Pennsylvania Code › Title 52 - PUBLIC UTILITIES › Part I - Public Utility Commission › Subpart C - Fixed Service Utilities › Chapter 54 - ELECTRICITY GENERATION CUSTOMER CHOICE › Subchapter C - UNIVERSAL SERVICE AND ENERGY CONSERVATION REPORTING REQUIREMENTS › Section 54.72 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
The following words and terms, when used in this chapter,
						have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates
						otherwise:
CAP-Customer Assistance Program
-An
						alternative collection method that provides payment assistance to low-income,
						payment troubled utility customers. CAP participants agree to make regular
						monthly payments that may be for an amount that is less than the current bill
						in exchange for continued provision of electric utility services.
CAP benefits
-The average CAP bill,
						average CAP credits and average arrearage forgiveness.
CARES
-A program that provides a
						cost-effective service that helps selected, payment-troubled customers maximize
						their ability to pay utility bills. A CARES program provides a casework
						approach to help customers secure energy assistance funds and other needed
						services.
CARES benefits
-The number and kinds of
						referrals to CARES.
Classification of accounts
-Accounts are
						classified by the following categories: all residential accounts and confirmed
						low-income residential accounts.
Code
-The Public Utility Code,
						66 Pa.C.S. §
												§
												101-3316.
Collection operating expenses
-Expenses
						directly associated with collection of payments due for residential
						accounts.
Confirmed low-income residential
						account
-Accounts where the EDC has obtained information that would
						reasonably place the customer in a low-income designation.
Direct dollars
-Dollars which are applied
						to a CARES customer's electric utility account, including all sources of energy
						assistance applied to utility bills such as LIHEAP, hardship fund grants and
						local agencies' grants.
EDC-Electric distribution company
-The
						public utility providing facilities for the jurisdictional transmission and
						distribution of electricity to retail customers, except building or facility
						owners/operators that manage the internal distribution system serving the
						building or facility and that supply electric power and other related electric
						power services to occupants of the building or facility.
Energy assistance benefits
-The total
						number and dollar amount of LIHEAP grants.
Hardship fund
-A fund that provides cash
						assistance to utility customers to help them pay their utility bills.
Hardship fund benefits
-The total number
						and dollar amount of cash benefits or bill credits.
Impact evaluation
-An evaluation that
						focuses on the degree to which a program achieves the continuation of utility
						service to program participants at a reasonable cost level and otherwise meets
						program goals.
LIURP-Low-income usage reduction
						program
-An energy usage reduction program that assists low-income
						customers conserve energy and reduce residential energy bills.
Low-income customer
-A residential
						utility customer whose household income is at or below 150% of the Federal
						poverty guidelines.
Outreach referral contacts
-Addresses and
						telephone numbers that a customer would call or write to apply for the hardship
						fund. Contact information should be specific to each county in the EDC's
						service territory, if applicable.
Payment rate
-Payment rate is the total
						number of full monthly payments received from CAP participants in a given
						period divided by the total number of monthly bills issued to CAP
						participants.
Payment troubled
-A household that has
						failed to maintain one or more payment arrangements in a 1-year period.
Residential account in arrears
-A
						residential account that is at least 30 days overdue. This classification
						includes all customer accounts which have payment arrangements.
Successful payment arrangements
-A
						payment arrangement in which the agreed upon number of payments have been made
						in full in the preceeding 12 months.
Universal service and energy
						conservation
-Policies, protections and services that help low-income
						customers to maintain electric service. The term includes customer assistance
						programs, termination of service protection and policies and services that help
						low-income customers to reduce or manage energy consumption in a cost-effective
						manner, such as the low-income usage reduction programs, application of
						renewable resources and consumer education.
This section cited in 52 Pa. Code Chapter 56 Appendix C
						  (relating to definitions ( §
						  56.231)).