65- 407 C.M.R. ch. 317, § 4

Current through 2024-25, June 19, 2024
Section 407-317-4 - OBLIGATIONS OF TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION UTILITIES
A. Notice to Customers
1. Initial Notice to Eligible Customers

Each T&D Utility must initially notify all of its Residential Customers that have an Arrearage Amount equal to or greater than $500 that is at least 90 days in arrears of the availability of the AMP, the eligibility requirements, and the enrollment process on the date that this Chapter becomes effective.

2. Ongoing Notice

On an ongoing basis throughout the duration of the AMP, a T&D Utility must notify each Residential Customer who reaches the $500 and 90 day arrearage criteria of the availability of the AMP, the eligibility requirements, and the enrollment process. Notice must be provided within two billing cycles from when a customer reaches these arrearage criteria. T&D Utilities must also notify each applicant for service that has an arrearage amount that meets the $500 and 90 day arrearage criteria at the time they submit their completed application for service of the existence of the AMP program, the required payment under the AMP to obtain service pursuant to section 3(C)(3) of this Chapter, and the process for enrolling in the AMP.

3.Recurring Notice

Once a Residential Customer has been provided notice of the AMP pursuant to either subsection 1 or 2 above, a T&D Utility may, but is not required to, provide the Residential Customer with subsequent notices.

B. Coordination with Community Action Programs

The T&D Utility shall coordinate with each of the CAPs that serve customers in its service territory to ensure that Eligible Customers are made aware of the AMP when they are enrolling in LIHEAP or seeking related assistance.

The T&D Utility shall develop procedures to ensure that the CAPs are able to intake Eligible Customers' information using the Standard Intake Form (or other Commission approved method) and that the T&D Utility is able to enroll Eligible Customers using forms supplied by the CAPs into the AMP.

C. Customer Billing

The T&D Utility shall remove any Arrearage Amount from the current amount due for Program Participants on their monthly bill. In addition, the T&D Utility shall provide sufficient information to each Program Participant, either on the bill or in a bill insert, to allow the Program Participant to track their progress in paying off their Arrearage Amount. This information may include information such as the Arrearage Amount remaining and the cumulative amount of arrearage Forgiven to date. Each T&D Utility must specify in its filing made pursuant to section 2(B) of this chapter the information it proposes to include on its bills or bill inserts to satisfy this requirement.

D. Collection Activity Prohibited

T&D Utilities shall not attempt to collect an Arrearage Amount from a Program Participant while the Program Participant is enrolled in an AMP. If a Program Participant Defaults or withdraws from an AMP, a T&D Utility may resume normal collection activity. Any Arrearage Amount forgiven pursuant to this Chapter, however, prior to a Program Participant's Default cannot be reinstated to the customer's bill.

E. Electricity Usage Assessment

During the enrollment process, the T&D Utility or CAP shall gather information to aid the EMT in completing a Usage Assessment of the Program Participant's electricity use at no cost to the Program Participant. Where available, the T&D Utility will make accessible to EMT interval data of the Program Participant's electricity usage from the Program Participant's current residence. Where interval data is not available, the T&D Utility will record the Program Participant's electricity usage data on the Standard Intake Form and forward the completed form to the EMT. The T&D Utility or the CAP shall inform the applicant that the information gathered will be utilized by EMT to perform the Usage Assessment, recommend potential energy saving opportunities and programs, and analyze the effectiveness of the installed measures and programs.

For T&D Utilities requesting an alternative form or process for customer enrollment, the following information for the Usage Assessment must be obtained during the intake process:

1. The Eligible Customer's monthly electricity usage;
2. The Eligible Customer's heating source;
3. Information on the Eligible Customer's hot water heater including fuel source and, if possible, model and age;
4. Information regarding the Eligible Customer's use of electrical appliances and incandescent lighting;
5. Information on the Eligible Customer's previous participation with the EMT or other weatherization or energy efficiency programs, if any; and
6. Whether the Eligible Customer owns or rents their home.
F. Coordination with Efficiency Maine Trust

The T&D Utility is obligated to provide the Standard Intake Form or the information required by the form to the EMT by a mutually agreed upon method so that the EMT may complete the Usage Assessment upon the enrollment of an Eligible Customer, as well as the analysis following the implementation of recommended energy savings measures. In submitting its proposed AMP for Commission approval, each T&D Utility shall propose specific approaches for coordination with the EMT as required by this section.

G. Reporting

Each T&D Utility shall file a report with the Commission within 30 days of the closing of each quarter of each AMP year that includes the following minimum information for each month of the program year:

1. The number of Program Participants enrolled in its AMP, separated by rate class if the T&D Utility has more than one residential rate.
2. The total number of Eligible Customers as defined by section 1(C)(12) of this chapter in the utility's service territory as of the last day of the quarter.
3. The number of Program Participants that Defaulted and were removed from the AMP.
4. The number of Program Participants that were re-enrolled in the AMP after a Default.
5. The number of Program Participants who successfully completed the full 12 month AMP.
6. The number of Program Participants who had their entire Arrearage Amount forgiven.
7. Average Arrearage Amount of Program Participants at the time of enrollment.
8. A distribution chart or table depicting Program Participants' Arrearage Amounts at the time of enrollment in $500 increments, i.e., four customers between $0 and $500, one customer between $501 and $1,000, five customers between $1001 and $1500, etc. If this information is provided in a chart, each $500 segment of the chart must list the specific number of Program Participants it includes.
9. The same chart required in subsection 8 above that depicts all Eligible Customers as defined by section 1(C)(12) of this chapter in the utility's service territory that did not participate in the AMP as of the last day of the quarter.
10. Total amount of arrears Forgiven.
H. Tracking Metrics

To evaluate the effectiveness of the AMP in terms of improved customer payment performance and electricity usage reductions, the T&D Utilities shall also collect data on the following metrics and supply it to the Commission by September 1, 2017.

1. Payment performance of each Program Participant, before, during, and after program participation. Payment performance before AMP participation shall be provided for a time period that is the shorter of (i) two-years; or (ii) the entire period for which the Program Participant was a customer of the T&D Utility;
2. Monthly kW usage (weather normalized) for each Program Participant for the same time period as required in subsection 1 above.
3. Information about each Program Participant's participation with the EMT or other energy efficiency programs.
4. Payment patterns of Residential Customers that meet the $500 and 90 day arrearage criteria but do not participate in the AMP from the effective date of this rule until all Program Participants complete the program.

65- 407 C.M.R. ch. 317, § 4