Universal Service Payment Outcomes Duquesne Light Company Roger D. Colton April 27, 2000
Payment Objectives Complete payment Prompt payment Regular payment Automatic payment Profitable payment NEW: Continuing payment 9/19/2018
Affordability Objective Bills are affordable when they can be paid without the consumer regularly engaging in an activity that is harmful to their health, safety or welfare. “Paid-but-unaffordable” customer 9/19/2018
Company-Customer Interaction “Jointness” of effort But consider: past objections But: “inappropriate” behavior is in eyes of beholder Helps control usage Applies for available assistance Regular communication Meets reasonable expectation Does not “game system” 9/19/2018
Customer-side Characteristics Knowledge Crisis-orientation “Soft skills” Energy use/costs Cost of housing Household budgeting Personal planning Fatalism Helplessness Personal interactions 9/19/2018
Outcome Summary Primary outcomes: payment outcomes Affordability on “exception basis” Company/customer outcomes: secondary Customer-side outcomes: tactics, not outcomes 9/19/2018
For more information: roger@fsconline.com 9/19/2018