Information Request: Consumption on Inactive Meter
January, 28 2020
Please respond to this information request:
- Does your company measure and track Consumption on Inactive Meters (CIM)? This would be considered metered electricity (kWh) with no customer on record to bill (i.e. inactive consumption). These are not delayed bills; rather, there is metered usage at a premise but no customer on record for that metered usage.
- Approximately how much CIM do you have on system, measured over the last 12 month period (i.e. the unbilled kWh from 12/1/18 through 11/30/19)?
- Do you have established goals/metrics in place (whether regulated or internally-driven) to reduce CIM over time?
2. Does your Company measure and track Consumption on Inactive Meters? We run a report 2 or 3 times a week to check for inactive meters showing consumption.
Meter reader takes all meter reading regularly no matter customer is available or not. If cumulative inactive consumption (unbilled consumption) is greater than 500kWh, invitation letter will be sent to the premise for account opening application. If no application is received, field team will arrange to disconnect the supply.
Yes. We call it “Advanced Consumption” and the process is part of our Revenue Protection dept. We produce a list of these accounts every month. The team works the list to see what needs to be done. We exclude anything with less than 100kWh. If it’s over 100 kWh and no new party applying, we have the service cut off.
Yes. A report is generated each month by our IT department that lists all potential inactive consuming meters. Our RPU Investigator conducts the investigation into those meters from the list. He verifies if the occupants have an existing bill statement. If none is presented, the investigator will schedule a disconnection of service.
At our utility, consumption on inactive meters is separated into two categories: consumption on inactive, disconnected meter and consumption on inactive, connected meter. Revenue Protection is responsible for consumption on inactive, disconnected meters and the billing department is responsible for consumption on inactive, connected meters.
1. Because the amount of CIM changes on a daily basis, neither Revenue Protection nor Billing has successfully developed an effective process to measure and track CIM. For a short time, several years ago, we calculated an approximate amount of consumption on inactive meters monthly, but that process did not last more than a few months.
2. At this point in time, Revenue Protection does not track CIM and I am unable to provide an amount.
3. We do not have established goals/metrics in place to reduce CIM over time. Currently, there is no public service commission requirement to reduce CIM. Consequently, it has not specifically been made a priority.