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Frequently Asked Questions Related to Transportation Service
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Note: If differences exist between this document and the filed tariff, the filed tariff will prevail.
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Agreements
Conversion Issues
Group Balancing
Maximum Daily Contract Quantity
Monthly Balanced Accounts
Nominations
Switching Suppliers
Telemetry
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Agreements
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1.
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Q.
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Where can the customer get a new gas agreement for each of the LDCs?
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A.
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There is one gas agreement that is applicable for all 3 LDCs.
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2.
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Q.
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Where should the customer send the completed agreement and what method of transmittal is acceptable?
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A.
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The customer should send the signed agreement to their Ameren Customer Service Representative. Fax or regular mail is acceptable.
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3.
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Q.
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Does the Retail Gas Supplier (RGS) need to send a Group Balancing Agreement for each pool group?
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A.
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No. We only need one Group Balancing Agreement per RGS per LDC. However, we need an "Appendix A" for each pool group.
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4.
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Q.
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Will a faxed copy of the signed Group Balancing Agreement be sufficient?
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A.
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No. The RGS needs to send two partially executed Group Balancing Agreements via UPS or Federal Express to Ameren Energy Fuels and Services, c/o Dottie Anderson, Managing Supervisor, End User Transportation, 607 E. Adams Street, Springfield, IL 62739. Both agreements will be fully executed and one sent back to the RGS via UPS.
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Conversion Issues
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5.
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Q.
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Do customers need to submit a new gas agreement for accounts that were on transportation service before October 2008?
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A.
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No. Agreements will only be required for accounts that start on transportation service on or after October 1, 2008.
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6.
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Q.
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When will the new pool groups be set up in USMS?
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A.
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The new pool groups and new tariff provisions that will be effective October 1, 2008 will be displayed in USMS towards the end of October 2008.
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7.
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Q.
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Can I move banked gas from my current pool group to my new monthly balanced pool group effective October 1, 2008
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A.
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Yes. Ameren will allow a one time bank transfer between daily balanced pool group account(s) or individual account(s) to your new monthly pool group(s) to be effective October 1, 2008.
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8.
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Q.
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How does the RGS or Customer find the Maximum Daily Contract Quantity (MDCQ) for their account(s)?
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A.
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The MDCQ will be included on reports and screens in USMS once the application is updated with the new tariff provisions. In the meantime, the MDCQ can be determined as described below.
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9.
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Q.
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What time period will be used to calculate the MDCQ?
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A.
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The initial MDCQ to be effective October 1, 2008 will be based on the time period from October 1, 2007 through September 30, 2008.
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10.
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Q.
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Will customers have an opportunity to request a modification of their initial MDCQ?
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A.
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Yes. Ameren is offering a one-time opportunity to request a modification of the initial MDCQ. The request must be received by October 17, 2008 for a November 1, 2008 effective date.
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11.
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Q.
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What is the process for changing the MDCQ?
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A.
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The Customer must submit a completed Request to Modify Maximum Daily Contract Quantity Form 30 days in advance of the desired effective date to their Customer Service Representative. The Company will notify the Customer whether or not the request has been granted.
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12.
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Q.
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How will we be able to nominate appropriately for our accounts during the month of October 2008 when the new provisions are not included in USMS?
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A.
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End User Transportation personnel will work with you to reallocate the October 2008 nominations once the new tariff provisions have been added to USMS.
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13.
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Q.
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Are customers allowed to switch between system and transport service effective November 1, 2008 even though they did not meet the requirement to notify Ameren of their intent to switch services by July 1, 2008?
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A.
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Yes. Ameren has offered a one-time opportunity to switch between system and transport service. The July 1, 2008 deadline has been extended to October 17, 2008 for an effective date of November 1, 2008.
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14.
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Q.
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If an IP Rider OT customer notifies you on October 17, 2008 that they want to go to system service, what will be the effective date of the change?
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A.
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Since IP's Rider OT is being eliminated, the move to system service will be effective on October 1, 2008.
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15.
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Q.
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If customers other than IP Rider OT notify you on October 17, 2008 that they want to switch between system and transport service, what will be the effective date of the change?
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A.
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The effective date for customers other than IP Rider OT will be November 1, 2008.
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16.
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Q.
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Will the UGF be applied to CIPS customer deliveries starting October 1, 2008?
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A.
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No. The UGF will be applied to CIPS customer deliveries starting on November 1, 2008.
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17.
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Q.
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When will the new UGF be filed with the ICC for each of the LDCs?
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A.
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The UGF will be filed 2 weeks after the new tariff goes into effect.
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18.
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Q.
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What is the Unaccounted-For-Gas (UGF) factor for CIPS, CILCO and IP?
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A.
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The UGF effective November 1, 2008 for CIPS, CILCO and IP are .5969%, 1.4179% and 2.0580%, respectively.
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Group Balancing
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19.
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Q.
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Can GDS-2 or GDS-3 customers choose to be daily balanced rather than monthly balanced?
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A.
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No, GDS-2 and GDS-3 customers can not choose daily balancing. They will all be monthly balanced.
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20.
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Q.
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Can GDS-5 customers choose to be in a monthly or daily pool group?
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A.
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CILCO and CIPS GDS-5 customers can choose between monthly balancing and daily balancing pool groups. IP GDS-5 customer can be part of a monthly balanced pool group if they qualify for GDS-2 or GDS-3 or part of a daily balanced pool group if they qualify for GDS-4 or GDS-6.
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21.
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Q.
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Can pool groups include accounts from other LDCs?
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A.
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No. Members of a pool groups must all be served by the same LDC and pipeline and must be on the same balancing service (monthly or daily).
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Maximum Daily Contract Quantity (MDCQ)
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22.
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Q.
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How is the MDCQ determined?
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A.
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For accounts receiving service under a rate that specifies the MDCQ parameters (all IP rates and CILCO GDS-4 and 6), the initial MDCQ will be based on the peak daily use in the last 12 months. For all other accounts (all CIPS rates and CILCO GDS-2 and GDS-3), the initial MDCQ will be based on the highest average daily use in the last 12 months X 30 / 21.
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23.
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Q.
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Which rates specifies the MDCQ parameters?
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A.
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The rates shown below specify the MDCQ parameters.
All IP rates
CILCO GDS-4 and GDS-6
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24.
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Q.
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Is the MDCQ based on a rolling 12 month period?
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A.
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No. Once the initial MDCQ is set on October 1, 2008 based on the previous 12 months, it will remain the same unless the customer submits a request to Ameren to increase or decrease it. The request must be submitted 30 days in advance and approved by Ameren before going into effect.
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25.
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Q.
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How often can the customer revise their MDCQ?
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A.
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A decrease in the MDCQ will not be revised more than one time per year. Once a decrease is made, it will be retained for 12 months. An increase can be made multiple times in one year as long as a decrease has not been made in the last 12 months.
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26.
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Q.
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What is the process for changing the MDCQ?
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A.
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The Customer must submit a completed Request to Modify Maximum Daily Contract Quantity Form 30 days in advance of the desired effective date to their Customer Service Representative. The Company will notify the Customer whether or not the request has been granted.
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27.
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Q.
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How does the MDCQ affect CIPS accounts?
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A.
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The MDCQ is multiplied by 10 to calculate the Bank Limit for all transportation customers and multiplied by 2 to calculate the Maximum Daily Nomination for monthly balanced customers. CIPS does not have any charges based on the MDCQ.
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Monthly Balanced Accounts
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28.
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Q.
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What is the break even point between GDS-3 and GDS-4 for CIPS customers?
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A.
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The break even point between GDS-3 and GDS-4 for CIPS customers is approximately 52,000 therms. In other words, once CIPS customers' annual usage exceeds approximately 52,000 therms, they are economically better off on GDS-4.
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29.
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Q.
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Are the qualifications for monthly balancing the same for all 3 LDCs?
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A.
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No, each of the LDCs has unique qualifications for monthly balancing. The qualification for monthly balancing is based on the qualification of GDS-2 or GDS-3 for each LDC.
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30.
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Q.
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What is the qualification for monthly balancing for CIPS and CILCO customers?
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A.
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The qualification for monthly balancing for CIPS and CILCO is service under GDS-2, GDS-3 or GDS-5. However, CIPS and CILCO Customers have the option of choosing GDS-3 even though they qualify for GDS-4. The customer should do an analysis to determine the cost associated with each rate before requesting a change in service.
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31.
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Q.
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What is the qualification for monthly balancing for IP Customers?
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A.
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The qualification for monthly balancing for IP Customers is service under GDS-2, GDS-3 or GDS-5 (that would otherwise qualify for GDS-2 or GDS-3). This means IP Customers that have average daily usage less than 1,000 therms in any month during the last 12 months qualifies for monthly balancing.
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32.
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Q.
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If a customer qualifies for the minimal winter use rate (GDS-5) would the transport rate be the same regardless of whether they are classified as either monthly or daily?
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A.
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Yes, the customer would receive the charges under GDS-5 Rider T regardless of whether they are classified as either monthly or daily balanced.
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33.
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Q.
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What steps other than the removal of the customers’ telemetry would be necessary if we wanted to change a customer from daily to monthly balancing?
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A.
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The determination between daily and monthly balancing is based on the General Delivery Service that the account is served under. With the exception of CIPS and CILCO GDS-5, the Customer or Retail Gas Suppliers do not have the option of choosing between daily and monthly balancing. However, if you serve CIPS customers that are currently on GDS-4, they can elect service under GDS-3. However, there is a negative economic impact of choosing GDS-3 if their usage is above approximately 52,000 therms per year.
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Nominations
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34.
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Q.
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How does the RGS or Customer find their Maximum Daily Nomination (MDN) for their accounts?
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A.
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The MDN only applies to monthly balanced accounts and will be set based on 2X MDCQ. The gas transport system (USMS) will not allow nominations above the MDN.
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35.
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Q.
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Are the nomination deadlines the same for all 3 IL LDCs?
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A.
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Yes. For all 3 LDCs, the month-ahead nomination deadline is 11:30 a.m. CST two business days before the first of the month. The day-ahead nomination deadline is 11:30 a.m. CST one business day before the gas day.
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36.
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Q.
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Is there a document available that shows the nomination deadlines for each month?
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A.
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Yes. View the Nomination Calendar.
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Switching Suppliers
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37.
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Q.
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How early does End User Transportation (EUT) need to receive the Broker Authorization form when a customer is switching to a new supplier?
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A.
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EUT needs notice at least 3 business days before the effective date of the change. Nominations can not be entered in USMS until the completed Broker Authorization form is received.
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38.
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Q.
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How much notice does EUT need when a customer wants to switch between transportation and system service?
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A.
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All customers except grain dryers on GDS-2, GDS-3 or GDS-5 must notify Ameren by July 1 of their intent to switch services for an effective date of November 1.
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39.
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Q.
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Are all grain drying customers allowed to provide notification to switch between system and transportation service on April 1 for an August 1 start date?
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A.
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No. Only grain drying customers on GDS-2, GDS-3 and GDS-5 are allowed to provide notification on April 1 for an August 1 start date. GDS-4 and GDS-6 grain dryers must notify Ameren by July 1 for a November 1 effective date.
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Telemetry
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40.
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Q.
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Are there any methods in existence or under consideration to obtain daily meter information in a timelier manner than 2-3 days later?
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A.
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If you have customers that are daily balanced, they will be required to provide a dedicated phone line for the Company’s use in retrieving the daily usage. This will allow us to schedule calls shortly after 9 a.m. and post the data to USMS in the afternoon of the same day. For these accounts, you will be able to see daily meter information just 1 day after the fact. If you have customers that are monthly balanced and they choose to provide a phone line, we will continue to show daily meter information 2 to 3 days after the fact. The majority of the CIPS and CILCO customers have provided a shared phone line. In these cases, we have to schedule the calls during the night to avoid interrupting business calls. The late scheduling is what causes the daily meter information to be posted to USMS 2 to 3 days after the gas day.
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41.
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Q.
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There used to be a way we could ‘dial in’ to the customers’ meter to see their usage on the same day. Is this available to any CIPS or IP customers anymore?
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A.
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No. We do not have a way for Retail Gas Suppliers to dial in to the customer’s meter to see their usage.
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