Electricity Distributors: Customer Service, Rate Classification and Non-Payment Risk

Case number
EB-2007-0722
Launched
Sector
Electricity
Status
Archived
Details

The OEB initiated a consultation process regarding issues associated with the provision of service by electricity distributors and the manner in which electricity distributors apply certain charges. The issues were identified from a variety of sources, including customer complaints, stakeholder enquiries, and a review by the OEB's Compliance Office of a representative sample of distributors' Conditions of Service.

The objective was to develop, and codify where appropriate, OEB policies relating to issues associated with the provision of service and application of charges by electricity distributors, with a view to ensuring consistent and fair treatment of electricity consumers across all electricity distributors.

This project considered the following 4 groups of issues:

Customer Service

  • Opening and closing of electricity accounts
  • Bill payment
  • Disconnection and reconnection policies associated with non-payment of account
  • Application of late payment charges  

Customer Classification

  • How distributors classify (and re-classify) customers 

Specific Services

  • Consistency in the provision of Specific Services
  • Methodology to update and adjust Specific Services and associated charges
  • Methodology to update and adjust charges for non-standard utility services 

Customer Non-Payment Risk (formerly EB-2007-0635) 

  • Identifying whether risk mitigation tools that are currently available to distributors are adequate for the purpose of managing such risk and protecting ratepayers

 

Update as of November 2011

  • Code amendments related to customer classification and customer non-payment risk were approved by the Board on June 16, 2009.
    • customer classification [DSC section 2.5]
    • customer non-payment risk [DSC sections 2.4.32 – 36]
  • Code amendments related to customer service rules were adopted by the Board on July 2, 2010, with further amendments approved on March 20, 2011, and they came into effect in stages between October 1, 2010 and October 1, 2011.
  • Code amendments related to eligible low–income customer service rules were adopted by the Board on March 30, 2011 and came into effect on October 1, 2011.

 

Related policy initiatives:

Updates
Updates
Date Issue / Document
March 19, 2012

The OEB has issued final amendments to the Electricity Reporting and Record Keeping Requirements (RRR) related to customer service rules. The amendments will come into force on January 1, 2013.

  • Letter
    • Attachment A: Final Electricity Reporting & Record Keeping Requirements (“RRR”) Customer Service Amendments
    • Attachment B: Comparison of Final Electricity Reporting & Record Keeping Requirements (“RRR”) Customer Service Amendments Relative to the January 30, 2012 Electricity RRR Customer Service Proposed Amendments
January 30, 2012

The OEB has issued for comment a Notice of proposed amendments to the Reporting and Regulatory Keeping Requirements for electricity distributors related to the revised customer service rules.
March 30, 2011

The OEB has issued a Notice of Final Low-Income Customer Service Amendments to the Distribution System Code (DSC), the Retail Settlement Code (RSC), and the Standard Service Supply Code (SSSC). The low-income customer service rules come into effect on October 1, 2011. The Notice also includes limited final amendments to the customer service rules applicable to all residential customers issued on July 2, 2010. These rules come into effect in phases in 2011.

  • Notice of Amendments to Codes - Low-Income and Other Customer Service Amendments to the DSC, RSC, and SSSC
    • Attachment A: Final Low-Income Customer Service Amendments to the DSC, the RSC and the SSSC
    • Attachment B: Final Amendments to the July 2, 2010 DSC Customer Service Rules
    • Attachment C: Additional Final Amendments to the July 2, 2010 Customer Service Rules: 
      • A. Additional Final Amendments to the RSC and SSSC provisions that come into force on April 1, 2011; and
      • B. Other Final Customer Service Amendments to the DSC
    • Attachment D: Comparison Version of March 30, 2011 Final Low-Income Customer Service Code Amendments relative to the February 8, 2011 Proposed Low-Income Customer Service Code Amendments (for information purposes only)
    • Attachment E: Comparison Version of March 30, 2011 Final Customer Service Code Amendments relative to the February 8, 2011 Proposed Amendments to the July 2, 2010 DSC Customer Service Rules (for information purposes only)
    • Attachment F: Comparison Version of March 30, 2011 Final Customer Service Code Amendments relative to the February 8, 2011 Proposed Additional Amendments to the July 2, 2010 Customer Service Rules (for information purposes only)
February 8, 2011

The OEB has issued a Notice of Revised Updated Proposed Low-Income Customer Service Amendments to the Distribution System Code (DSC), the Retail Settlement Code (RSC) and the Standard Service Supply Code (SSSC). The Notice also includes limited proposed amendments to the customer service rules applicable to all residential customers issued on July 2, 2010.
September 30, 2010

The OEB has issued a Notice of Updated Proposed Low-Income Customer Service Amendments to the Distribution System Code (DSC), the Retail Settlement Code (RSC) and the Standard Service Supply Code (SSSC). The Notice also includes limited proposed amendments to the customer service rules applicable to all residential customers issued on July 2, 2010.
July 2, 2010

The OEB has issued a final Notice of Customer Service Amendments to the Distribution System Code, the Retail Settlement Code and the Standard Service Supply Code.

  • Notice of Amendments to the Codes (Revised Aug 31-10: Certain PDF formatting omissions have been corrected)
    • Attachment A:  July 2, 2010 Final Customer Service Amendments to the Distribution System Code, the Retail Settlement Code and the Standard Supply Service Code
    • Attachment B: Comparison Version of July 2, 2010 Final Customer Service Code Amendments relative to the March 12, 2010 Proposed Customer Service Code Amendments (for information purposes only)
    • Attachment C: Supplementary Amendments to the Retail Settlement Code to Accommodate the Harmonized Sales Tax 
March 12, 2010

The OEB has issued a Notice of Further Revised Proposed Customer Service Amendments to the Distribution System Code, the Retail Settlement Code and the Standard Service Supply Code.
October 1, 2009

The OEB has issued a Revised Notice of Proposed Customer Service Amendments to the Distribution System Code, Retail Settlement Code and Standard Service Supply Code.
June 16, 2009

The OEB has issued a Notice of Amendment to the DSC for Customer Reclassification and Management of Customer Non-Payment Risk.
March 10, 2009

The OEB has issued a Notice of Proposal to Amend Codes inviting comment on a number of proposed amendments to the Distribution System Code, the Retail Settlement Code and the Standard Supply Service Code.  In addition to a number of proposed code amendments in EB-2007-0722, this Notice includes proposed amendments to these codes to implement certain elements of the Board’s policy for low income energy consumers in EB-2008-0150.
March 6, 2008

The OEB issued for comment a Staff Discussion Paper in this consultation.
September 6, 2007

The OEB issued a letter initiating a consultation process regarding issues associated with the provision of service and application of charges by electricity distributors.
June 4, 2007

The OEB posted a Board staff Discussion Paper that examines the issue of large customer commodity payment default risk management by electricity distributors (this material was originally posted under case number EB-2007-0635).