Today, the Commission issued an order requiring “in-home audits, weatherization programs, in-premises inspections not prompted by an identified safety-related concern, and other similar initiatives”, to be suspended for the duration of the emergency. Utilities are also prohibited from reading indoor meters or taking any other actions that risk infection. The Entry is consistent with our discussions with the Commission, and reflects the consensus of the utilities, the providers, regulators, and the executive branch.
This has been a breathtaking process, and everyone is doing their best, given the circumstances. You and your agency colleagues are continuing to care for your communities. The level of cooperation and communication we are getting with stakeholders has been extremely positive.
Agencies are making us aware of the implications of this suspension. ODSA has provided guidance on the payment of salaries from HWAP, but we know that many agencies pay an individual from multiple pots of money. This is one occasion when the fee-for-service model bites us in the butt. There are also issues of billing jobs that are in-process, so contractors can be paid.
If you identify issues going forward in any of the energy-related programs, please let me know. Developing clear options to deal with the issues we face in serving, or unfortunately suspending service to our clients is something we need to work through. Our suggestions have been well received. Let’s get out in front of what will be Phase II of our response.
Following is the relevant Paragraph from the Commission Entry. You can read the entire Entry at http://dis.puc.state.oh.us/TiffToPDf/A1001001A20C20B15554F02339.pdf.
