Texas REPs Detail TDU Billing Issues, Billing Of 700,000 kWh To Customer In One Month, Multiple Cancels/Re-bills -- EnergyChoiceMatters.com

Texas REPs Detail TDU Billing Issues, Billing Of 700,000 kWh To Customer In One Month, Multiple Cancels/Re-bills

May 31, 2022

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Reporting by Paul Ring • ring@energychoicematters.com

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The Texas Energy Association for Marketers filed a statement of position with the Texas PUC opposing the inclusion, in Texas-New Mexico Power Company's distribution cost recovery factor update, of the equivalent of $2 million per year related to new investment claimed by TNMP associated with TNMP's ongoing replacement of meters that have ceased to function in compliance with the Public Utility Commission of Texas's standards for advanced metering systems (AMS) under 16 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) § 25.130

Citing discovery responses and other filings, TEAM alleged, "While TNMP has included the cost of the meters to be replaced in this proceeding, TNMP admits that none of the meters which it seeks to include in this DCRF increase were installed on any customer's premise in 2021."

More noteworthy is TEAM's description of higher costs and other challenges experienced by REPs due to the sunset of 3G by AT&T and the impact on TNMP's AMS network (see background on the issue here)

TEAM alleged, "... as the retail electric providers (REPs) and end-use residential customers are painfully aware, the old meters no longer act as advanced meters, and the new ones that are installed have a significant lag before they provide the full functionality required by the Commission's rules, including 16 TAC § 25.130(g). In addition, TNMP continues to provide estimated, missing, and erroneous meter reads related to this issue that have material effects on REPs and customer billing."

"Customers with 3G Meters that are no longer functioning have received sub-standard service while awaiting the deployment of the AMS NextGen Meters or while waiting for meters that have been deployed to begin functioning properly. For example, TEAM members have had customers who have received 'actual' meter readings of 700,000 kilowatt hours for a single month. For other 'actual' meter readings, TNMP has issued as many as four cancellations and re-bills because the 'actual' meter readings were inaccurate. Other customers are receiving estimated meter readings that include usage for a two-month period rather than the standard one-month billing cycle," TEAM alleged

Docket 53436

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