20170823Customer Notice.pdf

Avista Corp.
1411 East Mission P.O. Box 3727
Spokane, Washington 99220-37 27
Telephone [phone]
Toll Free 80A-727-9170
AFvxrtt
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August 23,2017
Diane Hanian
Commission Secretary
Idaho Public Utilities Commission
472W. Washington St.
Boise,lD 83702
Case No. AVU-G-I7-03
Natural Gas Fixed Cost Adjustment Annual Rate Filing of Avista Corporation
Dear Ms. Hanian:
Enclosed for electronic filing with the Commission is a copy of the Customer Notice issued in
Case No. AVU-G-17-03. The Customer Notice has been included in customer bills since August
15,2017, and will run through September 13,2017. The Company will issue a Press Release on
or about August 31,2017 which will contain information related to the natural gas FCA filing.
That information will be provided along with information on the forthcoming Purchase Gas Cost
Adjustnrent, both of which have proposed effective dates of November 1,2017. Please direct any
questions on this matter to me at [phone].
Patrick Ehrbar
Senior Manager, Rates and Tariffs
Enclosures
Page I of 1
Proposed Natural Gas Rate Adjustment to be
Effective Nov. 1, 2017
Avista has filed a natural gas rate request with the
ldaho Public Utilities Commission (Commission), with a
requested effective date of Nov. 1, 2017. This annual
filing is separate from the general rate case request filed
in June 2017 regarding base retail rates in idaho. has no
impact on the company's earnings, and is not related to
the proposed acquisition of Avista by Hydro One.
The rate adjustment is related to Avista's natural gas
frxed cost adjustment mechanism (FCA). Ihe FCA is
designed to break the link between a utility's revenues
and customers' energy usage. Avista's actual revenue,
based on therm sales, will vary, up or down, from the
level included in a general rate case and approved by
the Commission. This could be caused by changes in
weather, energy conservation or the economy. Generally,
under the FCA Avista's natural gas revenues are adjusted
each month based on the number of customers, rather
than therm sales. The difference between revenues
based on sales and revenues based on the number
of customers is surcharged or rebated to customers
beginnrng in the following year. For natural gas
operations, the rate adjustment is designed to increase
natural gas revenues by approximately $1.8 million, or
2.9 percent. This rate adjustment is driven primarily by a
lower level of customer usage in 2016 due in part to a
warmer than normal winter.
Customer Bills - lf approved, residential natural gas
customers in ldaho using an average of 61 therms per
month would see their monthly bills increase from
$51.101o $52.61, an increase of $1.51 per month, or
approximately 3.0 percent. The proposed natural gas rate
changes would be effective Nov, l, 2017. The requested
natural gas rate changes by rate schedule are:
General Service - Firm - Schedule 101
Residential & Small Commercial, 3.0%
Large General Service - tirm - Schedules
Commercial 111 & 112,3.0%
Proposed Natural Gar Rate Adiustment to be
Effective Nov. 1, 2017
Avista has filed a natural gas rate request with the
ldaho Public Utilities Commission (Commission), with a
requested effective date of Nov. l, 2017. This annual
filing is separate from the general rate case request filed
in June 2017 regarding base retail rates in ldaho, has no
impact on the company's earnings, and is not related to
the proposed acquisitron o{ Avista by Hydro One.
The rate adjustment is related to Avista's natural gas
fixed cost adjustment mechanism (FCA). The FCA is
designed to break the link between a utility's revenues
and customers' energy usage. Avista's actual revenue,
based on therm sales, will vary, up or down, from the
level included in a general rate case and approved by
the Commission. This could be caused by changes in
weather, energy conservation or the economy, Generally,
under the FCA Avista's natural gas revenues are adjusted
each month based on the number of customers, rather
than therm sales. The difference between revenues
based on sales and revenues based on the number
of customers is surcharged or rebated to customers
beginning in the following year. For natural gas
operations, the rate adlustment is designed to increase
natural gas revenues by approximately $1.8 million, or
2.9 percent Thjs rate adjustment is driven primarily by a
lower level of customer usage in 2016 due in part to a
warmer than normal winter
Customer Bills - lf approved, residential natural gas
customers in ldaho using an average of 61 therms per
month would see their monthly bills increase irom
$51.'10 to $52.61, an increase of $1.51 per month, or
approximately 3.0 percent. The proposed natural gas rate
changes would be effective Nov. 1, 2017. The requested
natural gas rate changes by rate schedule are:
General Service - Firm - Schedule 101
Resrdential & Small Commercial, 3.0olo
Large General Service - Firm - Schedules
Commercial 111 & 112,3.0o/o
Proposed Natural Gas Rate Adjustment to be
Effective Nov. 1,2017
Avista has filed a natural gas rate request with the
ldaho Public Utilities Commission (Commission), with a
requested effective date of Nov. 1, 2017. This annual
filing is separate from the general rate case request filed
in June 20'17 regarding base retail rates in ldaho, has no
impact on the company's earnings, and is not related to
the proposed acquisition of Avista by Hydro One.
The rate adjustment rs related to Avista's natural gas
fixed cost adjustment mechanism (FCA). The FCA is
designed to break the link between a utility's revenues
and customers' energy usage. Avista's aclual revenue,
based on therm sales, will vary, up or down, from the
level included in a general rate case and approved by
the Commission. This could be caused by changes in
weather, energy conservation or the economy. Generally,
under the FCA Avista's natural gas revenues are adjusted
each month based on the number of customers, rather
than therm sales. The difference between revenues
based on sales and revenues based on the number
of customers is surcharged or rebated to customers
beginning in the following year. For natural gas
operations, the rate adjustment is desrgned to increase
natural gas revenues by approximately $1.8 million, or
2.9 percent. This rate adJustment is driven primarily by a
lower level o{ customer usage in 2016 due in part to a
warmer than normal winter.
Customer Bills - lf approved, residential natural gas
customers an ldaho using an average of 61 therms per
month would see their monthly bills increase from
$51.10 to $52.61, an increase of $1.51 per month, or
approxrmately 3.0 percent. The proposed natural gas rate
changes would be effective Nov. 1, 2017. The requested
natural gas rate changes by rate schedule are:
General Service - Firm - Schedule 101
Resrdential & Small Commercial, 3.0%
Large General Service - Firm - Schedules
Commercial 111 & '112, 3.0o/o
The Company's application is a proposal, subject to
public review and a Commission decision. Copies of
the application are available for public review at the
offices of both the Commission and Avista, and on the
Commission's website (www.puc.idaho.gov). Customers
may file with the Commission written comments related
to the Company's filings. Customers may also subscribe
to the Commission's RSS feed (http://www.puc.idaho.
gov/rssfeeds/rss.htm) to receive periodic updates via
e-mail about the case, Copies of rate filings are also
available on our website, www.myavista.com/rates.
lf you would like to submit comments on the proposed
rate change, you can do so by going to the Commission
website or mailing comments to:
ldaho Public Utilities Commission
PO. Box 83720
Boise, lD 83720-0074
To assist customers in managing their energy use
and energy bills, Avista offers services such as energy
efficiency programs and rebates, comfort level billing,
payment arrangements and Customer Assistance Referral
and Evaluation Services (CARES). To learn more, visit
www.myavista.com.
AVA273i AiTr-qsra
The Company's application is a proposal, subject to
public review and a Commission decision. Copies of
the application are available for public review at the
offices of both the Commission and Avista, and on the
Commission's website (www.puc.idaho.gov). Customers
may file with the Commission written comments related
to the Company's filings. Customers may also subscribe
to the Commission's RSS feed (http://www.puc.idaho.
gov/rssfeeds/rss.htm) to receive periodic updates via
e-mail about the case. Copies of rate filings are also
available on our website, www.myavista.com/rates.
lf you would like to submit comments on the proposed
rate change, you can do so by going to the Commission
website or mailing comments to:
ldaho Public Utilities Commission
PO. Box 83720
Boise, lD 83720-0074
To assist customers in managlng their energy use
and energy bills, Avista offers services such as energy
efficiency programs and rebates, com{ort level billing,
payment arrangements and Customer Assistance Referral
and Evaluation Services (CARES). To learn more, visit
www.myavista.com.
AliTr:stA
The Company's application is a proposal, subject to
public review and a Commission decision. Copies of
the application are available for public review at the
offices of both the Commission and Avista, and on the
Commission's website (www.puc.idaho.gov). Customers
may file with the Commission written comments related
to the Company's filings. Customers may also subscribe
to the Commission's RSS feed (http://wwwpuc.idaho.
gov/rss{eeds/rss.htm) to receive periodic updates via
e-mail about the case. Copies of rate filings are also
available on our website, www.myavista.com/rates.
lf you would like to submit comments on the proposed
rate change, you can do so by going to the Commission
website or mailing comments to:
ldaho Public Utilities Commission
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, lD 83720-0074
To assist customers in managing their energy use
and energy bills, Avista offers services such as energy
efficiency programs and rebates, comfort level billing,
payment arrangements and Customer Assistance Referral
and Evaluation Services (CARES). To learn more, visit
www.myavista.com.
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