Contested Issue Hardship Fund Background Hardship Fund provides financial assistance in the form of Columbia’s grants, which are administered by the Dollar Energy Fund (DEF) to Columbia’s residential customers who need temporary assistance in paying their gas bills and who meet certain qualification guidelines. Columbia M.B. at 7. Hardship Columbia’s Fund program has a total projected budget of $409,000. CAUSE-PA M.B. at 14. Columbia raises funds for its Hardship Fund through several means, including voluntary donations from shareholders, employees, and ratepayers. Columbia M.B. at 8. However, the current primary source of funds for Hardship Fund is an amount of Columbia’s $375,000 that is recovered from all of non-CAP residential customers Columbia’s through USP Rider. Columbia St. 112-RJ at 1. Id.; Columbia’s Prior to 2012, Columbia received $375,000, less a $13,125 administrative fee, for its Hardship Fund from Citizens Energy Corporation (Citizens Energy) pursuant to a gas supply contract between Columbia and Citizens Energy. However, in 2012, Columbia cancelled this contract. Columbia M.B. at 8-9. As part of the settlement in 2012 base rate proceeding at Docket No. R-2012-2321748, the parties to the Columbia’s settlement agreed that Columbia would be able to recover $375,000 per year for its Hardship Fund through its USP Rider to compensate for the loss of funds that resulted from the cancellation of contract with Citizens Energy. OCA M.B. at 5-6. Columbia’s On June 2, 2014, Columbia filed its proposed 2015-2018 Universal Service and Energy Conservation Plan (USECP) with the Commission at Docket No. On March 26, 2015, the Commission entered a Tentative Order (Tentative
Contested Issue Hardship Fund Background Columbia’s Hardship Fund provides financial assistance in the form of grants, which are administered by the Dollar Energy Fund (DEF) to Columbia’s residential customers who need temporary assistance in paying their gas bills and who meet certain qualification guidelines. Columbia M.B. at 7. Columbia’s Hardship Fund program has a total projected budget of $409,000. CAUSE-PA M.B. at 14. Columbia raises funds for its Hardship Fund through several means, including voluntary donations from shareholders, employees, and ratepayers. Columbia M.B. at 8. However, the current primary source of funds for Columbia’s Hardship Fund is an amount of $375,000 that is recovered from all of Columbia’s non-CAP residential customers through Columbia’s USP Rider. Id.; Columbia St. 112-RJ at 1. Prior to 2012, Columbia received $375,000, less a $13,125 administrative fee, for its Hardship Fund from Citizens Energy Corporation (Citizens Energy) pursuant to a gas supply contract between Columbia and Citizens Energy. However, in 2012, Columbia cancelled this contract. Columbia M.B. at 8-9. As part of the settlement in Columbia’s 2012 base rate proceeding at Docket No. R-2012-2321748, the parties to the settlement agreed that Columbia would be able to recover $375,000 per year for its Hardship Fund through its USP Rider to compensate for the loss of funds that resulted from the cancellation of Columbia’s contract with Citizens Energy. OCA M.B. at 5-6. On June 2, 2014, Columbia filed its proposed 2015-2018 Universal Service and Energy Conservation Plan (USECP) with the Commission at Docket No. On March 26, 2015, the Commission entered a Tentative Order (Tentative
1398643.docx