6.3 ERMUSR 06-08-2021HAND OUT AT MEETING PROVIDED BY CHAIR DIETZ
State- regulated 011ftles recelve approval to move back to 'normal?
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bulk of lIhi eltota rtall'.1119ti.
ullwl• nlililiou, will lilt, aln;,ndod
+if fill., urtir&•
malea, Inclul.linu at ln•ullihi(Itin till
latod utilities conilJoli:+ill April
Irmsi(ion plrms 1)y Frid:iy, April
a.iif; •tr,ln•urtaF in 0)r altril
dhlenoll,tc64,11 fin nnn•Im)'m=:In..
:33. This delayed Itl)lll+Wol I;ivu
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::+tf Yr-li rierlrunri utv,sl,#ter.
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flxtuau.lvo Sulu]=Idly' aulhnrity 10
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ililivoly oppr•ovi:d '11:1";4itloll
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revlow.
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hard t.mvilyd llli=,rtarr+-pill,+lomil'
Ill,'• April Ill henrianf.:and aprA
in rulonl+•Ilu nlui"luctat(
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lilt, topic:, 1V1)1ti(' ('hair Kulio
L'::inn'+ 1'+ntl)1ip:,.IOIi With!)
Ilftanllt lilt'. In:11•olla4tr n:Sl:+ro
Ct.111+•01oi111 ;Ind Smilllnytutil
sitibi'll said (lilt 1):111doll11C voll-
!l:l:• :split i,l-+•ti till' Ili,• tin:Ilt'ti
of di"williximitl tlr"al)(I .+'='+•i':1)
l•:rlt'1't;f• ire:imirvi:s I1•i P.,It(:).
61til"s Wilil dilviltittl(tlty 4;1i11M'•
r,•l,td:n,•d ulilidt•., •a (roll,
lopirti, tllk. (:falnuilo6t'll m„vrd
wilieh lvid a I;,•nornl approlo:h
-•1fl+ai a;,'riy fionl onlin•gotny='
(.it denol 1.1,111lsi(ioll pltuls for Ihr
Ihal din"t •red-.nnlcu hnl. flvtln Illo
Normal: see pale a pfenso
Vormal:
:ontinued from front patio
luences but with discussion]
If the lifting of the governor's
,mergency powers, and more
ederal money available to
lelp with customer utility
gills, a thoughtful transition
nriod plan was needed.
The plans are designed to
ol•ollnpf. cusLonlars ill arrears
pack into payment plans, said
-;ieben, and encourage them
it-, lipply for fi)lancial assis-
tance.
liey will likely be of iu-
torest and promise to serve AS
easily -defended policy going
forward.
All parties involved in the
stote•snuctioned discussion
soomed eager to move for-
ward.
Customers Ill arroar-s need
to work with utilities (o rnain-
of law payment fetes was a
comprwnise—consumer ad-
vocates argued that it was
enough to pay back arreara.
because adding fees only
makes arrangements hardow
to sustalll.
The investor -owned utili-
ties willingly agreed to sus-
pend negative reporting to
credit agencies for residential
customers. as it appeared
they dill not make such re-
ports anyway.
Among issues the MPUC;
did not include in its ol•cler
was tho length of payment
plans, leaving this to tile dis-
cretion of utilities w4h con-
sideration of individual cus-
tornc:r cirrnmY�tlii4i;•il(+�Pirl . ;..•
r.i 4:1614iA—i iytbi4iI14t. �ISrr+i� � ifi
iStJf•CPj% citsfoniNi'&''ti!'-eivR>tlali)g
energy assistance programs
ams
and how w apply. The MPUC
and Department: of Com•
coerce will also be sending out
joint Communications.
The MPUC required report-
ing, fl•nm the iltilit•.ies it reltu-
fates. of several praetices, ill-
cluding: Service, Deposits
Charged; Reconriection fees
Charged; Down Payments
Required; Interestljlenalt/41/
.......... •Nn, rt:, .. .,.::1.'i>:.iL4h:':'s:4w,tah�s...,.....,...., .�.....................
foes require(].
The state -regulated utili•
ties and many nitmicipals
and cooperativos suspended
normal business practice. ill.
lilt- onset of the pandemic.
On Murch 24, 2020, AIPUC
Chair Siebon and then -Com-
missioner of the Department
r>e1,r,LC
of .Comni.we Steve I{elley
wrote to all of.the states utili-
ties, requesting they work to
reconnect disconnected cus-
tomers and suspend discon-
nections and lato paiyment
fees lot- the duration. of the
state's declared pepcetinie
emergency.
It was, Sieben n0•( l$...�. oil
April 15, "an extraordinary
request."
Sieben expressed her grati•
tude and Appreciation to till
utilities who worked with
regulators, energy assistance
agencies alld their: customers
(luring this difficult time..
Provider
Residential
Past Due
#
Total
Average
Average
Customers
Residential
Residential
Dollars
Past Due
Monthly
Customers
Customers
Past Due
Amount
Residential
Past Due
for
for Past
Bill
Residential
Due
Customers
Customers
Electric
10,706
737
6.9%
$126,925.45
$172.22
$80.96
Water A4,741
171
13.6%
1$7,299.7Q
$42,69
$22.14