1. Universal Service Payment Outcomes
Duquesne Light Company
Roger D. Colton
April 27, 2000

2. Payment Objectives Complete payment Prompt payment Regular payment
Automatic payment
Profitable payment
NEW: Continuing payment
9/19/2018

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. Outcome Summary Primary outcomes: payment outcomes
Affordability on “exception basis”
Company/customer outcomes: secondary
Customer-side outcomes: tactics, not outcomes
9/19/2018

7. For more information:
9/19/2018