Resources for Retail Electric Suppliers Frequently Asked Questions These FAQs supplement the information contained in the Ameren RES Handbook as well as the Supplier Terms and Conditions for AmerenCILCO, AmerenCIPS, and AmerenIP. Should you have any questions or comments regarding the information below, please contact the Ameren Transmission Services Business Center at 888.263.7361. Note that additional FAQs will periodically be added to this page – so be sure to check back occasionally.
Customer Enrollment, EDI, and Billing Issues
1.	Q.	What is the Ameren billing window?
	A.	The Ameren billing window is a four business day period of time that extends from two business days prior to an account’s scheduled meter reading date to one business day after an account’s scheduled meter reading date. On-cycle enrollments always occur within an account’s billing window. To view a table listing Ameren’s scheduled meter reading dates, please see Ameren’s Scheduled Meter Reading Dates web page.
2.	Q.	How is an account’s enrollment effective date determined?
	A.	First, note that enrollments are effectuated at the service point level, not the account level (see FAQ number 15 below for a definition of “service point”). Thus, an on-cycle enrollment for an account with multiple electric service points could have a slightly different enrollment effective date for each service point on the account. On-cycle enrollment of a scalar metered service point:     Enrollment is effectuated when the meter is read – which will occur on one of the four     business days that comprise the account’s billing window. On-cycle enrollment of an interval metered service point:     Enrollment is effectuated when the service point’s meter data is collected – which will     occur on one of the four business days that comprise the account’s billing window. The     actual time of the enrollment could be anytime during the day that the meter data is     collected. Off-cycle enrollment of a scalar metered service point:     Enrollment is effectuated as of the very end of the day (i.e. 23:59:59) of the date     requested. An actual meter reading on the off-cycle enrollment date is not taken.     Instead, for the first billing period that includes the date of the off-cycle enrollment,     usage is prorated for the time between when the enrollment is effectuated and the     date on which the meter is actually read. Off-cycle enrollment of an interval metered service point:     Enrollment is effectuated as of the very end of the day (i.e. 23:59:59) of the date     requested.
3.	Q.	Why does Ameren’s EDI response to an on-cycle enrollment DASR indicate a specific enrollment effective date, yet the actual start date as shown in the EDI 867 (when the account bills for the first time after the enrollment) is sometimes slightly different?
	A.	For an on-cycle enrollment, Ameren returns the scheduled meter reading date as the enrollment effective date. However, since Ameren has a four business day billing window (extending from two business days prior to an account’s scheduled meter reading date to one business day after an account’s scheduled meter reading date) the actual enrollment effective date can occur anytime within that window. Since Ameren doesn’t know – at the time the enrollment DASR is submitted – what the specific on-cycle meter reading date is going to be, the scheduled meter reading date is returned as a placeholder for the enrollment effective date. Again, the actual enrollment effective date could vary by up to two business days prior to the account’s scheduled meter reading date to one business day after the account’s scheduled meter reading date.
4.	Q.	What happens if an enrollment requesting the Single Billing Option (SBO) is submitted for an account that is on budget billing with Ameren?
	A.	Ameren does not allow an account to be on both SBO and budget billing at the same time. When Ameren receives an enrollment requesting SBO for an account that is on budget billing, the account is defaulted to the dual billing option and it remains on budget billing. The defaulting of the billing option to dual billing is communicated to the RES in REF segment of the EDI814 enrollment response (i.e. REF02 = dual billing). If the end-use customer would prefer to be on SBO as opposed to dual billing with budget billing, then he/she will need to contact the appropriate Ameren Business Center (see phone numbers listed on our Contact Us page) and request that the account be removed from budget billing. After the account has been removed from budget billing, the RES should then contact their Ameren business representative to have the account switched to SBO.
5.	Q.	How is a budget balance due handled on an account that is placed on the Single Billing Option (SBO) right after being removed from budget billing?
	A.	A budget balance due develops when a customer has paid the predetermined budget billing amount each month, but the net of the budget billing amounts paid over a given period of time has been less than the cost of the account’s actual usage over that same period of time. When such an account is removed from budget billing and placed on SBO, the budget balance due will be billed by Ameren directly to the customer and will not be communicated to the RES in an EDI 810 transaction.
6.	Q.	What happens if an enrollment requesting the Single Billing Option (SBO) is submitted for an account that is in arrears?
	A.	Ameren does not allow an account that is in arrears to be enrolled to SBO. When Ameren receives an SBO enrollment for an account that is in arrears, the account is defaulted to the dual billing option. The defaulting of the billing option to dual billing is communicated to the RES in REF segment of the EDI 814 enrollment response (i.e. REF02 = dual billing). Once the account becomes current (no arrears / no outstanding payment agreement balances), the RES may then contact their Ameren business representative and request that the account be switched to SBO.
7.	Q.	What happens if an enrollment requesting the Single Billing Option (SBO) is submitted for an account that is on summary billing with Ameren?
	A.	Summary billing is an Ameren billing option in which numerous bills for a specific customer are consolidated into one. An account cannot be on both summary billing and SBO at the same time. When Ameren receives an SBO enrollment for an account that is on summary billing, the account is removed from summary billing and placed on SBO.
8.	Q.	What happens if an enrollment requesting the Single Billing Option (SBO) is submitted for an account that has both electric and gas service points?
	A.	When Ameren receives an enrollment requesting SBO for an account that has both electric and gas service points, Ameren will split the gas service point off of the account and assign a new account number to it. The electric service point(s) will remain associated with the original account. If, at the time of the enrollment, the account is on Direct Pay (payment of monthly bill is automatically deducted from the customer’s bank account), then the Direct Pay will be transferred to the newly-created gas account and will be removed from the original account.
9.	Q.	Can an account be enrolled off-cycle to the Single Billing Option (SBO)?
	A.	If Ameren receives an off-cycle enrollment requesting SBO, then the account will be defaulted to the dual billing option for the first billing period that includes the enrollment effective date. After this first billing period, Ameren will then change the billing option for the account to SBO.
10.	Q.	If a RES submits an enrollment DASR for an account that has a lighting service point in addition to the non-lighting “main” electric service point(s), will the lighting service point be enrolled along with the other electric service point(s)?
	A.	Yes. An enrollment DASR will switch all electric service points on an account – including any lighting service points – to RES supply.
11.	Q.	If a RES wants to enroll an unmetered account (i.e. a lighting-only account), what should be entered as the meter number on the enrollment DASR?
	A.	A RES should submit eight nines (i.e. 99999999) for the meter number on the enrollment DASR.
12.	Q.	What is the procedure if a RES wishes to enroll a brand new account to be effective as of the start date of the new account, but the account number has not yet been created by Ameren?
	A.	For various reasons, Ameren may not create the new account number in time for the RES to submit an enrollment DASR that would be effective as of the start date of the account. In this situation, it is expected that the RES communicate – via email – their intention to enroll the new account with their Ameren business representative. This communication must happen at least three business days prior to the start date of the new account. Once Ameren creates the new account number, the customer will need to communicate it along with an associated meter number to the RES. The RES will then need to submit an on-cycle enrollment DASR for the new account. Once the enrollment DASR is received by Ameren, Ameren will “repair” the enrollment effective date back to the start date of the new account. Note that the onus is always on the customer to keep their RES or their prospective RES aware of any changes to their accounts. This includes the splitting of an account currently served by a RES, the addition of a new account, and any changes to the anticipated start date of a new account.
13.	Q.	What is the procedure if a RES wishes to enroll a brand new account – where the account number is known but the electric meter has not yet been set?
	A.	A RES should submit eight nines (i.e. 99999999) for the meter number on the enrollment DASR. Note that the enrollment DASR for a brand new account must be received by Ameren at least three business days prior to the start date of the new account.
14.	Q.	What is the procedure if a RES wants to enroll an account, but only serve part of the account’s load?
	A.	A RES that wants to enroll an account – but only serve part of the account’s load – should notify their Ameren business representative prior to submitting the enrollment DASR to Ameren. This will allow Ameren time to make the necessary billing system preparations for the enrollment.
15.	Q.	What is a service point?
	A.	A service point consists of metered or unmetered load that is assigned to a specific Ameren rate. A service point containing metered load can have one or more meters associated with it. An account may have multiple electric service points. Typically, an account that has multiple electric service points has a different rate assigned to each of those service points. However, it is possible for an account to have multiple electric service points that are each on the same rate.
16.	Q.	Why is the on-cycle enrollment effective date for a lighting service point sometimes different than the on-cycle enrollment effective date for the non-lighting “main” electric service point, even though both service points are on the same account?
	A.	Typically, a lighting service point will bill on the first day of the four business day Ameren billing window. However, a non-lighting “main” electric service point does not necessarily bill along with the lighting service point. As a result, an on-cycle enrollment for an account with both a lighting service point and a non-lighting “main” electric service point can result in slightly different enrollment effective dates for each of the service points.
17.	Q.	Why does an account that has multiple service points (e.g. a lighting service point and a “main” electric service point) sometimes have slightly different billing periods for each service point when the account bills?
	A.	Regardless of the number of service points on an account, an Ameren delivery services bill and/or the corresponding EDI810 and EDI867 transactions are always produced together when the account bills. However, the service points that make up the account may have slightly different billing periods since service points are independent of each other. As noted in the previous RES FAQ (see above), lighting service points often bill on the first day of the four business day Ameren billing window. However, non-lighting “main” electric service points may or may not bill on the first day of the Ameren billing window.
18.	Q.	How many EDI 867 transactions will be produced when a RES-supplied account bills?
	A.	EDI 867 transactions are created per service point. So, if an account has one electric service point, then only one EDI 867 will be produced each time that the account bills. If an account has one “main” electric service point as well as a separate lighting service point, then two EDI 867 transactions will be produced each time the account bills. Note that the number of meters associated with a service point has no bearing on the number of EDI 867 transactions that are produced.
19.	Q.	How is a subtractive meter denoted in the EDI 867 transaction?
	A.	There are a relatively small number of Ameren Illinois accounts that have one or more subtractive meters on them. The designation in the EDI 867 that a meter’s usage is subtractive can be found on the REF segment when element one is “JH” and element two is “S” (the “S” stands for “Subtractive”). Thus, a subtractive meter is denoted in the EDI 867 transaction as follows: REF*JH*S. Conversely, a typical non-subtractive meter is noted as REF*JH*A in the EDI 867 transaction (where the “A” stands for “Additive”).
20.	Q.	How may a RES change the billing option for an account that it is supplying?
	A.	To change the billing option for an account from dual billing to the Single Billing Option (SBO), or from the Single Billing Option (SBO) to dual billing, the RES should send an email noting this request to its Ameren business contact. Currently, Ameren does not accept a billing option change request via EDI.
21.	Q.	How is interval meter data handled in the EDI 867 transaction on the spring forward and fall back days (the days leading into and out of Daylight Saving Time)?
	A.	On the spring forward day, the interval meter data in the EDI 867 will only contain 23 values. Note that instead of skipping the hour of the time change (2:00 a.m.), a value will be reported for that hour that is really equivalent to 3:00 a.m. as of the new time. Each of the remaining hours of the spring forward day will follow suit. For example, the read reported for 3:00 a.m. will really be the read as of 4:00 a.m. in the new time. The read reported for 4:00 a.m. will really be the read as of 5:00 a.m. in the new time. On the fall back day, the interval meter data in the EDI 867 will contain 25 values. Although there are two 2:00 a.m. readings taken on the fall back day, the second 2:00 a.m. read will be reported as a 3:00 a.m. read. Then, each subsequent hour for the fall back day will be one hour off. For example, the 3:00 a.m. read will be reported as a 4:00 a.m. read.
22.	Q.	Why can the very last interval read contained in an EDI 867 transaction for a given account be for the same hour as the first hour shown in that same account’s EDI 867 transaction for the following billing period?
	A.	For most interval metered accounts, reads are taken at the top of each hour, and 15, 30, and 45 minutes after each hour. However, Ameren does not provide 15 minute interval data in the EDI 867 transaction. Instead, Ameren provides hourly interval data in the EDI 867. Since a billing period can end in-between hours, Ameren accounts for this by showing that hour twice – once in two separate EDI 867 transactions. The first time that the hour is shown is as the final hour of a billing period. The usage will not represent a full hours’ worth of data, but will instead represent the usage up through when the read was taken. For example, if the final read for a billing period was taken at 14:30, the usage shown in the EDI 867 for hour beginning 14:00 will only be for the first 30 minutes of the hour. The second time that the hour is shown is as the first hour in the EDI 867 for the next billing period. The usage will not represent a full hours’ worth of data, but will instead represent the usage from the time of the end read of the previous billing period through the top of the next hour. For example, if the last read from the previous billing period was taken at 14:30, the usage shown in the EDI 867 for hour beginning 14:00 will only be for the final 30 minutes of the hour.
23.	Q.	What happens if a RES-supplied customer declares bankruptcy?
	A.	If a RES-supplied customer declares bankruptcy, then each Ameren account associated with that customer will be finaled (closed) – thus triggering the generation of one or more EDI 814D transactions to the customer’s RES. If the customer stays in business despite the bankruptcy and wishes to continue with electric service, then a new account or accounts will be set up for the customer. Initially, each new account will be set up on Ameren supply service. If the RES would like to continue serving the customer seamlessly, then the customer will need to provide their new account number(s) to their RES and the RES will need to submit an on-cycle enrollment DASR to Ameren for each new account at least seven calendar days prior to the first billing of each new account. In addition, the RES must contact their Ameren business representative via email when the enrollment DASR(s) is submitted and state that seamless RES service is desired. Once Ameren receives the enrollment DASR(s) from the RES, Ameren will then backdate the RES enrollment effective date on each account to the date that each account was opened.
Load Profiling Issues
24.	Q.	Will Ameren be using a new set of load profiles in 2007?
	A.	Yes. Beginning in 2007, there will be one set of new load profiles applicable to all Ameren Illinois customers. For information on the load profile classes, please see Ameren’s Load Profile Classes web page.
Meter Data Management Agent (MDMA) Issues
25.	Q.	If a RES elects to have multiple Commercial Pricing Nodes (CPNodes) in the AMIL control area, how will Ameren determine which load should be assigned to a given CPNode?
	A.	Ameren will allow a RES to designate default CPNodes. Only one default CPNode may be assigned per Ameren company. To designate default CPNodes, please contact the Transmission Services Business Center at 888.263.7361.
Distribution Losses and Transmission Losses
26.	Q.	What dynamic loss formulas will be used for calculating distribution loss factors beginning in 2007?
	A.	The following dynamic loss formulas will be used for calculating distribution loss factors beginning in 2007: Secondary Delivery Voltage: 1.06102 + ((2.1951 * 10^-10)*(System Load^2))     Primary Delivery Voltage: 1.02370 + ((2.4522 * 10^-10)*(System Load^2))          High Delivery Voltage: 1.00816 + ((1.0086 * 10^-10)*(System Load^2)) In these formulas, System Load represents the load for the Ameren Illinois service territories – which include AmerenCIPS, AmerenCIPS-ME, AmerenCILCO, and AmerenIP.
27.	Q.	How are transmission losses calculated?
	A.	Since the start of the MISO "Day 2" market on April 1, 2005, transmission losses have been calculated dynamically. By “dynamically”, we mean that they change each hour depending on the load in, and the flows through, each Control Area. Through the end of November 2006, transmission losses were calculated separately for each of the three Ameren Control Areas (AMRN, CILC, and IP). However, since Ameren reconfigured its Control Areas, MISO changed the way that transmission losses are calculated. During a brief transition period from December 1, 2006 through February 28, 2007, MISO calculated transmission losses separately for each of the four Ameren companies (UE, CIPS, CILCO and IP). Then, beginning March 1, 2007, MISO began calculating transmission losses for the Ameren-MO (AMMO) control area and for the Ameren-IL (AMIL) control area. For more information on how transmission losses are calculated, please contact MISO.