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PSC Approves Stipulation For Utility To Maintain Real-Time Website For Retail Suppliers To Streamline Customer Turn-On, Other Appointments Requested Through Retail Suppliers
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Retail natural gas suppliers in Georgia will receive an enhanced, real-time ability to schedule customer turn-on and other appointments with Atlanta Gas Light, under a stipulation approved by the Georgia PSC
The Georgia PSC approved a stipulation among Atlanta Gas Light, PSC Staff, and several retail natural gas suppliers in AGL's Integrated Capacity and Delivery Plan (i-CDP) proceeding that provides for a real-time web interface between AGL’s Georgia Customer Management Application (GCMA) system and retail suppliers' customer information systems, which shall allow for the real-time scheduling of service order appointments
Currently, in addressing matters related to AGL service orders for customers (turn-on; switch; reconnection -- including shut-off for nonpayment (SONP) reconnection; turn-off, etc.) retail suppliers must switch between their own CIS and GCMA
Retail suppliers have called this current process inefficient, and have said that the current process creates the potential for longer customer wait times and increased opportunities for mistakes
Retail suppliers also touted an expected significant reduction in customer complaints concerning service order scheduling as a result of the real-time web interface
"For online enrollments, Marketers make many assumptions about appointment availability because orders must be worked by a live agent after the customer completes the order transaction. Marketers also make assumptions that the customer needs to be home for all turn-on appointments, but that is not always accurate, as in the case of delayed matches, wherein the gas was left on for the next customer and, after AGL works the order, it becomes apparent that there is no need for an AGL field service representative to physically turn on the gas1. Not having a 'real time' interface with GCMA causes countless situations where customers have to change plans when a Marketer agent contacts them after processing their order to reschedule a turn-on because the customers’ selected time slot was not available when the order was worked by the Marketer," a group of retail suppliers explained
Retail suppliers reported that there are more than 675K annual turn-ons with 40%+ of those conducted online
AGL will start the process to develop the real-time web services in 2025, with an anticipated implementation in 2027.
The approved stipulation provides that the cost related to the development of these real-time services shall be offset through AGL’s turn
on and reconnect fees.
As for ongoing O&M costs and any future incremental capital investment for the real-time web services, the adopted stipulation provides that the turn on and reconnect fees may be adjusted in a future rate case
Docket No. 43820
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July 2, 2024
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Copyright 2024 EnergyChoiceMatters.com
Reporting by Paul Ring • ring@energychoicematters.com
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