426429 Washington Gas Light Company's Request to Modify Payment Options for Customers and Revise Tariff Pages

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

 

 

NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING

 

 

FORMAL CASE NO. 1081, IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION OF THE WASHINGTON GAS LIGHT COMPANY TO MODIFY PAYMENT OPTIONS FOR CUSTOMERS

 

1.          The Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia (“Commission”) hereby gives notice, pursuant to Section 2-505 of the District of Columbia Official Code,[1] of its intent to act upon the Application of the Washington Gas Light Company (“WGL” or “Company”)[2] in not less than 30 days from the date of publication of this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NOPR”) in the D.C. Register. 

 

2.          On June 18, 2010, WGL filed an Application for Authority to Modify Payment Options for Customers.[3]  WGL states that it plans to phase out acceptance of cash payments at its 101 Constitution Avenue, N.W. walk-in office (“Main Office”).[4]  WGL asserts that, in order to provide more services for customers, WGL has contracted with Global Express to provide authorized alternative payment locations for customers to pay their WGL bills.[5]  The Company indicates that Global Express has 297 authorized payment locations throughout WGL’s service territory in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia that accept cash payments.[6] The Company indicates that it proposes to discontinue acceptance of cash payments at the Main Office due to low volume, high costs, and availability of better alternatives.[7] WGL avers that only 1% of customers are paying with cash at the Main Office monthly and processing cash payments are more expensive due to the usage of armored car services and bank processing.[8]  WGL states that it intends to inform customers of the change through its customer newsletter, customer bills and at the numerous Global Express locations.[9]

 

3.          Also in its Application, WGL seeks to modify the tariff requirements for participation in the Residential Essential Service (“RES”) Program, such that RES customers will be enrolled automatically in the Company’s Budget Billing Program (“Budget Billing Program”).[10]  WGL states that the Budget Billing Program will prove beneficial for RES customers because it will allow them to better manage their bills and minimize the possibility of disconnection due to missed payments.[11]  In addition, WGL asserts that the budget billing process would lessen the impact of RES customers receiving and being forced to pay large bills during the winter months.[12]  According to the Company, the Budget Billing Program provides the advantage of spreading winter heating costs over the entire year.[13]  WGL proposes to initiate the automatic enrollment process in November of 2010, when the new RES enrollment process begins.[14]  WGL submits that RES customers who are current on their gas bills will be enrolled automatically in the Budget Billing Program at the time they are enrolled in the RES Program.[15]  According to the Company, for any RES customer whose gas bill is not current at the time of enrollment in the RES Program, the Company will set up a payment arrangement for the outstanding balance on the account and put the customer in the Budget Billing Program.[16]  Finally, the Company states that if a RES customer fails to make a payment under the Budget Billing Program, they will be removed from the Budget Billing Program; however, the removal will not affect a RES customer’s eligibility to participate in the RES Program and to continue to receive the RES credit.[17]      

                       

4.          Accordingly, WGL seeks authority to revise and put into service the following tariff pages contained in its June 18, 2010 tariff filing:

     

WASHINGTON GAS LIGHT COMPANY, P.S.C. of D.C. No. 3

11th Revised Page No. 5

9th Revised Page No. 37

 

5.          The Application is on file with the Commission and may be reviewed at the Office of the Commission Secretary, 1333 H Street, N.W., Second Floor, West Tower, Washington, D.C. 20005, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday or may be viewed on the Commission’s website at www.dcpsc.org.  Copies of the tariff pages are also available upon request, at a per-page reproduction cost. 

 

6.          All persons interested in commenting on WGL’s  Application may submit written comments and reply comments no later than thirty (30) and forty-five (45) days, respectively, after publication of this NOPR in the D.C. Register with Dorothy Wideman, Commission Secretary, at the above address.  After the comment period has expired, the Commission will take final action on WGL’s Application.

 

 

 

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[1]               D. C. Code, § 2-505 (2001).

 

[2]               Formal Case No. 1081, In the Matter of the Application of the Washington Gas Light Company to Modify Payment Options for Customers (“F.C. 1081”), file June 18, 2010 (“WGL’s Application”). 

 

[3]               F.C. 1081, WGL’s Application.

  

[4]               Id. at 1.

 

[5]               Id. at 3.

 

[6]               Id. 

 

[7]               Id. at 4.

 

[8]               Id.

 

[9]               Id. at 4-5.

 

[10]             Id. at. 5.

 

[11]             Id.

 

[12]             Id. 

 

[13]             Id. at 6.

 

[14]             Id.

 

[15]             Id. 

 

[16]             Id. at 6-7.

 

[17]             Id. at 7.