FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Supplier Certification and Registration Process

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How does a supplier begin the registration process?
- The supplier should download the required agreements and forms from AES Ohio's supplier website and submit them to AES Ohio for consideration. Refer to Chapter 3 of the Supplier Handbook for more information.
How does a supplier contact AES Ohio?
- Contact AES Ohio Supplier Hotline at 937-331-4431 or by email at aesohioretail@aes.com .
How do I get started EDI testing?
- The EDI certification test plans are on AES Ohio's supplier website. You can review the plans and decide what is appropriate for the customers you will be soliciting. Then, contact AES Ohio Electric Choice Administration by calling 937-331-4431 or emailing aesohioretail@aes.com . You will be put in contact with the appropriate person to set up the testing. Registration materials must be submitted before testing begins.
Are suppliers required to use AES Ohio’s templates for the letter of credit, surety bond or parental guaranty?
- Yes. Templates have been provided for each of these credit arrangements. They can be downloaded from AES Ohio's supplier website.
How will technical assistance be billed to suppliers?
- All technical assistance to a licensed supplier will be billed as specified in the AGS Coordination Tariff ($41 per hour as of February 2015).   This excludes any assistance required for EDI certification testing.
  
  It includes, but is not limited to, the following:
  
         • Manual Verification of Customer Data
  
         • Explanation of AES Ohio Filings or Regulatory Orders
  
         • Explanation of AES Ohio Internet Site/Network Communications
  
         • Research in Connection with a Supplier Inquiry
  
         • Manual Requests for Historical Usage outside EDI
  
         • Requests or Inquiries on Dual, Consolidated Rate Ready or Consolidated Bill Ready Billing
  
  Additional fees may be assessed pursuant to Section 18A (Schedule of Fees and Charges) of the AGS Coordination Tariff.
Does AES Ohio allow suppliers to register multiple subaccounts using DUNS+4 numbers?
- Yes. Although distinct registration forms and agreements will not be required for each subaccount, the supplier will be expected to complete end-to-end EDI certification testing for each subaccount.
What PJM transmission zone(s) does AES Ohio operate in?
- AES Ohio only operates in the AES Ohio (DAY) zone.
Is the supplier (or its scheduling coordinator) required to create a PJM subaccount that will be used strictly for Dayton load serving activities? What PJM functions will the Dayton-specific subaccount be used for?
- Yes. Every licensed supplier in the AES Ohio service area is required to have a Dayton-specific subaccount to be used for all PJM market settlements, capacity and transmission activities. These functions include Retail Load Responsibility (RLR) scheduling and forecasting of peak load contribution (PLC) and network service peak load (NSPL) obligations.
Since AES Ohio bills the customer for the Transmission Cost Recovery Rider Nonbypassable (TCRR-N), does PJM still bill the supplier for transmission-related line items? Does the customer have an opportunity to opt out of the TCRR-N?
- Since the TCRR-N is a nonbypassable charge, AES Ohio coordinates with the supplier and PJM to transfer the transmission-related Billing Line Items (BLI) from the supplier's bill to AES Ohio's bill. This is accomplished via PJM's BLI Transfer tool. As provided in the Commission’s Order in 16-0395-EL-SSO, AES Ohio is implementing a pilot program allowing qualifying customers to opt-out of the TCRR-N. Participation in the pilot program is limited to the first 50 accounts that do not take AES Ohio Standard Service Offer generation, are served at the primary voltage level and above, and notify AES Ohio in writing within thirty (30) days of the Commission’s Order. The PJM BLI transfers will not be established for suppliers who elect to serve pilot participants.
Are there any special registration requirements for a supplier to serve a customer that will be opting out of the Transmission Cost Recovery Rider Nonbypassable (TCRR-N)?
- Yes. The supplier must notify AES Ohio of its intent to serve customers participating in the pilot program. If the supplier will also be serving other customers that are not participating in the pilot program, then the supplier will be required to establish a separate PJM subaccount, register a DUNS+4 with AES Ohio and complete all related EDI testing. The participant's opt-out of the TCRR-N will not begin until the supplier completes the above steps and enrolls the customer via EDI. The effective date of the enrollment shall be the next available meter read date (subject to the enrollment timeline as specified in AES Ohio's G8 Tariff).

End-use Customer Enrollment

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What information is required to enroll an end-use customer’s account?
- Only an account number is needed to enroll a customer. AES Ohio account numbers are exactly 10 digits long (including leading zeros). There is an 11th check digit on the customer's bill (after a space). This last digit should be omitted from any requests.
If an account has multiple services (electric, nightlight, etc), can a supplier choose to enroll only one of the services?
- No. If an account has multiple services/meters, all of them must be enrolled together. The services cannot be enrolled separately. Services cannot be split off the account unless an interval meter is required due to demand exceeding 200 kW. In that case, a new account will be created for the other non-interval service(s). This other account would then need to be enrolled separately.
Is the service type or rate class unique to an individual customer account?
- The service type is not unique to an account. For example, there can be multiple NL services on a single account. However, multiple services cannot have the same rate. Thus, the service type/rate class combination is unique to an account.
Will enrollments be accepted if received within 12 calendar days of the next scheduled meter read date?
- AES Ohio will accept an enrollment received within 12 calendar days of the next scheduled meter read date, but it will not become effective until the following scheduled meter read date (at least 12 calendar days after the date the enrollment was received).
Is it possible for a customer to have pending enrollments with more than one CRES provider?
- A customer that is pending enrollment with one supplier may be enrolled with another supplier (or returned to AES Ohio's Standard Service Offer) as of the read date following the next effective meter read date. The supplier's enrollment will NOT be rejected as 'Not First In' if another supplier's enrollment is already pending as of the next meter read. Instead, AES Ohio will accept and "future date" the enrollment for the second supplier.
Are there any scenarios in which enrollments will get rejected as ‘Not First In’?
- Yes. Enrollments will be rejected as 'Not First In' if they are received (1) during a customer's 7 day rescission period following enrollment by another supplier and (2) if the customer already has enrollments pending with two suppliers. Note: For this enrollment timeline, the supplier is considered 'active' 12 days before the switch date.
Can a customer rescind a contract after enrollment?
- Yes. The customer has 7 calendar days from the postmark date of the AES Ohio confirmation letter to rescind an enrollment.
What is the process for rescinding an enrollment?
- The customer must call AES Ohio directly during the 7 day rescission window. The phone numbers (937-331-3500 or 1-800-929-8646) are listed on the AES Ohio enrollment confirmation letter that is mailed to the customer on the next business day following enrollment. The customer will be given a confirmation number during the call. Suppliers are unable to rescind a customer's enrollment. If a customer contacts the supplier to rescind, the supplier should notify the customer to call AES Ohio directly.
What options does the customer have after the 7 day rescission window expires?
- Once the rescission window passes, the customer must remain with the new supplier for at least one billing cycle. However, the customer may request a drop from the supplier to be effective at the end of the next billing cycle. If both the customer and supplier provide authorization to process a rescission outside the 7 day window, AES Ohio will allow it. Such authorization must be sent to aesohioelectid@aes.com .
Are participants in the State of Ohio’s Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) program eligible to switch?
- No. PIPP (and Graduate PIPP Plus) customers are ineligible to switch. Customers who are no longer in the PIPP program but have PIPP arrears are also ineligible to switch.
What happens when a switched customer goes on the Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) program?
- The Supplier will receive a drop DASR notifying them of the drop due to the customer's enrollment in PIPP. The customer will be dropped on the next effective meter reading date.
Are participants in the federally funded Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) eligible to switch?
- Yes. HEAP customers are eligible to switch to an AGS.
Does AES Ohio have a minimum stay requirement?
- No. If AES Ohio receives a drop DASR for a customer, there are no requirements for that customer to remain on AES Ohio's Standard Service Offer for a defined duration. However, a customer will be served at the Standard Service Offer for at least one billing cycle unless the customer is enrolled by an AGS no fewer than 12 days before the next scheduled meter reading date.
What AES Ohio riders are bypassable if a customer switches to an AGS?
- The following riders are bypassable: Transmission Cost Recovery Rider - Bypassable (T9), Alternative Energy Rider (G26), PJM RPM Rider (G27) and Fuel Rider (G28).
What transmission and generation riders are non-bypassable?
- The following transmission and generation riders are non-bypassable: Transmission Cost Recovery Rider - Non-bypassable (T8) and Rate Stabilization Charge (G25).
Does AES Ohio charge a switching fee when a customer enrolls with an AGS?
- AES Ohio charges $5 for every switch to an AGS except when the customer has been enrolled as part of a government aggregation. The supplier will be charged the $5 fees on its monthly support invoice.
How does AES Ohio handle end-use customer bankruptcies?
- A new account will be created for the same customer at the same premise. If the original account was supplied by an AGS, the supplier will receive an EDI 814C for an account number change. The pre-petition balance of supplier charges will be wiped off the account as of the bankruptcy petition date. The supplier will receive an EDI 248 for the wipe-off.

General Billing

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Does AES Ohio offer any of the following bill options?
- • Dual Billing?
  
  Yes.
  
  • Utility Consolidated Rate Ready Billing?
  
  Yes.
  
  • Utility Consolidated Bill Ready Billing?
  
  Yes.
  
  • Budget Billing?
  
  Yes. Suppliers can utilize budget billing via Bill Ready or Rate Ready Billing (see Section 10 of the Rate Ready Billing Services Agreement).
  
  • Percentage Discount off the AES Ohio Price-to-Compare?
  
  Yes - Rate Ready Billing
  
  • Supplier Consolidated Billing?
  
  No.
Does AES Ohio engage in the purchase of receivables?
- No.
How will outstanding supplier charges be treated after an account goes final?
- Outstanding supplier charges will be removed from the account according to the timeline stated in Section 15 of the Rate Ready BSA or Section 12 of the Bill Ready BSA. At that time, the supplier will be responsible for collecting directly from the customer.
What is the timing of the wipe-off (or write-off) under the following scenarios?
- • Active account switches to another supplier?
  
  If the customer is switching from one supplier to another supplier, AES Ohio will issue a bill displaying the final supplier charges. If the customer does NOT pay these charges, they will be wiped off just prior to producing the first bill for the new supplier.
  
  • Active account returning to standard offer billing?
  
  If a switched customer is leaving a supplier and returning to AES Ohio's Standard Service Offer (SSO) rate, AES Ohio will issue a bill displaying the final supplier charges. Since the wipe-off does not occur for approximately 90 days, AES Ohio will continue to display the unpaid supplier charges on subsequent SSO bills. If the customer does NOT pay these charges, they will be wiped off just prior to producing the third SSO bill.
  
  • Final account?
  
  If a switched customer ends distribution service with AES Ohio, the final bill will contain the final supplier charges. If the customer does NOT pay these charges, they will be wiped off just prior to producing the final bill reminder (or 9 days after the final bill due date).
What is the timeframe for sending customer payments to suppliers via EDI?
- See Section 17 of the Rate Ready BSA or Section 14 of the Bill Ready BSA.
Does AES Ohio have a limitation on the type or size of customers for Utility Consolidated Billing?
- No. A supplier can utilize consolidated billing for all accounts.
Does a switched customer remain on budget billing for the AES Ohio non-bypassable charges even if the supplier chooses not to implement budget billing for its generation and transmission charges?
- Yes.
A customer carries a credit balance from AES Ohio’s budget billing at the time of enrollment with a new supplier. Is that balance applied at the time of the switch or when the amounts are evaluated at true-up?
- If the customer has an excess credit at the time of switch, that credit is not applied until the true-up in August. At that point, it may be credited against supplier charges according to regulated posting priorities.
What happens if the customer has an outstanding budget bill balance with AES Ohio at the time of enrollment? Does that have any bearing on switching to a CRES provider?
- The remaining balance has no bearing on a customer being able to switch to a CRES provider. At the time of the switch (first billing), the budget bill amount will be reduced. However, it will be adjusted again at the annual true-up to account for the customer's balance. The customer does not have to pay the balance before switching.
Can customers on pay agreements switch to an alternate supplier?
- Yes.
Does AES Ohio assess a late payment charge if a customer does not pay the amount due under the pay agreement?
- Yes. AES Ohio will assess a late payment charge of 1 ½% on the next month's bill. If the pay agreement amount is paid, no late payment charge is assessed. The same is true for both Standard Service Offer and switched Rate Ready accounts.
How is a payment allocated for a switched customer on a pay agreement?
- AES Ohio prorates the pay agreement amount between the supplier balance and AES Ohio's balance. AES Ohio posts the payment according to the regulated posting priorities.
What standard payment arrangements are available to customers? How does AES Ohio prorate the pay agreement amounts between supplier charges (ES) and AES Ohio charges (EL)?
- • 1/6 - Customer owes 1/6th of past due arrears plus current bill. For the past due amount, the agreement uses the ES/EL ratio at the time the pay agreement was written. Current bill is the actual balance that has not aged.
  
  • 1/9 - Customer owes 1/9th of their past due arrears plus an average bill amount. For the past due amount, the agreement uses the ES/EL ratio at the time the pay agreement was written. The average bill amount is also prorated.
  
  • Winter Heating Plan - Customer owes 1/3rd of their account balance due each month. The agreement shall be offered for any bills that include any usage from November 1st to April 15th of each year. The agreement uses the ES/EL ratio at time of billing.
Are suppliers notified when their customers enter into a payment agreement with AES Ohio? How often is this communicated?
- A list of customers on payment agreements is made available to each supplier on AES Ohio's supplier website. The lists are updated daily.
Is there any impact to the customer’s bank plan after switching to an AGS?
- No.
Does AES Ohio return the supply portion of a customer’s security deposit after the switch?
- When an account switches to an AGS and has either a paid deposit on hand or a pending deposit, the deposit amount will automatically be reduced to reflect only AES Ohio charges. This reduction occurs when the customer bills for the first time with that supplier. The reduction percentages may change on an annual basis. Note that AES Ohio is not authorized to provide deposit details for specific accounts.
What is a Billing Services Agreement and why is it needed?
- A Billing Services Agreement is required when the AGS desires AES Ohio to provide for Consolidated Rate Ready or Consolidated Bill Ready billing. The purpose is to define the specific terms and conditions of billing and the associated costs for providing billing services. An applicable Billing Services Agreement must be approved by both AES Ohio and an AGS before a valid 814 enrollment will be accepted by AES Ohio for a consolidated billing option.
How is the due date set for the customers' payment? How many days from the invoice date is the customers' payment due?
- Per Section 14 of the Rate Ready BSA and Section 11 of the Bill Ready BSA, customer bills are due on the date indicated on the bill as being the last day for payment of the net amount. The due date shall not be less than 20 calendar days after mailing the bill or 15 calendar days after mailing if the AES Ohio account has been closed and a final bill rendered.
Is there a grace period or a “buffer” between the payment due date on the invoice versus the actual payment posting date? When is a late payment actually considered late?
- Per Section 17 of the Rate Ready BSA and Section 14 of the Bill Ready BSA, AES Ohio typically processes customer payments within 2 business days of receipt at its lockbox. AES Ohio will provide the supplier detailed customer account information via the EDI process for payments received on behalf of the supplier. The customer's account information will be transferred via EDI transactions to the supplier no later than 1 business day from processing of receipt of payment.
Will AES Ohio return customers to the Standard Service Offer rate for nonpayment?
- No. Customers will remain with their chosen supplier until they are dropped by that supplier, enrolled by another supplier or disconnected for nonpayment.
Will AES Ohio cancel and rebill charges through consolidated billing after a final bill with the supplier’s charges has been generated?
- Even after the final bill with the supplier's charges has been generated, AES Ohio can cancel and rebill those charges. However, AES Ohio will only send the EDI 867 with the corrected usage to the supplier if the potential due date of the revised bill is after the original scheduled wipe-off date for those charges. The supplier charges are not cancelled and rebilled and should instead be handled via DUAL billing. When the DUAL 867 is sent, the unpaid supplier charges are wiped off the account.
Will the utility handle collections for amounts owed by customers to a supplier that utilizes consolidated billing?
- AES Ohio will include supplier charges in its collection efforts which may result in disconnection of customer's service. Customer payments are allocated to the supplier according to the regulated payment posting priorities (OAC 4901:1-10-33 (H)).
If a customer has not paid AES Ohio by the due date, how many days after the due date does AES Ohio send a late notice? How many days after the due date does AES Ohio send a disconnection notice?
- If a nonresidential customer does not pay their bill by the due date, they would receive a collection letter that threatens disconnect six days after the due date on the bill. For residential customers, the OAC requires that charges appear on a bill twice before a collection letter is issued. During the summer season, residential customers receive a collection letter 18 days after the due date on the bill. In the winter season, a collection letter is received 12 days after the due date on the bill. However, AES Ohio has the right to not perform collections on customers with a sufficient credit status.
Does AES Ohio contact customers via phone if they are in arrears? If so, how many days past the due date does AES Ohio contact the customer by phone?
- Our outbound calls currently are only sent to customers who have already received a collection letter. During the summer, a call is made 29 days after the due date. In the winter season, a call is made 28 to 35 days after the due date of the bill.
After a “wipe-off”, will AES Ohio remit payments made by customers to the supplier whose charges were removed from the account?
- After remittance services ends for each account, AES Ohio is not responsible for remitting payments or payment information to the supplier whose charges were wiped off. Any amount remitted by a customer in excess of the total billed charges still remaining on the account will be held and applied to the next bill in accordance with the regulated posting priorities. If the account is closed, the credit would be issued via a refund check or applied to another account used by the customer.
If a customer sends their generation supply payment to AES Ohio, how will this be resolved?
- If the payment is made payable to AES Ohio, it will be posted to the customer's account with AES Ohio and allocated to charges according to the regulated posting priorities. If a payment is received that is made payable to the supplier, it will be returned to the customer.

Consolidated Rate Ready Billing

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For Consolidated Rate Ready Billing, how does a supplier submit rates to AES Ohio for testing?
- All rates should be submitted via the Manage Pricing Options portal on AES Ohio's supplier website. Test results will be returned to the requester via email. Once the test results are approved on the portal, the rates will be moved to production. Please see Section 4 of the Rate Ready Billing Services Agreement for an explanation of the time allowed for setup and testing of rates.
What are the costs associated with registering rates for Consolidated Rate Ready Billing?
- There are no costs associated with registering rates.
Is there a system limitation to the number of supplier rate codes allowed for setup?
- The supplier rate codes (or pricing options) are 5 characters long. The first 3 characters are designated for the supplier's account code (i.e., ABC for ABC Company) which leaves 2 alphanumeric characters. That means that suppliers can register no more than 1,296 pricing options.
How long does it take to get the rate schedules set up and tested once they have been submitted by the supplier?
- AES Ohio will have 48 days from receipt of the data to make the rates available for billing. This timeline is explained in Section 4 of the Rate Ready Billing Services Agreement. AES Ohio will provide test results and require approval from the supplier before the rates can be moved to production.
How long would it take to swap out a rate on an existing supplier rate code?
- According to Section 4g of the BSA, the changes will be made by AES Ohio within 21 business days.
  
         • 12 days for AES Ohio to define, test & send results to supplier
  
         • 3 days for the supplier to verify test results
  
         • 3 days for AES Ohio to correct the error
  
         • 3 days to install in the AES Ohio billing system
Does the Rate Description show up on the bill for Rate Ready Billing?
- Neither the Rate Code nor the Rate Description shows up on the bill. Only the average $/kWh is displayed.
Does the AGS have room on the Rate Ready bill to include messages to customers, and if so, how much room?
- It is the Supplier's responsibility to inform AES Ohio of any changes that would necessitate a bill message pursuant to Ohio Administrative Code (O.A.C.) §4901:1-21-14. Bill messages and fees are subject to the terms of the Billing Services Agreement. Supplier must provide the exact language that it would like to be included in the bill message to AES Ohio at least twenty (20) business days prior to the date the bill message is to be shown on the bill. Required bill messages are limited to three lines of seventy-six (76) characters each.
Will the AGS be allowed to have a flat monthly fee plus a variable rate pricing structure (i.e., $5 per month, plus 5 cents/kWh)? Will the AGS be allowed to have a flat monthly fee plus a tiered pricing structure?
- The supplier must maintain a pricing structure similar to AES Ohio's. Acceptable options include, but are not limited to, variable rates (cents/kWh), flat monthly fees ($5/month) and tiered pricing. Examples of potential rate structures are shown on Attachment A of the Billing Services Agreement. The flat fee component is a monthly fee that will be prorated if billed over a long (more than 35 days) or short (less than 25 days) month.
Is the flat fee applied at the customer or service point level?
- A customer may have several account numbers. In addition, an account number could have multiple service points. The flat fee will be applied at the service point level (electric, nightlight, etc). The rate will not be charged at the account level. If there were two service points on the account (EL and NL) and the supplier only wanted one $10 flat fee, the entire $10 fee could be placed on either the EL or NL service or a $5 fee could be placed on each service.
Can a supplier’s rates include charges for demand-based billing determinants?
- Supplier rates can use demand-based billing components. These components could be charged by the supplier if the customer would be billed for demand by AES Ohio.
Can a supplier choose not to charge demand to a customer on a AES Ohio rate that does include a demand-based billing component?
- A supplier does not need to include a demand charge in its rates.
Can a Supplier bill a demand other than the demand that is used for the AES Ohio charges?
- A supplier must use the same demand that is used for billing by AES Ohio.
Is there a way for a supplier to place a miscellaneous adjustment on a Consolidated Rate Ready bill?
- No. AES Ohio is unable to apply a miscellaneous adjustment. Per Section 1c of the Rate Ready BSA, AES Ohio will only bill for the supplier's generation and transmission charges and late payment charges.
Does AES Ohio have seasonal rates? Can the supplier bill seasonal rates via Rate Ready billing?
- Yes. AES Ohio offers seasonal rates to residential heating customers. Suppliers can choose a seasonal rate and define the seasons via the Manage Pricing Options portal on AES Ohio's supplier website. Suppliers are not limited to the same seasons that AES Ohio uses in its rates.
Does AES Ohio have stepped/tiered rates? Can the supplier bill stepped rates via Rate Ready billing?
- Yes. AES Ohio has stepped kWh rates for residential and secondary customers and stepped kW rates for secondary customers with the first 5 kW free. Suppliers can choose a stepped rate and define the steps via the Manage Pricing Options portal on AES Ohio's supplier website. Suppliers are not limited to the same steps that AES Ohio uses in its rates.
Can the suppliers include on-peak / off-peak rates in their pricing structure?
- Time-of-use (or on/off peak) rates are not available since they do not currently conform to AES Ohio's rate structure that has been approved by the PUCO.
What does the supplier need to provide in the EDI 814 transaction for Rate Ready budget billing?
- See Section 10 of the Rate Ready BSA. REF02 = XXX99, or the pricing option (This tells our billing system that there is a REF03 & to take the REF03 amount). REF03 = Supplier Budgeted amount or Flat Fee amount.
How does a supplier apply a true-up amount to the customer’s Rate Ready budget bill?
- The true-up amount would replace the previous budgeted amount. This would be sent by the supplier using the same EDI transaction as the budget amount.
Will the Rate Ready budget amount be determined at the account level or meter level?
- The budget amounts are set by service point since the pricing options are established by service point. E.g., if the account has an EL and NL service on it, a budget amount would be established on each service.
How does AES Ohio notify the supplier of cancelled late payment charges for customers on Rate Ready billing?
- On a monthly basis, an email is sent to each supplier with a list of their accounts which had late payment supplier charges cancelled. These cancellations are not communicated via an EDI transaction, so the charges must be manually recorded by the supplier.
What is the decimal limit for supplier rate codes (pricing options)?
- AES Ohio allows the rates to have a maximum of 7 digits after the decimal.
Does the AES Ohio EDI 810 transaction contain the customer’s actual due date or an estimate of the due date?
- The EDI 810 transaction contains the actual due date.
Does AES Ohio offer Percentage off the Price-to-Compare rates? If so, how does the supplier utilize these rates?
- Yes. Rates are made available to the Supplier that will automatically calculate the Supplier's charges as a percentage off AES Ohio's Standard Service Offer price for bypassable generation and transmission charges (Price-to-Compare). The available rates will range from 0% off to 100% off, in increments of 0.01%. For example, the Supplier can assign the 00001 rate to a customer for 0.01% off the Price to Compare, the 01500 rate for 15% off or the 10000 rate for 100% off, etc. There is a Discount Rate Tool on AES Ohio's supplier website that will present the rate code that should be used for each possible percentage off the Price-to-Compare.

Obtaining End-use Customer Data

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Will AES Ohio provide end-use customer’s account numbers to an AGS?
- No. AES Ohio is unable to provide account numbers unless the AGS has obtained a written release from the customer. Refer to OAC 4901:1-10-24 for the required format of the consent form.
Is there a fee for the supplier to download the pre-enrollment customer eligibility list?
- No. The list is available free of charge on AES Ohio's supplier website.
How can the supplier obtain the pre-enrollment customer list?
- The supplier can download the list from a secure section of AES Ohio's supplier website ( http://cres.aes-ohio.com/ ). A PUCO-certified Competitive Retail Electric Service (CRES) provider will be asked for login credentials before being granted access to the customer list. Access can be requested by emailing aesohioretail@aes.com .
How often is the customer list updated? When will the updated list be available?
- The customer list is updated on a monthly basis. The file is usually available for download by the 2 ^nd or 3 ^rd workday of the month. The file will not be created until the final unit bills, and then it may take another 24 hours to upload the file to the site.
Do customers have the option to remove their information from the pre-enrollment customer list?
- Yes. Quarterly bill inserts notify the customers about how to protect their personal account information. Customers can remove or add their information to the list by calling AES Ohio Customer Service or through a form on the AES Ohio website ( https://myprofile.aes-ohio.com/ElectricChoice/ManageElectricChoice ).
What type of information is available on the customer list?
- The list contains the following information:
  
         • End-use customer name
  
         • Service address and city
  
         • Service state and zip code
  
         • Mailing address and city
  
         • Mailing state and zip code
  
         • Budget Bill Indicator/PIPP Indicator
  
         • Billing unit number
  
         • Meter type
  
         • Inside/Outside meter indicator
  
         • Rate schedule under which service is rendered, including class and sub-class
  
         • Interval meter indicator
  
         • Load profile code
  
         • Most recent 12 months of historical usage data (actual energy usage plus demand, if avail)
  
         • Meter number
  
         • Net Metering Indicator
What is the format of the customer list? What software applications are recommended for use?
- The customer list is provided in a text file format. AES Ohio recommends using Microsoft Excel or Access to use the list. It will need to be formatted for the fixed width data type.
How is the rate schedule displayed on the customer list?
- The rate is a 20-character description. There is a list of descriptions and a rate index available on the AES Ohio supplier website.
How is the historical usage displayed on the customer list?
- The most recent 12 months of usage history are presented on the customer list. There are 7 types of usage presented per month: TOTAL-KWH, DEMAND, KVAR, TOTAL-KWH-ON-PEAK, DEMAND-ON-PEAK, KVAR-ON-PEAK & TOTAL-KWH-UN-MTRD. Only one of TOTAL-KWH, TOTAL-KWH-ON-PEAK & TOTAL-KWH-UN-MTRD will be populated per account. "ON-PEAK" designates usage for accounts with on/off peak (interval) metering. "UN-MTRD" designates unmetered usage from a nightlight, for example. The format of the demand and kVAR fields is 10 digits plus 1 decimal place. The kWh fields are only 9 digits long without any decimal places.
Does AES Ohio present billed historical usage on the customer list?
- No. Only metered kWh, kW and kVAR are provided for metered services.
Will an 867HU/HI be accepted for a summary master account?
- No. Requests must be submitted separately for each of the customer's individual sub-accounts.
Does AES Ohio provide a sync list to suppliers on a regular basis?
- Yes. Active suppliers can download their sync lists from AES Ohio's supplier website. The lists will be updated daily.

Capacity & Transmission

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How is the Peak Load Contribution (PLC) calculated for an end-use customer?
- The Peak Load Contribution (PLC), or Capacity Load Obligation, is calculated for all customers based on their contributions to the five PJM coincidental peak hours from the prior summer period. An end-use customer's actual interval or profiled load value is adjusted by its respective loss factor and scaling factor (to the weather-normalized Dayton peak value reported by PJM) for each of the five hours. The final PLC ticket for that customer is the average of the scaled values. Prior to applying the scaling factors, unaccounted-for-energy (UFE) is allocated only to non-interval profiled load. The five scaling factors for each delivery year will be posted to AES Ohio's supplier website.
How is the Network Service Peak Load (NSPL) calculated for an end-use customer?
- The Network Service Peak Load (NSPL), or Transmission Load Contribution, is calculated for all customers based on their contributions to the single Dayton peak hour from the prior summer period. An end-use customer's actual interval or profiled load value is adjusted only by its respective loss factor. Unaccounted-for-energy (UFE) is allocated only to non-interval profiled load.
How often are customers’ capacity and transmission tickets calculated?
- The tickets are calculated once per year in November or early December. The transmission delivery year begins on January 1st. The capacity delivery year begins on June 1st. As new accounts are opened throughout the delivery year, the new accounts will be assigned a default ticket value based on the average of the tickets calculated for other accounts assigned to the customer's default load profile.
Is it possible to change customer’s assigned capacity or transmission tickets after they have been calculated?
- Yes. If a customer disputes an estimated amount or conditions dictate a change to a calculated amount, the value may be edited after agreement is reached among all parties.
Does the end-use customer’s PLC calculation include the following components calculated by PJM: Final Zonal RPM Scaling Factor and/or the Forecast Pool Requirement?
- No. Those factors are used by PJM to calculate the suppliers' Daily Zonal UCAP Obligations. Below is the calculation used by PJM:
  
  Daily Zonal UCAP Obligation = PLC (aggregate total by supplier) * Final Zonal RPM Scaling Factor * Forecast Pool Requirement

Metering Services

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What is the interval metering threshold for a switched customer?
- Interval meters will be required for end-use customers who select an AGS and have a maximum annual peak demand greater than or equal to 200 kW for the most recent 12 month period.
Does the customer have a choice regarding whether or not to install an interval meter? If the customer currently has an interval meter with an analog modem, is the customer required to maintain a dedicated analog telephone line for purposes of reading the meter?
- Customers are required to install an interval meter if they have reached a peak demand greater than or equal to 200 kW at any point in the most recent 12 month period. They will not be able to enroll with a supplier without ordering an interval meter. For new meter requests, AES Ohio will install a meter with wireless read capability for a fee of $300. If the customer has an existing interval meter with an analog modem, the customer must also install and maintain a dedicated analog telephone line per Section 8.2 of the AGS Coordination Tariff. As an alternative to maintaining the telephone line, the customer may request a new interval meter with wireless capability for an additional fee of $300. Additional details can be found on the Interval Meter Request Form.
Does the meter need to be installed before AES Ohio can accept an enrollment transaction?
- No. It is not necessary for the meter to be installed before enrollment. The order simply needs to be processed into AES Ohio's billing system. If the orders have not been processed before the enrollment request is submitted, the enrollment will be rejected.
How soon after receiving an Interval Meter Request Form will AES Ohio accept an enrollment request for that customer?
- AES Ohio will accept a customer's enrollment within 3 business days if the account has a single service. AES Ohio will accept a customer's enrollment within 5 business days if the account has multiple services. However, the supplier can submit the enrollment as soon as the interval meter request has been processed into the AES Ohio billing system which may be sooner than 3-5 business days.
Does AES Ohio allow any exceptions to the dedicated phone line requirement for existing installations of an analog interval meter?
- If the dedicated phone line is not working when the meter is scheduled to be read, the customer will be charged a special read fee of $88 per read. There are no exceptions to this requirement, and the customer is at risk of being returned to AES Ohio's Standard Service Offer for failure to comply with tariff requirements.
For customers who have requested interval meters with the wireless option in lieu of maintaining a dedicated telephone line, will the customers continue to be charged the manual read fee while waiting for installation of the meter?
- Yes. Pursuant to the current tariff, customers who are supplied by an AGS are responsible for having the dedicated telephone line installed so that AES Ohio can properly communicate with the meter. Suppliers should notify their customers that the telephone lines must be installed (or incur the $88 read fee) pending the installation of the wireless option. AES Ohio will not provide formal communication to customers when there is a delay to the wireless meter installation.
When will the $88 manual read fee be charged to the customer account?
- The $88 charge will be assessed on a cycle bill date if an account does not have a telephone line installed and the meter set date was more than 30 days prior to the bill date.
Does AES Ohio routinely monitor all accounts after they have switched to see if they exceed the 200kW threshold?
- Yes. AES Ohio routinely monitors all accounts. Once an account reaches the 200 kW level, a letter will be sent to both the customer and supplier. The letter gives the customer 60 days to order the meter. If the meter request is not submitted within 60 days, the customer may be returned to AES Ohio's Standard Service Offer.
Who should customers call if they have questions about the metering equipment?
- Customers can contact the Electric Meter department at 937-331-4360.
After the first 24 months of free reads with the wireless modem option, what determines the annual read cost going forward? Is AES Ohio currently charging this fee?
- The cost of the additional wireless reads will be determined by the costs incurred by AES Ohio for the technology at that time. The rate will be the same for all meters and customers, and it will be subject to PUCO approval. To date, no customers have been charged an additional fee to read the wireless meters.
What are the requirements for a dedicated telephone line to the meter? Is there an installation diagram available?
- See the "Interval_Meter_Requirements" and "Interval Meter Telephone Line Installation Diagram" documents on AES Ohio's supplier website.
Can a supplier opt to pay for the customer’s interval meter and/or telecommunications fees?
- Yes. Suppliers may pay the amount charged to the customer for the installations. However, only customers have the option to spread the payments over 24 months. If the supplier opts to pay, the full charge will be added to the supplier's monthly invoice.
Will AES Ohio notify the customer and/or supplier as to when the meter is scheduled to be installed?
- No. Neither the customer nor the supplier will be notified before the installation unless AES Ohio meter technicians are unable to access the meter location.
What party needs to sign the interval meter request form?
- If the supplier is paying on behalf of the customer, only the supplier needs to sign the form. If the customer is paying, only the customer needs to sign.
Does the telephone line required for the analog interval meter need to be dedicated? Does AES Ohio allow any exceptions?
- A dedicated analog phone line is strictly required. AES Ohio does not have a set time for when the meters will be called, so the meter needs to be available at all times. If the line is busy when AES Ohio tries to read it, AES Ohio must send a meter reader out for a special read which costs $88 per read. The manual read is a temporary solution only and will not be allowed as an alternative to the dedicated telephone line or wireless capability.
What are the additional charges listed on the interval meter request form?
- The fee to provide kVAR will be assessed only on accounts served by primary or higher voltages. This will be determined by AES Ohio prior to installation. The KYZ pulse output board is optional. This adder enables the customer to receive pulse data directly from the meter.
Is there any way to determine a target installation date for an interval meter?
- The Electric Meter department's goal is to set the meter as soon as possible. The target installation date will normally be the day after a scheduled meter read date; however, the interval meter will not be installed during the same month that the account enrolls with a new supplier. For example, an account with an effective switch date of 12/7 and a next scheduled read date of 1/10 will have an initial target install date of 1/11. However, there are no guarantees since the availability of specialized resources is unknown and the number of meter requests in a given month may vary.
If an account has multiple meters, will each metering point require an interval meter if the account has exceeded 200kW demand within the last 12 months?
- If an account has multiple meters on the same service, AES Ohio will exchange each meter if the total demand exceeds 200 kW. If an account has multiple services (multiple rate codes), the interval meter requirement will be assessed individually for each service's actual demand. AES Ohio would only exchange multiple meters if multiple services exceeded 200 kW each. If one service exceeds 200 kW but the others do not, AES Ohio will split off the other services into a new account number. Only the original account will require the interval meter exchange.
How can a supplier determine whether or not an account has an interval meter?
- The supplier can determine if an account has an interval meter by its load profile category. Interval profiles begin with the letter 'I'. The profile is included on historical usage requests via EDI. The profile and an interval meter data indicator are also included on the pre-enrollment customer list and available via the Historical Usage portal on AES Ohio's supplier website.
What usage data is provided to the supplier for a net metered customer?
- When monthly interval or summary data is sent via EDI, the supplier will receive the kWh delivered (consumed by customer), kWh received (placed back on the grid), and net billed kWh.
How does AES Ohio report the net meter data to PJM?
- AES Ohio will report the net kWh consumption for final PJM settlements. CRES energy obligations will reflect the net usage (either positive or negative).
What type of metering equipment is used for a net metering arrangement?
- A 'net meter' will be used that has multiple channels: kWh delivered (consumed by customer), kW delivered & kWh received (generated by customer).
How does AES Ohio bill customers under a net metering arrangement?
- The customer's bill will be calculated using the net kWh consumption. After switching to an alternate supplier, AES Ohio will continue to provide credits for excess generation. If the supplier would like to provide credits for excess generation, they will need to enter into a CRES Net Metering contract with the customer and communicate this information to AES Ohio via EDI.
Are all non-residential customers charged for KW demand?
- Effective with bills issued in October 2018, customers served at secondary or above voltage will incur delivery charges for all kW demand at the tariffed rates. Previously, the first 5 kW had been free. If the customer does not have a demand meter, the billed demand will be calculated each month according to the conversion table below.
  
  If you do not receive a demand read via EDI and would like to bill a non-residential customer a demand charge, you can now use the demand conversion. The conversion table calculates an estimated demand reading based on the kWh usage for the current bill period. Again, this should only be used for non-residential customers that are not receiving demand reads via EDI. In the future (estimated Q1 2019), the billed demand will be provided to suppliers via the BB loop on the EDI 867 transactions.
  
  kWh Usage Demand
  
  0-500 kWh 1 kW
  
  501-1000 kWh 2 kW
  
  1001-1500 kWh 3 kW
  
  1501-2000 kWh 4 kW
  
  2001-2500 kWh 5 kW
  
  *If usage exceeds 2500 kWh, demand is set to 5 kW and meter will be scheduled for exchange.

kWh Usage	Demand
0-500 kWh	1 kW
501-1000 kWh	2 kW
1001-1500 kWh	3 kW
1501-2000 kWh	4 kW
2001-2500 kWh	5 kW