8. Sunset Date for Interim Practices52
The Joint Utilities recommend that the two interim customer service disconnection practices adopted in R.10-02-005 should be effective only until the next general rate case (GRC).53 SCE recommends that the measure prohibiting the utilities from charging customers deposits to re-establish credit following disconnection be ended, but that the first measure which directs utilities to inform customers that they may have at least three months to pay an arrearage be continued.54 PG&E requests that a final decision in this matter identify a closing date for adopted modifications.55
DRA recommends that the two interim customer service practices be continued for a year.56 Greenlining offers that the interim practices become permanent.57
As noted above, we have only four months of reported data and therefore can not conclude whether the two interim measures adopted in R.10-02-005 are effective or whether the implementation costs are significant. In addition, and most significantly, the economic crisis and related disconnections which initially caused us to reexamine utility disconnection rules and practices continues today. Therefore, we will maintain the interim measures as revised in this decision along with the new requirements until the effective dates for GRCs, which is anticipated to be January 1, 2012 for SDG&E, SoCalGas and SCE. This will provide ample time to monitor and collect data (as discussed below) on these requirements to determine their efficacy.
Since the effective date of PG&E's next GRC is not expected until
January 2014 a sunset date for PG&E's disconnection practices will be addressed in Phase 2 of this proceeding.
52 R.10-02-005 provides parties an opportunity to comment on sunset provisions, if appropriate.
53 Joint Utilities Opening Comments at 12.
54 SCE Reply Comments at 2.
55 PG&E Reply Comments at 16.
56 Reply Comments of DRA at 4.
57 Reply Comments of Greenlining at 2.
