Attention MARVAC Campground Owners
Beginning last summer, the MARVAC Board of Directors at the request of a number of campgrounds began working with Consumers Energy and the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) regarding the resale of electricity by campground owners to their campground residents. There was concern that current MPSC rules and the interpretation of such rules were not being met by campground owners for the resale of electricity to campground users. MARVAC Board President and former Consumers Energy executive, Ed Doss of Waters RV, was instrumental in directing MARVAC staff in contacting the proper sources at Consumers Energy headquarters in Jackson, MI. Several meetings were held with company officials and a meeting with the MPSC allowed MARVAC the opportunity to develop a rate program exclusive to Consumers Energy’s customer campgrounds and boat marinas where individual meters are used. That rate program is now in effect as of May 30, 2013. With this rule now in place, campgrounds serviced by Consumers Energy are now in compliance with the new rule. Our thanks to the Consumers Energy staff and MARVAC Board members Ed Doss and Bob Rohn, for their efforts in making this available to our MARVAC campground members who are Consumers Energy customers.
You are strongly encouraged to read the following from the Consumers Energy Rate Book for Electric Service, Sheet No. C-24.00. The items highlighted in yellow pertains specifically to campgrounds and marinas.
“C4.4 Resale”
This provision is closed to resale for general unmetered service, unmetered or metered lighting service and new or expanded service for resale for residential use.
No customer shall resell electric service to others except when the customer is served under a Company rate expressly made available for resale purposes, and then only as permitted under such rate and under this rule.
Where, in the Company’s opinion, the temporary or transient nature of the proposed ultimate use, physical limitation upon extensions, or other circumstance, make it impractical for the Company to extend or render service directly to the ultimate user, the Company may allow a customer to resell electric service to others.
For the purposes of this tariff, the provision of electric vehicle charging service for which there is no direct per kWh charge shall not be considered resale of service.
A resale customer is required to take service under the resale provision of one of the following rates for which they qualify: General Service Secondary Rate GS, General Service Secondary Demand Rate GSD, General Service Primary Rate GP, or General Service Primary Demand Rate GPD. Resale Service is provided pursuant to a service contract providing for such resale privilege. Service to each ultimate user shall be separately metered.
- If the resale customer elects to take service under a Company Full Service resale rate, the ultimate user shall be served and charged for such service under standard Rate RS for residential use or under the appropriate standard General Service Rate applicable in the Company’s Electric Rate Book available for similar service under like conditions. Reselling customers are not required to offer or administer any additional service provisions or nonstandard rates contained in the Electric Rate Book, such as the Income Assistance Service Provision, Residential Service Time-of-Day Secondary Rate RT or the Educational Institution Service Provision.
- If the resale customer elects to take service under a Company Retail Open Access Service rate, the ultimate user shall be served and charged for such service under Rate ROA-R for residential use or under Rate ROA-S or ROA-P applicable in the Company’s Electric Rate Book available for similar service under like conditions.
- If the ultimate user is a campground lot or boat harbor slip, the resale customer has the option to charge a maximum of the following all inclusive rate per kWh in place of billing the ultimate customer on the appropriate standard Company tariff rate:
$0.152984 per kWh for all kWh during the months of June-September
$0.143972 per kWh for all kWh during the months of October-May
The Company shall be under no obligation to furnish or maintain meters or other facilities for the resale of service by the reselling customer to the ultimate user.
The service contract shall provide that the reselling customer’s billings to the ultimate user shall be audited each year by February’s month end, for the previous calendar year. The audit shall be conducted either by the Company, if the Company elects to conduct such audit, or by an independent auditing firm approved by the Company. The reselling customer shall be assessed a reasonable fee for an audit conducted by the Company. If the audit is conducted by an independent auditing firm, the customer shall submit a copy of the results of such audit to the Company in a form approved by the Company.
If you have any questions regarding this information, please contact Bill Sheffer, MARVAC Director at (800) 422-6478 ext. 11.
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