concern lS that these customers are not receiving accurate
bills based on their actual usage.
Is the Staff prepared to recommend a solution
to this perceived problem?
Not at this time.Due to time constraints,
Staff has been unable to complete its investigation or
explore solutions with the Company.Staff intends to
pursue this matter informally and, if necessary, ask the
Commission to address the issue formally in a separate
proceeding at a later date.
Does this conclude your direct testimony?
Yes it does.
CASE NO. AVU-E- 04 -1/AVU-G- 04-06/21/04 PARKER , M.
STAFF
(Di) 23
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COMPARISON OF ENERGY UTILITIES
ESTABLISHMENT OF SERVICE CHARGES
Atlanta Power
$25 (Schedule 4, page 4)
Applies to customer establishing service for the first time at a service location
Idaho Power
$20 for Schedules 1 , 7, 9, 19 24 & 25 (Sheet F-, Rule F; Schedule 66, Sheet 66-
Service Establishment Charge" applies to customer establishing service at a location
where service is currently energized; charge does not apply to rental property covered
by a continuous service agreement or non-metered service, e., street lighting; see list
of Reconnection Charges for charges applicable to customer establishing service at a
location where service is not currently energized
Intermountain Gas
$14 during normal business hours; $40 all other times (Sheet 5, Section A, 9.
Account Initiation Fee" applies to each new account opened; does not apply to rental
property covered by a continuous service agreement or new building or equipment turn
on and safety inspections
Utah PowerlPacifiCorp
$50 from 4 to 7 p., Monday-Friday, except holidays; $50 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.
weekends or holidays (Sheets 300.1 & 3R.
Service Connection Charge" applies to each new account opened; there is no charge
during normal office hours, 8 a.m. to 4 p., Monday-Friday, except holidays
Avista
$32 after normal business hours (Electric Tariff Sheet 70-, Rule 6.1; Gas Tariff
Sheet 170-, Rule 6.1)
N ew Customer Turn-On Charge" applies to new gas or electric customer service
connection; there is no charge for establishing service during normal business hours;
if gas and electric service connections are performed at same time, only one $32
charge applies
Exhibit No. 150
Case No. A VU-04-
A VU -04-
M. Parker, Staff
6/21/04 Page 1 of 4
COMPARISON OF ENERGY UTILITIES
RECONNECTION CHARGES
Voluntary or Seasonal Disconnection
Atlanta Power
Same as reconnection fees for involuntary disconnections
Idaho Power
Same as Service Connection Charge (service not currently energized)
Intermountain Gas
Same as reconnection fees for involuntary disconnections
Utah Power/PacifiCorp
Same as reconnection fees for involuntary disconnections
Avista
For gas service
$31 from 8 a.m. to 4 p., Monday-Friday, except holidays
$46 from 4 p.m. to 7 p., Monday-Friday, except holidays
$46 weekend or holidays
$4 for each additional meter
(Sheet 170-, Rules 15.2 & 15.
F or electric service
$24 from 8 a.m. to 4 p., Monday-Friday, except holidays
$48 from 4 to 7 p., Monday-Friday, except holidays
$48 weekend or holidays
$4 for each additional meter
(Sheet 70-, Rules 14.2 & 14.
Gas Service Reestablishment Charge" and "Electric Reestablishment Charge" apply if
service is reestablished after voluntary or seasonal disconnection; if arrangements for
reconnection made during hours of 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, excluding holidays
reconnect will be done the same day; if arrangements made on holidays, weekends, or
hours between 7 p.m. and 8 a.m. weekdays, company will reconnect the following day
except in the case of medical emergencies and disconnect in error, which will be done
the same day
If gas and/or electric service reestablished within 12 months of the date of voluntary or
seasonal disconnection, customer must also pay monthly minimums for months during
which service was disconnected
Exhibit No. 150
Case No. A VU-04-
A VU -04-
M. Parker, Staff
6/21/04 Page 2 of 4
COMPARISON OF ENERGY UTILITIES
RECONNECTION CHARGES
Involuntary Disconnection
Atlanta Power
$25 for customers disconnected for a period of 30 days or less; $200 for customers
disconnected for more than 30 days (Schedule 4, page 4)
Idaho Power
Schedule 1. 7 & 9
Connect/reconnect on weekdays
$20 for customer request from 7 :30 a.m. to 6 p.
$45 for customer request from 6:01 p.m. to 9 p.
$80 for customer request from 9:01p.m. to 7 :29 a.
Connect/reconnect on weekends & holidays
$45 for customer request from 7:30 a.m to 9:00 p.
$80 for customer request from 9:01 p.m. to 7:29 a.
Schedule 15. 19.24. 25.40.41 & 42
Connect/reconnect on weekdays
$40 for customer request from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.
$65 for customer request from 6:01 p.m. to 9 p.
$100 for customer request from 9:01 p.m. to 7:29 a.
Connect/reconnect on weekends & holidays
$65 for customer request from 7:30 a.m to 9:00 p.
$100 for customer request from 9:01 p.m. to 7:29 a.
(Sheet F-, Rules F; Schedule 66, Sheet 66-
Service Connection Charge" applies to customers who are establishing service or
requesting reconnection of service at a premise where service is not currently energized
Intermountain Gas
$20 for reconnections performed during normal business hours (8 a.- 5:00 p.
Monday- Friday, except holidays); $40 all other times (Sheet 5 , Section A, 9.4)
Reconnection Charge" applies to reconnection performed after customer is
disconnected involuntarily
(See next page for more information)
Exhibit No. 150
Case No. A VU-04-
A VU-04-
M. Parker, Staff
6/21/04 Page 3 of 4
Utah PowerlPacifiCorp
$25 during hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p., Monday-Friday, except holidays
$50 from 4 to 7 p., Monday-Friday, except holidays
$50 from 8 a.m. to 4 p., weekends or holidays (Sheets 10R., 10R.8 & 300.
Reconnection Charge" applies to reconnection performed after customer is discon-
nected involuntarily; if arrangements or payment made during hours of 8 a.m. to 7 p.
weekdays, excluding holidays, or 8 a.m. to 4 p., weekends and holidays, reconnect
will be done the same day; if arrangements made at other times, company will reconnect
the following day, except in the case of medical emergencies and disconnect in error
which will be done the same day
A vista
Gas & electric service
$24 during hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p., Monday-Friday, except holidays
$48 from 4 to 7 p., Monday-Friday, except holidays
$48 weekends or holidays
$4 for each additional service connection made at same time
(Gas Tariff Sheet 170-G.1 , Rules 15.1 & 15.3; Electric Tariff Sheet 70-, Rules 14.1
& 14.
Reconnection Charge" applies to reconnection performed after customer is discon-
nected involuntarily; if arrangements or payment made during hours of 8 a.m. to 7 p.
weekdays, excluding holidays, reconnect will be done the same day; if arrangements
made on holidays, weekends, or hours between 7 p.m. and 8 a.m. weekdays, company
will reconnect the following day except in the case of medical emergencies and dis-
connect in error, which will be done the same day
Exhibit No. 150
Case No. A VU-04-
A VU -04-
M. Parker, Staff
6/21/04 Page 4 of 4
AVISTA COMPLAINTS
2000-2003
2000 2001 2002 2003
Gas Electric Gas Electric Gas Electric Gas Electric
Credit & Collection 107 131 129 105
Line Extension/Installation
Service Outage/Repair
Billing
Rates & Policies
All Other
Total 141 201 183 151
AVISTA INQUIRIES
2000-2003
2000 2001 2002 2003
Gas Electric Gas Electric Gas Electric Gas Electric
Credit & Collection
Line Extension/Installation
Service Outage/Repair
Billing
Rates & Policies
All Other
Total
AVISTA COMPLAINTS & INQUIRIES
2000-2003
2000 2001 2002 2003
Gas Electric Gas Electric Gas Electric Gas Electric
Complaints 141 201 183 151
Inquiries
Total Contacts 185 236 206 169
Grand Total Gas & Electric 205 266 219 178
Exhibit No. 151
Case No. A VU-O4-
A VU -04-
M. Parker, Staff
6/21/04
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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
HEREBY CERTIFY THAT I HAVE THIS 21ST DAY OF JUNE 2004
SERVED THE FOREGOING DIRECT TESTIMONY OF MARILYN PARKER, IN
CASE NO. AVU-04-lIAVU-04-, BY MAILING A COpy THEREOF POSTAGE
PREP AID TO THE FOLLOWING:
DA VID 1. MEYER
SR VP AND GENERAL COUNSEL
VISTA CORPORATION
PO BOX 3727
SPOKANE W A 99220-3727
KELLY NORWOOD
VICE PRESIDENT STATE & FED. REG.
AVIS T A UTILITIES
PO BOX 3727
SPOKANE WA 99220-3727
CONLEY E WARD
GIVENS PURSLEY LLP
PO BOX 2720
BOISE ID 83701-2720
DENNIS E PESEAU, PH. D.
UTILITY RESOURCES INC
1500 LIBERTY ST SE, SUITE 250
SALEM OR 97302
CHARLES L A COX
EV ANS KEANE
111 MAIN STREET
PO BOX 659
KELLOGG ID 83837
BRAD M PURDY
ATTORNEY AT LAW
2019 N 17TH ST
BOISE ID 83702
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE