through tariff rates for jurisdictional residential energy service and/or universal service riders. Neither the statutes nor the regulations define “affordability.” B. CAP Customer Shopping PNGC does not currently have provisions for CAP customers to shop for natural gas. Shopping for natural gas for CAP customers is, however, currently under consideration by the Commission in Investigation of Retail Natural Gas Markets, Docket No. I20132381742. Thus, any new regulations or policies promulgated as a result of that investigation may supersede a utility’s provisions (or lack thereof) for shopping by its CAP customers. II. HISTORY A. Jurisdiction As an NGDC with more than 100,000 residential customers, PNGC is required to maintain an approved triennial USECP. 52 Pa. Code §§ 62.4 and 62.7. Table 1 Residential Class Size and CAP Enrollment for PNGC Division Residential Customers CAP Enrollment Peoples 330,459 19,856 Equitable 243,610 13,893 Totals 574,069 33,749
credits to People’s CAP bills when issued. PNGC requested both of these changes as Equitable Division’s customers migrate into the PNGC customer information and billing system. On August 22, 2014, the Commission granted the Petition. PNGC reported successful migration of accounts as of July 6, 2015. C. PNGC (i.e., Peoples) and Equitable Gas Merger On December 18, 2013, the Commission approved a settlement allowing Equitable Gas to merge into PNGC, with PNGC as the surviving entity. Since Equitable Gas operated under separate tariffs and accounting procedures compared to PNGC, the NGDCs remain the “Peoples Division” and the “Equitable Division” of PNGC. Under the terms of the merger Settlement, PNGC agreed, inter alia, to: Fund Equitable Division’s CAP consistent with the needs analysis in Equitable Gas’ USECP. Establish a Universal Service Advisory Group. Manage Equitable Division’s CAP similar to that of PNGC, through agency partnering to increase the number of intake sites, administer CAP, and track and monitor referrals and enrollments. Continue to recover CAP costs under Equitable Gas’ existing recovery mechanism. Increase its total donation (administrative and matching) to the Dollar Energy Fund by 10% and maintain that level of funding for 5 years following the merger.
recent 12 months of usage. PNGC shall also file and serve the results of its first-year analysis of this process at this docket. d. CAP Overpayments PNGC reports that it applies any CAP bill overpayment to the CAP credits. PNGC proposes to begin applying CAP overpayments to the next month’s CAP bill amount by January 2016. Proposed 2015-2018 Plan at 10. Comments: CAUSE-PA supports this change. However, it requests that PNGC’s USECP be further amended to clarify that all payments to the CAP customer’s account, regardless of source, will only be applied to the customer’s “asked-to-pay” amount. CAUSE-PA Comments at 10-11. OCA raises no objection to applying CAP overpayments to the next month’s bill. However, it recommends that PNGC track whether this change leads to months of $0 bills and disrupts customer payment habits. OCA Comments at 8. Reply Comments: PNGC confirms that all customer and third-party payments are applied to the CAP customer’s “asked to pay” amount. With the exception of LIHEAP Crisis and Dollar Energy Fund grants, PNGC applies payments made in excess of the “asked to pay” amount to the next month’s CAP bill. PNGC Reply Comments at 10. PNGC notes that customers who receive a LIHEAP cash grant in excess of the “asked to pay” amount may have a zero payment responsibility for one or more months. PNGC explains it does not have the means to track whether a monthly zero-payment bill is due to an overpayment made by LIHEAP or the customer. PNGC Reply Comments at 9.