Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 49, December 7, 2024
Section 62.224 - POR programs(a)Program design.(1) An NGDC may purchase accounts receivable from licensed NGSs which operate on the NGDC system and who wish to sell their receivables.(2) An NGS electing to sell its receivables to an NGDC shall include its accounts receivables related to choice residential and small business basic services in the POR program.(3) An NGS shall only sell receivables associated with basic services and may not sell other receivables related to products and services sold in relation to basic services or in addition to basic services to the NGDC's POR program. The NGS shall certify that charges do not include receivables for other products or services.(4) To qualify for participation in an NGDC's POR program, an NGS shall use consolidated billing from the NGDC unless the NGDC's consolidated billing system cannot reasonably accommodate the NGS's billings for basic services.(5) An NGDC's POR program shall use a discount rate designed to reflect the NGDC's actual uncollectible rate for supply service customers and the incremental costs associated with the development, implementation and administration of the POR program.(6) The POR discount rate must account for risk and cost differences among the NGDC's customer classes.(7) POR programs must, at a minimum, include receivables on residential and small business customer accounts.(8) When an NGDC purchases accounts receivables from an NGS through a Commission-approved POR program and the accounts receivables are comprised only of charges for basic services, the NGDC may terminate service to customers for failure to pay NGS gas supply charges.(9) To ensure that an NGDC's affiliated suppliers do not receive an advantage over nonaffiliated suppliers, a POR program shall be designed and implemented in accordance with § § 62.141 and 62.142 (relating to standards of conduct).(10) An NGDC POR program must be included in a supplier coordination tariff, as defined by Commission rules, regulations and orders, and approved by the Commission prior to implementation.(11) To ensure that the POR discount rate accurately reflects its program costs, an NGDC shall track its POR program costs and NGS basic service collections experience. If the discount rate no longer reasonably compensates the NGDC for its POR program costs and collections experience, the NGDC shall file an update to the POR discount rate with the Commission.(12) An NGS participating in an NGDC's POR program may separately bill a customer for a specific service or product if that service or product does not meet the definition of basic natural gas supply service.(13) An NGS participating in an NGDC's POR program shall accept the customers responding to an offer included in the POR program without performing a credit check or requiring an additional security deposit from the customer.(b)Customer care.(1) An NGS shall follow Commission regulations relating to customer service including Chapter 56 and § § 62.71-62.80 and 62.114 (relating to standards and billing practices for residential utility service; customer information disclosure; and standards of conduct and disclosure for licensees).(2) An NGS shall respond to customer complaints regarding rate disputes in less than 30 days consistent with § § 56.141, 56.151 and 62.79 (relating to dispute procedures; general rule; and complaint handling process).(3) An NGDC shall follow 66 Pa.C.S. Chapter 14 (relating to responsible utility customer protection) and Chapter 56 when terminating service to a customer for failure to pay the NGS's basic natural gas supply charges purchased under the POR program. An NGDC may terminate service to an NGS customer only for the customer's failure to pay the portion of the accounts receivables purchased under the POR program that is comprised of charges for basic services.(4) Reconnection of service to NGS customers following termination shall be made in accordance with 66 Pa.C.S. Chapter 14 and applicable regulations in Chapter 56.(5) An NGDC shall agree to inform customers that service may be terminated for failure to pay NGS basic services charges by a separate bill insert that specifically describes the policy for termination of service.(6) An enrollment letter issued by an NGDC at the time of selection of the NGS must inform customers that service may be terminated for failure to pay charges for basic services.(c)Transition plan for existing POR programs.(1) If the NGDC has an existing Commission-approved POR program that has a specific length of term, expressed in years or months, the Commission-approved POR program may continue until that term expires.(2) The Commission will apply the POR program requirements in this section in its review of a new or updated POR program proposed by the NGDC.(3) If the NGDC has an existing Commission-approved POR program without a defined term length, the NGDC shall update its POR program by April 14, 2015, to be consistent with this section.