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HAND OUT AT MEETING PROVIDED BY CHAIR DIETZ
<br />State- regulated 011ftles recelve approval to move back to 'normal?
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<br />Normal: see pale a pfenso
<br />Vormal:
<br />:ontinued from front patio
<br />luences but with discussion]
<br />If the lifting of the governor's
<br />,mergency powers, and more
<br />ederal money available to
<br />lelp with customer utility
<br />gills, a thoughtful transition
<br />nriod plan was needed.
<br />The plans are designed to
<br />ol•ollnpf. cusLonlars ill arrears
<br />pack into payment plans, said
<br />-;ieben, and encourage them
<br />it-, lipply for fi)lancial assis-
<br />tance.
<br />liey will likely be of iu-
<br />torest and promise to serve AS
<br />easily -defended policy going
<br />forward.
<br />All parties involved in the
<br />stote•snuctioned discussion
<br />soomed eager to move for-
<br />ward.
<br />Customers Ill arroar-s need
<br />to work with utilities (o rnain-
<br />of law payment fetes was a
<br />comprwnise—consumer ad-
<br />vocates argued that it was
<br />enough to pay back arreara.
<br />because adding fees only
<br />makes arrangements hardow
<br />to sustalll.
<br />The investor -owned utili-
<br />ties willingly agreed to sus-
<br />pend negative reporting to
<br />credit agencies for residential
<br />customers. as it appeared
<br />they dill not make such re-
<br />ports anyway.
<br />Among issues the MPUC;
<br />did not include in its ol•cler
<br />was tho length of payment
<br />plans, leaving this to tile dis-
<br />cretion of utilities w4h con-
<br />sideration of individual cus-
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<br />iStJf•CPj% citsfoniNi'&''ti!'-eivR>tlali)g
<br />energy assistance programs
<br />ams
<br />and how w apply. The MPUC
<br />and Department: of Com•
<br />coerce will also be sending out
<br />joint Communications.
<br />The MPUC required report-
<br />ing, fl•nm the iltilit•.ies it reltu-
<br />fates. of several praetices, ill-
<br />cluding: Service, Deposits
<br />Charged; Reconriection fees
<br />Charged; Down Payments
<br />Required; Interestljlenalt/41/
<br />.......... •Nn, rt:, .. .,.::1.'i>:.iL4h:':'s:4w,tah�s...,.....,...., .�.....................
<br />foes require(].
<br />The state -regulated utili•
<br />ties and many nitmicipals
<br />and cooperativos suspended
<br />normal business practice. ill.
<br />lilt- onset of the pandemic.
<br />On Murch 24, 2020, AIPUC
<br />Chair Siebon and then -Com-
<br />missioner of the Department
<br />r>e1,r,LC
<br />of .Comni.we Steve I{elley
<br />wrote to all of.the states utili-
<br />ties, requesting they work to
<br />reconnect disconnected cus-
<br />tomers and suspend discon-
<br />nections and lato paiyment
<br />fees lot- the duration. of the
<br />state's declared pepcetinie
<br />emergency.
<br />It was, Sieben n0•( l$...�. oil
<br />April 15, "an extraordinary
<br />request."
<br />Sieben expressed her grati•
<br />tude and Appreciation to till
<br />utilities who worked with
<br />regulators, energy assistance
<br />agencies alld their: customers
<br />(luring this difficult time..
<br />Provider
<br />Residential
<br />Past Due
<br />#
<br />Total
<br />Average
<br />Average
<br />Customers
<br />Residential
<br />Residential
<br />Dollars
<br />Past Due
<br />Monthly
<br />Customers
<br />Customers
<br />Past Due
<br />Amount
<br />Residential
<br />Past Due
<br />for
<br />for Past
<br />Bill
<br />Residential
<br />Due
<br />Customers
<br />Customers
<br />Electric
<br />10,706
<br />737
<br />6.9%
<br />$126,925.45
<br />$172.22
<br />$80.96
<br />Water A4,741
<br />171
<br />13.6%
<br />1$7,299.7Q
<br />$42,69
<br />$22.14
<br />
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