Florida Public Service Commission native order document 00845-2024

FILED 2/22/2024
DOCUMENT NO. 00845-2024
FPSC - COMMISSION CLERK
BEFORE THE FLORIDA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
In re: Petition for approval of revisions to 	DOCKET NO. 20230136-PU
budget billing tariffs, by Florida Public 	ORDER NO. PSC-2024-0045-PCO-PU
_U_ti_lit_ie_s_C_o_m__._an___.,__· _________---11 ISS UE D: February 22, 2024
The following Commissioners participated in the disposition of this matter:
BY THE COMMISSION:
MIKE LA ROSA, Chairman
ART GRAHAM
GARY F. CLARK
ANDREW GILES FAY
GABRIELLA PASSIDOMO
ORDER SUSPENDING TARIFFS
Background
On December 15, 2023, Florida Public Utilities Company (FPUC or Company) filed a
petition seeking our approval of revisions to its optional Budget Billing Program tariffs for both
its electric and natural gas divisions. FPUC has proposed to expand its optional Budget Billing
Program (Program) to include certain small general service customers, to remove unnecessary
language related 	to 	bill format, 	and 	to 	revise 	the terms and cond itions of the Program.
Furthermore, FPUC has proposed to add details to the elec tric budget billing tariffs to align with
its natural gas Program tariffs. Overall, the Company states that the proposed tariff revisions are
inte nd ed to provide consistency across the business units under FP UC's parent company,
Chesapeake Utilities Corporation. On January 17 , 2024, s taff issued a data request to FPUC. The
Compan y's responses were received on January 31, 2024.
By way of background, Chesapeake Utilities Corporation will be re pl acing FPUC's
current Customer Information and Billing System (CIS) provided by ECIS, a Vertex business
solutions product which the Company has been using for over 20 years, at the completion of the
current contract on December 31, 2024. 	Chesapeake Uti lities Co rporation is currently working
with SAP (a software company for the management of business processes) and IBM to transition
to FPUC's new billing system known as 1CX with an estimated transition date of August 2024. 1
The Company ex plained that as it is working through the process of changing to a new billing
system, the need for consistency for the Program for both electric and natural gas divisions was
heightened. As a result, FPUC filed the instant petition.
1 Whether to approve th e new billing system is not an iss ue before us in thi s docket.

ORDER NO. PSC-2024-0045-PCO-PU
DOCKET NO. 20230136-PU
PAG E2
This Order is to suspend the proposed tariffs. We have jurisdiction over this matter
pursuant to Sections 366.04, 366. 05 , and 366.06, Florida Statutes (F.S.).
Decision
FPUC has proposed revisions to its Budget Billing Program and associated tariff sheets
for its electric (Sheet Nos. 39, 40, 41 , 42 , 43, 44, 44.1, 45, 46, 46.1 , and 46.2) and natural gas
(Sheet Nos. 6.253 and 6.254) divisions.
Pursuant to Section 366.06(3), F.S., we may withhold consent to the operation of all or
any portion of the new rate schedules by delivering to the utility requesting such a change a
reason or written statement of a good cause for doing so within 60 day s. 	Our staff has
propounded one data request, and needs sufficient time to review the response to this data
request, gather any additional data, analyze all pertinent information, and present us with an
informed recommendation on the proposed Program revisions and tariff modifications.
We find that the reason stated above is a good cause consistent with the requirement of
Section 366.06(3), F.S. Therefore, we suspend the Company's proposed tariffs in order to allow
our staff sufficient time to adequately and thoroughly examine the appropriateness of the
Company's requests and present us with an informed recommendation.
Based on the foregoing, it is
ORDERED by the Florida Public Service Commission that Florida Public Utilities
Company's proposed revisions to its optional Budget Billing Program tariffs for its electric
(Sheet Nos. 39, 40 , 41, 42 , 43 , 44 , 44.1 , 45, 46 , 46. l & 46.2) and natural gas (Sheet Nos. 6.253
& 6.254) divisions are hereby suspended. It is further
ORDERED that this docket shall remain open pending our deci sion on FPUC's proposed
revisions to its optional Budget Billing Program and associated tariffs.

ORDER NO. PSC-2024-0045-PCO-PU
DOCKET NO.20230136-PU
PAGE3
By ORDER of the Florida Public Service Commission this 22nd day of February, 2024.
SPS
Florida Public S rvice Commission
2540 Shumard Oak Boulevard
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
(850) 413-6770
www.floridapsc.com
Copies furnished: 	A copy of this document is
provided to the parties of record at the time of
issuance and, if applicable, interested persons.
NOTICE OF FURTHER PROCEEDINGS OR JUDICIAL REVIEW
The Florida Public Service Commission is required 	by Section 120.569(1 ), Florida
Statutes, to notify parties of any administrative hearing or judicial review of Commission orders
that is available under Sections 120.57 or 120.68, Florida Statutes, as well as the procedures and
time limits that apply. 	This notice should not be construed to mean all requests for an
administrative hearing or judicial review will be granted or result in the relief sought.
Mediation may be available on a case-by-case basis. 	If mediation is conducted, it does
not affect a substantially interested person's right to a hearing.
Any party 	adversely 	affected 	by 	this 	order, 	which 	is 	preliminary, 	procedural 	or
intermediate in nature, may request: ( 1) reconsideration within 10 days pursuant to Rule 25-
22.0376, Florida Administrative Code; or (2) judicial review by the Florida Supreme Court, in
the case of an electric, gas or telephone utility, or the First District Cow1 of Appeal, in the case
of a water or wastewater utility. 	A motion for reconsideration shall be filed with the Office of
Commission Clerk, in the form prescribed by Rule 25-22.0376, Florida Administrative Code.
Judicial review of a preliminary, procedural or intermediate ruling or order is available if review
of the final action will not provide an adequate remedy. Such review may be requested from the
appropriate court, as described above, pursuant to Rule 9.100, Florida Rules of Appellate
Procedure.