4906277 Public Service Commission - Amended Notice of Final Rulemaking - GT 2014-01, In the Matter of the Application of Washington Gas Light Company for Authority to Amend General Service Provision No. 4

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

 

AMENDED NOTICE OF FINAL RULEMAKING

 

GT 2014-01, IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION OF WASHINGTON GAS LIGHT COMPANY FOR AUTHORITY TO AMEND GENERAL SERVICE PROVISION NO. 4

 

            1.         The Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia (“Commission”) hereby gives notice pursuant to D.C. Official Code § 2-505 (2001 ed.) of its amendment to its final rulemaking action published in the D.C. Register on April 25, 2014[1] approving the Application of Washington Gas Light Company (“WGL” or “Company”) for authority to amend General Service Provision No. 4 of its tariff to implement Fee-Free Credit/Debit Card Service (“Card Service”) for the Company’s residential and small commercial customers in the District of Columbia.[2]  

 

2.         In its Application, the Company seeks approval of the Card Service, “which will eliminate the fee paid by the Company’s residential and small commercial customers to a third-party processor for credit/debit card bill payments.”[3]  WGL proposes to make this service available to District of Columbia residential and small commercial customers at no cost.  Currently, customers are charged $4.55 to pay their bills with a credit/debit card, which is paid directly to the third-party processor.[4]  According to WGL, with this new service, these customers will avoid all fees when paying their WGL gas bills with a credit or debit card.  In addition, the Company states that delinquent customers trying to pay arrearages will be eligible to pay by credit or debit card.[5]  To effect these changes, WGL proposes to revise the following tariff page:

 

Washington Gas Light Company – District of Columbia, PSC of D.C. No. 3

First Revised Page No. 36A

 

3.         The Commission issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NOPR”), which was published in the D.C. Register on February 14, 2014, inviting public comment on the proposed tariff amendments.[6]  No comments were filed in response to the NOPR.  Subsequently, the Commission, at its regularly scheduled open meeting held on April 17, 2014, took final action to approve WGL’s Application.  A Notice of Final Rulemaking (“NOFR”) approving the Application was published on April 25, 2014.[7]  The NOFR stated that the new tariff provision would become effective upon publication.

 

4.         On April 29, 2014, WGL notified the Commission that there are still several processes and systems that have to be coordinated prior to implementation of the new tariff provision, including changes to the integrated voice response system and testing.  The Company requested that the tariff revisions become effective May 30, 2014, instead of April 25, 2014, to allow for sufficient time to implement these changes.[8]  Subsequently, the Commission, at its regularly scheduled open meeting held on May 19, 2014, took final action to approve WGL’s request to change the effective date of the new tariff.  Therefore, the new tariff provisions will become effective on May 30, 2014, instead of upon the date of the previously published NOFR, April 25, 2014.

 

           

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[1]               61 DCR 4180 (April 25, 2014).  On May 16, 2014, the Commission announced a change in the nomenclature used to give public notice of its processing of applications for tariff changes from “Notice of Proposed Rulemaking” and “Notice of Final Rulemaking” to “Notice of Proposed Tariff” and “Notice of Approved Tariff,” respectively.  61 DCR 5150 (May 16, 2014).  The Commission is using the prior nomenclature for this matter because the prior nomenclature has been used since the commencement of the proceeding.

 

[2]               GT 2014-01, Application of Washington Gas Light Company for Authority to Amend General Service Provision No. 4 (“GT 2014-01”), filed February 4, 2014 (“WGL’s Application).

 

[3]               WGL’s Application at 1.

 

[4]               Id.

 

[5]               Id. at 1-2.

 

[6]               61 DCR 1312 (February 14, 2014).

 

[7]               61 DCR 4180 (April 25, 2014).

 

[8]               Letter of Washington Gas Light Company addressed to the Commission’s Secretary dated April 29, 2014.