SAP Implementation Technical Bulletin 1 Seamless Moves - September 3, 2015 Retaining ESCO/NGS Service When a Customer Moves (Update #2) Impacts both New York and Pennsylvania Upon implementation of National Fuel’s new billing system, the existing manual process for retaining ESCO/NGS service when a customer moves within National Fuel’s service territory 1 (“Seamless Move”) will be enhanced to utilize EDI enrollment transactions and responses. The new billing system will create an account number at the time of the order entry for the customer’s new account which the customer may provide to their current supplier. The new process depends upon communication between the customer and their supplier; if an ESCO/NGS is contacted by a current customer prior to their move, the ESCO/NGS should inform the customer of the process and ask the customer to provide the new account number. Upon receipt of the new account number, the ESCO/NGS may submit an 814 EDI Enrollment (“814E”) transaction. 2 Instead of rejecting 3 the enrollment, the new system will respond by accepting the enrollment, i.e. issuing a pending enrollment transaction for the date service is scheduled to begin based upon the customer’s order. It is important to understand that moving is not always a seamless process. There are three basic Seamless Move outcomes under which ESCO/NGS service begins at the new account without an initial period of utility sales service: ESCO/NGS service for the customer’s new account begins the day after ESCO/NGS service for the customers old account ends, i.e. perfectly seamless. ESCO/NGS service for the customer’s new account begins on the same day or before the day after ESCO/NGS service for the customer’s old account ends. In this case, the Seamless Move has an overlap period where the ESCO/NGS serves two accounts for the same customer. ESCO/NGS service for the customer’s new account begins after ESCO/NGS service for the customer’s old account ends. In this case, the seamless move has a gap in the period where the ESCO/NGS serves the customer, i.e. a seamless move with a gap in ESCO/NGS service. In this case, the Seamless Move has an overlap period where the 1 The process is designed to work within a single state, New York or Pennsylvania. If a National Fuel customer moves from one state to the other, the success of the Seamless Move will depend upon whether the supplier is active in both service territories, i.e. both an ESCO in New York and an NGS in Pennsylvania. 2 Pennsylvania NGSs that do not use EDI may use the Company’s web site to obtain a customer’s budget plan status or add a customer to the program. 3 Under the existing system, the new account number is not created until service begins. Even if the account number was known prior to this date, an enrollment transaction would be rejected because the account number would not be valid until service began.
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SAP Implementation Technical Bulletin
1 Seamless Moves - September 3, 2015
Retaining ESCO/NGS Service When a Customer Moves (Update #2) Impacts both New York and Pennsylvania
Upon implementation of National Fuel’s new billing system, the existing manual process for retaining ESCO/NGS service when a customer moves within National Fuel’s service territory1 (“Seamless Move”) will be enhanced to utilize EDI enrollment transactions and responses. The new billing system will create an account number at the time of the order entry for the customer’s new account which the customer may provide to their current supplier.
The new process depends upon communication between the customer and their
supplier; if an ESCO/NGS is contacted by a current customer prior to their move, the ESCO/NGS should inform the customer of the process and ask the customer to provide the new account number. Upon receipt of the new account number, the ESCO/NGS may submit an 814 EDI Enrollment (“814E”) transaction.2 Instead of rejecting3 the enrollment, the new system will respond by accepting the enrollment, i.e. issuing a pending enrollment transaction for the date service is scheduled to begin based upon the customer’s order.
It is important to understand that moving is not always a seamless process. There are
three basic Seamless Move outcomes under which ESCO/NGS service begins at the new account without an initial period of utility sales service:
ESCO/NGS service for the customer’s new account begins the day after ESCO/NGS service for the customers old account ends, i.e. perfectly seamless.
ESCO/NGS service for the customer’s new account begins on the same day or before the day after ESCO/NGS service for the customer’s old account ends. In this case, the Seamless Move has an overlap period where the ESCO/NGS serves two accounts for the same customer.
ESCO/NGS service for the customer’s new account begins after ESCO/NGS service for the customer’s old account ends. In this case, the seamless move has a gap in the period where the ESCO/NGS serves the customer, i.e. a seamless move with a gap in ESCO/NGS service. In this case, the Seamless Move has an overlap period where the
1 The process is designed to work within a single state, New York or Pennsylvania. If a National Fuel customer
moves from one state to the other, the success of the Seamless Move will depend upon whether the supplier is active in both service territories, i.e. both an ESCO in New York and an NGS in Pennsylvania. 2 Pennsylvania NGSs that do not use EDI may use the Company’s web site to obtain a customer’s budget plan
status or add a customer to the program. 3 Under the existing system, the new account number is not created until service begins. Even if the account
number was known prior to this date, an enrollment transaction would be rejected because the account number would not be valid until service began.
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ESCO/NGS serves two accounts for the same customer, i.e. a Seamless Move with a gap in ESCO/NGS service.
Because a Seamless Move is unlike an enrollment for an existing customer, some actions associated with the customary enrollment process will differ:
The 15 calendar day (11 days in Pennsylvania) lead time for enrollments will not be applicable and Seamless Move enrollments will be accepted up until the earlier of the last day of service under the old account or service initiation for the new account.
o If the old account terminates before the ESCO/NGS has sent an 814E for the new account but service for the new account has not yet started, it may still be possible to begin ESCO/NGS service at the new account as an Instant Connect.
The customer will not receive a pre-enrollment verification letter for the new account because the only way the ESCO/NGS should have been able to submit an 814E would be if the new account number had been provided by the customer.
o While service will begin with the ESCO/NGS submitting the enrollment, once the account is activated, the customer may switch to another ESCO/NGS or to utility sales service following the customary timelines.
The scheduled switch date in the pending enrollment transaction for the new account will be relatively “fungible” compared to standard pending enrollment transactions because scheduled service start dates are less determinant, e.g. the closing date on a sales transaction for a new-build is delayed preventing the customer from moving in can be changed for several reasons unrelated to utility service. Similarly, it is possible that a customer may move in earlier than initially expected thereby beginning service with the ESCO/NGS before the pending enrollment date.
o In the case of delays, the Company will not provide a specific EDI notification, but the pending enrollment will remain in place until the account begins service. The ESCO/NGS should monitor the A0, J0 and J1 web files to determine when service for the new account has started.
The Seamless Move process operates under New York’s First-In enrollment rules so Pennsylvania last-in enrollments for accounts where service has not yet originated will be rejected.
o If a customer (in either state) wishes to cancel a Seamless Move, they should contact the ESCO/NGS directly. The ESCO/NGS should then cancel the pending enrollment using an 814 Drop (“814D”) transaction.4
If the customer wants service with a different supplier when service begins for the new account, the other ESCO/NGS should submit an enrollment using the Instant Connect procedures.
4 Even though the account has not yet initiated service, the 814 Drop will function just as it would for cancellation
of a pending enrollment for an existing account; there is no special syntax required for the Seamless Move scenario.
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If the customer wants utility sales service when service begins for the new account, the 814D in absence of an 814E from another supplier will result in utility sales service when the new account starts service.
o If the customer contacts the ESCO/NGS to cancel the Seamless Move but that supplier does not cancel the Pending Enrollment, the customer may contact the Company to rescind the enrollment.
The Company will cancel the pending enrollment and issue an 814D transaction.
The ESCO/NGS’s inaction may be classified as a “slam”. Finally, if the scheduled service start date for the new account is more than one month from the date the service order is placed, the ESCO/NGS should defer submitting the 814E for the new account until then. If the expected gap period for a customer move is more than a month, the ESCO/NGS should use the Instant Connect procedure to initiate supplier service when the new account begins service.
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EDI Matters There is no specific Seamless Move EDI Enrollment Transaction; an 814E transaction using the customer’s new account number is used to enroll a customer with an ESCO/NGS when service begins at the new account. EDI Responses will be provided, as described above.
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Web (non-EDI) Entry Pennsylvania NGSs that do not use EDI and grandfathered New York Direct Customers may enroll customers under their new account numbers prior to beginning service via web entry screens by selecting the Transportation Customer Enrollment link on the Services For Marketers, Producers & Suppliers web page at: http://nationalfuelgas.com/marketers/default.aspx .
A more detailed explanation of Web (non-EDI) Entry will be provided in a subsequent technical bulletin.
The Company provides three files (hereinafter, “web files”)5 that may be used to monitor Seamless Move customer enrollment status. These web files are accessible from the Supplier / Customer Download Files link on the Services For Marketers, Producers & Suppliers web page at: http://nationalfuelgas.com/marketers/default.aspx
5 Some web files may not be ready at go-live. As necessary, workaround solutions will be provided until the web
The first web file (available only to non-EDI suppliers), provided in response to a successful enrollment, shows general customer information at the time of enrollment by an ESCO/NGS.
File Layout – New customers – general customer information (STBA/SATS – file A0)
Marketer id 7 ch
Aggregation group id 9 ch
Ratepayer billing id (RBA) 9 ch
Cust last name 20 ch
Cust first name 12 ch
Cust middle initial 1 ch
Premises Address 80 ch
Mail address 1 35 ch
Mail address 2 35 ch
Mail zip code 9 ch
State code 2 ch
County code 2 ch
County name 15 ch
Town code 4 ch
Town name 25 ch
School district code 4 ch
School district name 15 ch
Revenue class 2 ch
Budget plan yes/no 1 ch
Direct pay yes/no 1 ch
Service class 2 ch
Billing control 2 ch
Billing control effective date 8 ch (yyyymmdd)
Account baseload 7 ch
Account degree day factor 9 ch (5.3)
Sales Tax Exempt 1 ch
ESCO Provided Sales Tax Rate 6 ch (numeric 1.4)
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The second web file provided by the Company, the Aggregation Group Assignment Report, is the customer list by group and is reflective of the Company’s billing database.
File Layout – Aggregation group assignments (file J0) Marketer id 7 ch
The third web file provided by the Company, the Daily Aggregation Assignment Changes, is the customer detailed change list by group and is reflective of the Company’s billing database. This information is available as a file for downloading (file J1).
Daily Aggregation Assignment Changes (file J1) Marketer id 7 ch
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 1) Will National Fuel require that ESCO/NGS customers who move within the Company’s
territory take sales service when service to their new account begins? No – customers may continue to receive their supply service from their current ESCOs/NGSs when delivery service to the customer’s new account begins provided that arrangements (as described above) have been made before then.
2) For Seamless Moves, will National Fuel accept an enrollment for a new account that has not
billed yet?
Yes, but if the customer has moved in and service at the new account has started, the customer will initially be a sales customer. An 814E submitted by a supplier will be accepted and processed under the usual timing rules (15 calendar days for New York & 11 calendar days for Pennsylvania) and ESCO/NGS service would begin at the next available cycle switching date. 3) For Seamless Moves, what are the circumstances under which a customer would begin
service as a utility sales customer at their new account? If the customer does not provide their new account number to an ESCO/NGS either through an oversight or a preference to receive sales service, the new account will initially be a sales account. In other words, the customer’s move would not be seamless.
4) In cases where the customer failed to provide their new account number to an ESCO/NGS,
how soon can ESCO/NGS service start at the new account? Once the account has begun service, the usual timing rules (see FAQ2) relative to the customer’s first scheduled meter reading (or estimated read) date determines the date by which it can initiate ESCO/NGS service. 5) For Seamless Moves, when does the customer receive their new account number? The customer receives their new account number when they complete the application process. 6) For Seamless Moves, how does the ESCO/NGS learn the customer’s new account number? The customer provides their new account number to the ESCO/NGS. 7) For Seamless Moves, can the ESCO/NGS send an enrollment for the new account once it
learns the customer’s new account number?
Yes, but the Company’s administrative preference is that the ESCO/NGS wait until one month before the scheduled service initiation date.
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8) Can the Seamless Move process be used if an ESCO/NGS has a customer in another utility
service territory that is moving into National Fuel’s territory?
No – from the Company’s perspective the enrollment is an Instant Connect. Further, the ESCO/NGS will have to already be serving customers in National Fuel’s territory. 9) Can the Seamless Move process when a customer moves within National Fuel’s service
territory from Pennsylvania to New York (or from New York to Pennsylvania)?
Yes, but only to the extent the ESCO/NGS is already serving customers in either state, i.e. it is both an ESCO and an NGS. 10) How does the ESCO/NGS learn the date when service at the new account will start? The pending enrollment transaction will include the date service is scheduled to begin. Additionally, the customer should provide this date to the ESCO/NGS when they provide the new account number. 11) What happens if the new customer’s move is delayed or happens earlier than expected? In either case, supplier service at the new account with ESCO/NGS will begin when delivery service starts. 12) How does the ESCO/NGS find out if service doesn’t begin on the scheduled date? The Company provides 3 web files that may be used by the ESCO/NGS to verify a customer’s enrollment status. These files are accessible from the Supplier / Customer Download Files link on the Services For Marketers, Producers & Suppliers web page at: http://nationalfuelgas.com/marketers/default.aspx. For further details, see the Web File (non-EDI) Matters discussion above. 13) When National Fuel processes a Seamless Move, will it provide the SP code in the N106
element of the N1 Name (Customer) segment of the 814E Enrollment Accept Response, i.e. utilize the 814E Service Portability features?
No – support of 814E Service Portability features is optional. In the Company’s implementation, the customer provides their new account number to the ESCO/NGS and the J0/J1 web files are used to track the status of the enrollment request. 14) When a customer’s account is seasonally disconnected, can the Seamless Move be used to
restore service with the ESCO/NGS when the customer reconnects service?
Yes – provided that the customer has provided a reconnection date when the seasonal disconnection order was placed. ESCOs/NGSs should note that seasonal customer account numbers do not change. 15) If the seasonal customer did not provide a reconnection date when service was
disconnected, is there any way to restore ESCO/NGS service when the customer resumes service?
Yes but only if the customer provides some advanced not of the reconnection date. In this case, an Instant Connect enrollment could be used to restore ESCO/NGS service. 16) If the seasonal customer reconnects without a restoration of ESCO/NGS service, i.e. as a
utility sales customer, how would ESCO/NGS service be restored and how long would it take?
The ESCO/NGS should submit an 814E transaction as it would for any sales customer switching to ESCO/NGS service. The 814E transaction will be accepted and processed under the usual timing rules (15 calendar days for New York & 11 calendar days for Pennsylvania) and ESCO/NGS service would begin at the next available cycle switching date.
