SAP Implementation Technical Bulletin

Transcription

1 Marketer Consolidated Billing (Single Retailer) Changes (Update #9) Impacts New York Upon implementation of National Fuel s new billing system, ESCOs that use the Marketer Consolidated Billing (MCB) model to bill customers will be billed based upon cycle meter readings/estimates instead of Calendar Month Estimate (CME) consumption. Account level detail rate/charge information will be provided via EDI 1 in the Single Retailer End Use Retail Customer Cycle Invoice ( 810 EURC Cycle Invoice ) 2 but will not be formally billed when these EDI transactions are sent. Once the new billing system is implemented, customer cycle rates/charges (summarized to the Gas Pool ID level) will be provided via EDI in the Single Retailer End Use Retail Customer Summary Invoice ( 810 EURC Summary Invoice ). 810 EURC Cycle Invoices will be linked to the corresponding 810 EURC Summary Invoice through the use of a Purchase Order number sent in both EDI transactions so that the ESCO can reconcile the charges between both invoices. Although the Single Retailer End Use Retail Customer CME Invoice ( 810 CME Invoice ), will still be provided, CME billing detail will no longer be provided. Volumetric CME consumption will continue to be provided because it remains relevant for imbalance reconciliation purposes. As a transitional matter, the CME consumption billed the month prior to cutover will be for the normal period (i.e. every day in the calendar month). The first month consumption billed in the new system will be from the first of the calendar month to the cycle read for the control being billed. For example, if Cycle 5 in the cutover month has a schedule read date of the seventh calendar day, the first customer MCB bill will be for the first seven days of the cutover month. That portion of the customer s consumption will be provided on cycle following transition to the new billing system with the 810 EURC Cycle Invoice and billed after implementation with the 810 EURC Summary Invoice. 1 Analogous changes will made to the web files used by Grandfathered New York Direct Customers that do not use EDI. 2 Under the current system, account level cycle charges are presented but they are essentially meaningless with respect to the delivery charges billed to the ESCO (in the 810 EURC CME Invoices). 1 Marketer Consolidated Billing (Single Retailer) Changes April 27, 2016

2 Pre-Cutover Cancel/Rebill Volumes & Amounts The transition from CME billing to Cycle billing of customer level charges results in a data complication impacting the cancel/rebill process. Pre-cutover cancel/rebill volumes and amounts for CMEs (i.e. the volumes and amounts that were billed to the ESCO in the current system) will be sent via EDI. Additionally, post-cutover cancel/rebill volumes and amounts for cycles will be communicated via EDI. CMEs will be provided for the volume only, not amounts because under the new system, CME amounts are not being provided. Initially the Company will be unable to provide pre-cutover volumes/reads and amounts for cycle periods via EDI, i.e. the customer informational cycle 810/867 cancel/new original transactions provided under the current system. As a temporary workaround, the Company plans to utilize a new non-edi web file, E3, to communicate pre-cutover cycle reads that were changed (i.e. a cancel/rebill was performed). Pre-cutover amounts won t be sent in the new file because they were informational when provided under the current system. The structure of the E3 web file is shown below: New File Layout Daily MCB Adjusted Meter Reads (file E3) Aggregator Id 7 ch Aggregator Group Id 9 ch Ratepayer Number (RBA) 9 ch Meter Location Number 7 ch Meter Number Meter Reading 9 ch Meter Read Source Code 2 ch Meter Read Source Desc 40 ch Meter Read Date Meter Read Additional Consumption 10 ch (-9) Current Billing Control 2 ch 2 Marketer Consolidated Billing (Single Retailer) Changes April 27, 2016

3 EDI Matters From an EDI perspective, while there are no new segments/elements to be provided in the various 810 transactions, the relative importance of these segments will differ. Generally: 810 CME Invoices transactions will no longer include invoicing related segments with the exception of prior period adjustments o Cancel/Rebill for months prior to the switch to the new billing system will still include invoicing related segments. 810 EURC Cycle Invoice transactions are unchanged but the rate/charge items will no longer be informational; o The 810 EURC Cycle Invoice transactions will not be rendered bill amounts but they will be the basis for the charges on the 810 EURC Summary Invoice. o The 810 EURC Cycle Invoice transactions will be summed to the Gas Pool ID Level and rendered bill amounts when they are presented billed in the 810 EURC Summary Invoices. o The 810 EURC Cycle Cancel/Rebill for months prior to the switch to the new billing system will not be sent via EDI. The Purchase Order Number, which is sent in the BIG04 element of the BIG Beginning Segment in both the 810 EURC Summary Invoice and the 810 EURC Cycle Invoice, will tie the invoices together so that ESCOs can reconcile the charges between the Cycle and Summary transactions. 3 Marketer Consolidated Billing (Single Retailer) Changes April 27, 2016

4 Web File (non-edi) Matters The Company provides 3 files (hereinafter, web files ) detailing the billing charges incurred by an ESCO under the MCB model based on the gas delivered to their customers. The web files are accessible from the Supplier / Customer Download Files link on the Services For Marketers, Producers & Suppliers web page at: 3 Some web files may not be ready at go-live. As necessary, workaround solutions will be provided until the web files are available. 4 Marketer Consolidated Billing (Single Retailer) Changes April 27, 2016

5 The first web file provided by NFGDC is comparable to an 810 EURC Cycle Invoice transaction. This file will only be provided to NON-EDI MCB Direct Customers. Under SAP, instead of charges calculated using the CME, the file will recap the cycle charges since the last monthly Direct Customer invoice. Revised File Layout Transportation charges (STBA/SATS file H0) Current Layout New Layout Marketer id 7 ch Marketer id 7 ch Aggregation group id 9 ch Aggregation group id 9 ch Ratepayer billing id (RBA) 7 ch Ratepayer billing id (RBA) 7 ch Billing-month Billing-month Processing month Processing month Total charges 13 ch (-9.2) Removed NEW>>> Cycle charges 13 ch (-9.2) Transport rate class id 9 ch Transport rate class id 9 ch Monthly consumption 11 ch (-10 in CCF) Monthly consumption 19 ch Transport charge 13 ch (-9.2) Transport charge 13 ch (-9.2) Transition charge 13 ch (-9.2) Transition charge 13 ch (-9.2) Weather norm charge 13 ch (-9.2) Weather norm charge 13 ch (-9.2) Sales tax 13 ch (-9.2) Sales tax 13 ch (-9.2) Gross receipts tax 13 ch (-9.2) Gross receipts tax 13 ch (-9.2) Take or Pay charge 13 ch (-9.2) Take or Pay charge 13 ch (-9.2) EDZR disc credit 13 ch (-9.2) EDZR disc credit 13 ch (-9.2) 5 Marketer Consolidated Billing (Single Retailer) Changes April 27, 2016

6 The second web file provided by NFGDC provides CME consumption and is comparable to an 810 CME Invoice transaction. Revised File Layout Monthly CME Meter Reads Current Layout (file F3) New Layout Marketer Id 7 ch Marketer id 7 ch Aggregation Group ID 9 ch Aggregation group id 9 ch Process Date Process Date Ratepayer Billing ID (RBA) 7 ch Ratepayer billing id (RBA) 9 ch Meter Number Meter Number Unit of Measurement Code 2 ch Unit of Measurement Code 3 ch Dials Count 1 ch Dials Count 1 ch Consumption Amount (TOTAL) 11 ch (-10) Consumption Amount (TOTAL) 11 ch (-10) Beginning Meter Reading 9 ch Beginning Meter Reading 9 ch Beginning Meter Read Date Beginning Meter Read Date Ending Meter Reading 9 ch Ending Meter Reading 9 ch Ending Meter Read Date Ending Meter Read Date Meter Base Load 6 ch (4.1) Meter Base Load 6 ch (4.1) Meter Degree Day Factor 6 ch (2.3) Meter Degree Day Factor 6 ch (2.3) Metered Consumption Amount 11 ch (-10) Metered Consumption Amount 11 ch (-10) Unmetered Consumption Amount 11 ch (-10) Unmetered Consumption Amount 11 ch (-10) Questions concerning the contents and use of web-files under the MCB billing model should be directed to Transportation Services at (716) or by TSD-Billing@natfuel.com. 6 Marketer Consolidated Billing (Single Retailer) Changes April 27, 2016

7 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 1) With the change from CME-based billing to cycle-based billing require use of additional EDI segments/elements? No From an EDI perspective, while there are no new segments/elements to be provided in the various 810 transactions, the relative importance of these segments will differ. 2) Will any EDI segments/elements be eliminated? Yes segments/elements related to invoice amounts, charges and/or rates will no longer be provided in 810 CME Invoice transactions; the remaining segments/elements will be focused upon customer consumption. 3) How will the transition from CME-based billing to cycle-based be addressed in various EDI transactions? The CMEs billed prior to implementation will be for the calendar month period. The first 810 EURC Cycle Invoice will contain the charges from the first of the calendar month to the customer s scheduled meter read/estimate. That portion of the customer s consumption will be provided on cycle following transition to the new billing system with the 810 EURC Cycle Invoice and billed after implementation with the 810 EURC Summary Invoices. 4) Will 810 EURC Summary Invoices contain customer account level billing detail? No individual customer account charges will be summed to the Gas Pool level. 5) Are the customer account level billing charges provided in 810 EURC Cycle Invoices considered billed charges? No these charges will be billed when the 810 EURC Summary Invoice transactions are issued. 6) How will ESCOs be able to reconcile the charges between the 810 EURC Cycle and 810 EURC Summary Invoice transactions? The Purchase Order Number, which is sent in the BIG04 element of the BIG Beginning Segment in both the 810 EURC Summary Invoice and the 810 EURC Cycle Invoice, will tie the invoices together so that ESCOs can reconcile the charges between the Cycle and Summary transactions. 7) Will the MCB changes impact NGSs in National Fuel s Pennsylvania territory? No the MCB model is not available in National Fuel s Pennsylvania territory. 7 Marketer Consolidated Billing (Single Retailer) Changes April 27, 2016

8 8) Are there any changes to the 867 MU (Monthly Cycle Usage) EDI file other than it will not include adjustments prior to the implementation date? No. 9) Are there any changes to the 867 MU (Calendar Month Estimate Usage) EDI file? No. 10) Will the 810 EURC Cycle Invoice EDI file include any adjustments prior to the implementation date? No. 11) Will ESCOs receive any pre-implementation transportation charge adjustments in any fashion (EDI or web files)? No. Pre-cutover cycle amounts won t be sent in the new E3 file because they were informational when provided under the current system; they were not actually charges. CME adjustments, however, be provided. 12) Will the Transportation charges (H0) web file have prior period adjustment information from prior to the implementation? Yes but after implementation, H0 will only be provided to non-edi Direct Customers. The prior period adjustment information from prior to the implementation will be provided via EDI with the 810 CME Invoice and the 867MU. 13) If the implementation happens on the 10th of a month and a MCB customer has usage from the 24th of the previous month to the 23rd of the current month, when we receive the 810 file it will include transportation charges for the full period of the 24th through the 23rd, correct? No; the first 810 would be a stump cycle, that is from the 1st to the 23rd. As a transitional matter, the CME consumption billed the month prior to cutover will be for the normal period (i.e. every day in the calendar month). The first month consumption billed in the new system will be from the first of the calendar month to the cycle read for the control being billed. For example, if Cycle 16 in the cutover month has a schedule read date of 23rd calendar day, the first customer MCB bill will be for the first 23 days of the cutover month. That portion of the customer s consumption will be provided on a cycle basis following transition to the new billing system with the 810 EURC Cycle Invoice. Note that while the charges will be provided in the 810 EURC Cycle Invoice, they will not be billed until the 810 EURC Summary Invoice is issued. 8 Marketer Consolidated Billing (Single Retailer) Changes April 27, 2016

9 14) If post-implementation 810 CME Invoices transactions will no longer include invoicing related segments with the exception of prior period adjustments, which segments will not be provided? Since the purpose of the transaction is invoicing related, what purpose does it serve without the invoicing data? Segments that currently contain charges will not be provided (for post-implementation periods) because those charges will have been provided in the 810 EURC Cycle Invoices. Post implementation, 810 CME Invoices will provide the CME consumption for imbalance Resolution/Cashout purposes. 15) Post-implementation, is the only change to the 810 ESCO Summary Invoice that the values will be generated by using the cycle transportation charges instead of the calendar month estimate transportation charges? In practical terms, this is correct. Additionally the Purchase Order Number, which is sent in the BIG04 element of the BIG Beginning Segment in both the 810 EURC Summary Invoice and the 810 EURC Cycle Invoice, will tie the invoices together so that ESCOs can reconcile the charges between the Cycle and Summary transactions. 16) Will E3 (Adjusted MCB Cycle Readings) files be provided for all adjustments, or only precutover adjustments? E3 data will only be provided for periods prior to cutover for MCB accounts only. 17) Will E3 adjustment transactions for a given account be provided at or around the same time as the new EDI 867s for that account? In other words, if we receive new 867 transactions for a given account today, can we expect that the known adjustments for that account will most likely appear in today's E3? No, E3 cycle meter reading adjustments will be provided at the same time the EDI 867 CME adjustments are sent through EDI, once per month at the time of monthly Supplier Billing. 18) If any adjustments cross over the cut-over date (i.e. the beginning read date is before cutover but the end read date is after cut over), will we receive EDI for those adjustments or will those adjustments appear in the E3 files (or both)? For adjustments that cross over the cut-over date: Any adjusted cycle readings with a date prior to the Go-Live date will be provided in the E3 file (posted to website once per month). Any adjusted cycle readings with a date after the Go-Live date will be sent via EDI 867 Cycle Usage (transmitted daily). 9 Marketer Consolidated Billing (Single Retailer) Changes April 27, 2016

10 19) If the implementation happens on the 9th of a month and a MCB customer has usage from the 7th of the previous month to the 6th. Presumably the full previous month's CME 810 will be provided; what files will be provided for the cutover month? In addition to the full CME bill for month prior to implementation, the ESCO will receive the following files: A stub CME bill period ended on the 9th. A stump cycle bill on the 6th of the following month for the period from the 10th of the implementation month to the 6th of the following month. A full cycle bill ending the 6th in the month that follows the stump cycle bill. 20) When will E3 test files be available? Sample test E3 files are now available for distribution to ESCOs conducting MCB Billing. Please request a test file through our Transportation Services Department. 21) Since the E3 file is a monthly file, at what point in the month will it be generated postimplementation? Post Go-Live the monthly E3 file will be created the evening of Control (Portion) #3 and made available on the secured portion of the Marketer Website. 22) Since prior period adjustment transportation charges are no longer being provided (for adjustments prior to the implementation date), will historic weather norm factors (going back as far as the NFGDC system will generate adjustments) be available to ESCOs to calculate the transportation charges? A file will be created at Cut Over providing Historical Weather Norm Factors. ESCOs should request this file from the Transportation Services Department. 23) Recognizing that a stump 810SR transaction will be billed for the period between the last CME bill before implementation (based upon the CME read) to the first cycle date following implementation, will the 867MU transaction be affected? Yes The first 867 will match the stump 810SR cycle bill, i.e. it will be a stump ) Will the G0 file be available for non-edi MCB Direct Customers? No Web file G0 will not be available at go live and at this point, there are no plans to make it available post go live. The information contained in the G0 web file is available in an 810SR EDI transaction. With all ESCOs and nearly all Direct Customers EDI compliant, this web file has become non-essential. Web file H0 will be available; the details of the G0 file are available in H0. 10 Marketer Consolidated Billing (Single Retailer) Changes April 27, 2016