Duquesne Light seeks more time to comply with new consumer rules

Dive Brief:

A slate of new rules meant to protect consumers is taking more time to implement, according to Duquesne Light, and the utility has asked the Public Utility Commission for additional time to comply.
According to Duquesne, the utility's new customer service system -- For Our Customers (FOCUS) -- is not built to handle thousands of additional requests for customers to switch service providers.
After customers were left facing higher rates during the Polar Vortex, Pennsylvania regulators passed new rules that would allow customers to switch providers in as little as three days. The new rules went into effect in June.

Dive Insight:

Regulators' patience may be wearing thin with Duquesne Light, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. The Public Utilities Commission "grudgingly" approved a delay at its July 30 meeting, giving the utility more time to comply with new communications rules. They are now considering Duquesne's request for an indefinite delay to comply with new rules governing customer switching.

Last year, the PUC approved new rules which, among other things, dramatically reduced the time customers would need to wait in order to change power providers. Regulators directed electric distribution companies to accelerate switching time frames through off-cycle meter readings, allowing customers to switch in as little as three days. Utilities had six months to implement the new rule, but Duquesne said its new FOCUS customer service platform is under stress and will require high levels of customization to implement the new changes.

“We requested extensions from the PUC to ensure that the customization of the system not only meets the current regulations, but also delivers customer benefits and does not disrupt normal business operations,” spokeswoman Jessica Rock told the Post-Gazette.

Under the old rules, it could take from 11 to 40 days to change electricity suppliers, meaning customers often could not avoid the impacts of rising rates. Earlier this year, Duquesne complied with the new rules' initial phase and has processed more than 8,500 customer switches per month since then.