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FFY2015 EAP Annual Training August 12 & 13, 2014 St. Cloud

FFY2015 EAP Annual Training August 12 & 13, 2014 St. Cloud. PUC. 1. Public Utilities Commission Consumer Affairs Office. EAP Annual Training August 13-14, 2014 Brian Swanson. Who is the Public Utilities Commission? Complaint Mediation process Telephone Assistance Program (TAP)

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FFY2015 EAP Annual Training August 12 & 13, 2014 St. Cloud

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  1. FFY2015 EAP Annual Training August 12 & 13, 2014 St. Cloud PUC 1

  2. Public Utilities CommissionConsumer Affairs Office EAP Annual Training August 13-14, 2014 Brian Swanson

  3. Who is the Public Utilities Commission? • Complaint Mediation process • Telephone Assistance Program (TAP) • Rate cases • Other events happening

  4. Regulate • Local and in-state long distance telephone companies • Investor-owned electric and natural gas utilities • Permitting for transmission lines, power plants, and pipelines 5 Commissioners • Appointed by the Governor • Staggered terms • Full time employment 50 Staff

  5. Consumer Affairs Office • Manager • 3 Mediators • 1 Public Advisor

  6. Consumer Affairs Office • Mediation between utility companies and their customers • Consumer Education • Telephone Discount Program • Cold Weather Rule • Utility Resource • Public Comments • Administrative support for agency staff and Commissioners

  7. Complaint Mediation • Customer requests assistance • Customer signature required • Customer complaint data is nonpublic • Forward to utility company for response • 10 business days for status or resolution • No cost to customer • Average time to close a complaint = 14 days

  8. Telephone Assistance Program/Lifeline • 1 discount per household • Must provide proof of eligibility when applying • Database to prevent duplication • Annual Recertification • Available to customers of “traditional” telephone service and some cellular providers (not VoIP) • Landline = $9.25 federal & $3.50 state discount • Wireless = Free cellphone and usually 250 minutes per month • Participate in Qualifying program OR household income at or below 135% of federal poverty

  9. Telephone Assistance Program/Lifeline • Qualifying programs • Medicaid/Medical Assistance • Food Support/Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) • Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) • Supplemental Security Income (SSI) • Federal Housing Assistance (Section 8) • Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) • Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) • National School Free Lunch Program • Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance If living on a reservation • Tribally Administered Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) if living on a reservation • Tribal National School Free Lunch Program if living on a reservation

  10. Telephone Assistance Program/Lifeline • Approved Wireless Companies in MN • Assurance Wireless 1-888-321-5880 • Budget Mobil 1-888-777-4007 • EnTouch Wireless 1-866-488-8719 • Life Wireless 1-888-543-3620 • Qlink Wireless 1-855-754-6543 • Reach Out Wireless 1-877-870-9222 • Standup Wireless 1-800-544-4441 • T-Mobile 1-800-937-8997 • TerraCom Wireless 1-877-351-4747 • Access Wireless 1-800-464-6010 • Tag Wireless 1-866-959-4918

  11. Recertification • Required for all Lifeline subscribers • Subscribers will receive instructions/materials from their provider • Must act within 30 days or be removed from program

  12. Loss Of Discount • Multiple benefits – Landline & Wireless or 2 or more wireless discounts • Failure to respond to recertification or after 30 day deadline • Incorrect or incomplete form • If removed you must reapply –cannot just submit old recertification • Credits are not retroactive

  13. Rate Cases • Minnesota Energy Resources Corp. (MERC) 13-617 • Filed September 2013 • Requested increase $14,187,156 or approximately 5.52% • January 2014 – Interim Rate set at $10,755,973 • Public Hearing meetings were held in March, 2014 • ALJ report due the week of August 11th • PUC final decision (Order) in September, 2014

  14. Rate Cases • Xcel Energy 13-868 • Filed November, 2013 • Requested $192 Million or 6.9% in 2014 • Requested $98 million or 3.5% in 2015 • January 2014 –Interim Rate set at $127.4 million • ALJ report due December 2014 • PUC final decision (Order) in February 2015

  15. Rate Cases • Dakota Electric Association 14-482 • Filed Request July, 2014 • Requesting $4.2 Million or about 2.1% increase • Interim rate asked for is $2.9 million – Scheduled for August 21st Agenda meeting • Public Hearing will be sometime after November • PUC final decision (Order) in Summer of 2015

  16. Alliant Energy - Electric • Asset purchase and sales agreement between Interstate Power & Light (IPL) and 12 electric cooperatives in Southern Minnesota is before the Commission. Docket 14-322. • 12 cooperatives have formed Southern Minnesota Energy Cooperative (SMEC) to help facilitate the sale. • Benco, Brown County, Federated, Freeborn-Mower, Minnesota Valley, Nobles, People’s, Redwood, Sioux Valley, South Central, Steele-Waseca, and Tri-County • 43,000 IPL customers would move to one of the 12 cooperatives if approve. • Customers would then be under cooperative rules for Cold Weather Rule

  17. Alliant Energy – Natural Gas • Proposed sale of Interstate Power and Light Company’s Minnesota gas distribution system and assets to Minnesota Energy Resources Corporation (MERC) is before the Commission. Docket 14-107 • About 10,600 customers in12 Communities under consideration • Adams, Albert Lea, Clarks Grove, Conger, Geneva, Glenville, Hollandale, Le Roy, Lyle, Rose Creek, Taopi, and Wykoff • No change for Cold Weather Rules

  18. Call Spoofing • Caller deliberately changes their name and number that appears on the Caller ID. • Typically used by identity thieves to disguise their name and number to collect sensitive information such as bank account numbers, social security numbers, date of birth, or your mother’s maiden name. • Callers are using names and numbers that appear to be local numbers

  19. Call Spoofing continued • Truth in Caller ID Act of 2009 prohibits caller ID spoofing for the purpose of defrauding or otherwise causing harm. • File a complaint with the FCC 1-888-225-5322 Federal Communications Commission Consumer & Government Affairs Bureau Consumer Inquiries & Complaints Division 445 12th Street, SW Washington, D.C. 20554

  20. Questions?

  21. Brian Swanson Consumer Mediator Minnesota Public Utilities Commission 121 Seventh Place East Suite 350 St Paul MN 55101-2147 651-296-0406, option 1 1-800-657-3782, option 1 Fax 651-297-7073 consumer.puc@state.mn.us mn.gov/puc

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