EDI Business Rules
Revised 02/04/03

 
Contents

Standard Business Rules

System Requirements

Contact Information

EDI Test Plan

Retail Choice Partner Registration Forms
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Standard Business Rules

  • South Jersey Gas (SJG) will be making the Energy Service Providers (ESP) whole until the outcome of the current CAS stipulation. At that time, SJG will be "purchasing the receivable" from the Energy Service Providers (ESP) for ESPs who elect the Gas Distribution Company (GDC) consolidated bill option. The receivable will be discounted by an approved percentage.
      
  • Billing Options:
  • South Jersey Gas will be "Bill Ready" in the situation where an ESP elects the GDC consolidated bill option. Billing data is due back from the ESP to the GDC within 48 hours of the usage data being made available on the internet EDI; otherwise bills will be sent out indicating the ESP data was not available.

  • Under the dual billing option scenario, both the GDC and ESP send out their respective portions of the bill.

  • The South Jersey Gas electronic systems will not support the ESP consolidated bill option.
  • The customer classifications identified as participants in the EDI exchange are RSG Firm Transportation Service and GSG Firm Transportation Service using Rider J. The following tariff schedules are excluded from participation in the EDI process: all firm sales service rate schedules, GSG Firm Transportation Service utilizing Rider I, CTS, LVS-Firm Transportation Service, FES, CS, LVCS, YLS, SLS, IGS, LMS-GS, LMS-LV and ITS.

  • EDI is being offered by South Jersey Gas Company as an additional, optional method of communicating enrollment and billing information. SJG's existing systems and related procedures will remain in place indefinitely. ESPs will be able to choose EDI, or continue to use the SJG's existing systems.

  • For historical usage requests from the ESP, the data will be limited to the past 12
    months of usage providing 12 months of history exists. Multiple requests received within a 12 month period may result in fees charged to the customer.

  • Customer enrollments will only be accepted if they are originated by the ESP. Customers contacting the GDC will be supplied a list of licensed ESP's. However,
    the GDC will accept drop requests initiated by the customer.

  • Customers will be enrolled at the account level, not the meter level. This means all meters associated with an account are switched and that a ESP cannot enroll a single meter on combined accounts.

  • Enrollments become effective with the first meter read date following the first business day of the month after enrollment is received. For example:

10/28/yy

11/01/yy

11/22/yy

12/22/yy

Enrollment
Received

Cutoff
(first Business day)
of period

First Meter First ESP
read date

Billing

  • Billing data will require a "48 hour" turn around time frame from the time the GDC puts the usage on it's VAN until the ESP puts the billing data on the internet EDI. The term "48 hours" will exclude utility non-business days and holidays.

  • Meter Read schedules and business days will be posted on the SJI web site for access by licensed ESP's. The web address is www.southjerseygas.com/edi/readsked.htm

  • When multiple ESP enrollments are received during the 14 day recision period, the latest "contract date" will determine with which ESP the customer is enrolled.

  • The Manager of the Transportation Services Dept. will serve as the local EDI Administrator, to interface with the internet EDI and the ESP's. See contact information for specifics.

  • EDI transactions from the GDC will be made available for distribution on the internet EDI by 8:00 am on scheduled business days.

  • EDI transactions from the ESP will be retrieved by 3:00 pm on scheduled business days and processed that same night.

  • If provided on the enrollment, SJG will store the ESP account number.

System Requirements:

     The following are the processes identified in the Data Exchange and Protocol Process Flow document as required to implement the EDI solution. All elements defined here are considered the minimal requirements that must be ready by the implementation date.

  • Enrollments - These are the most complicated of the processes due to the number of possible scenarios. Special consideration must be given to who the customer contacts to originate the action, the customers current status with regard to transporting gas and when the transaction is received by the GDC. Regardless of the scenario, the GDC will follow with a confirmation letter to the customer within one business day of accepting an enrollment request.
  • Customer Contacts ESP to Initiate Enrollment - The ESP will initiate the enrollment with an 814 enrollment request transaction. Provided the customer is not receiving service and does not have another service provider pending, the GDC will respond with an 814 enrollment response indicating the anticipated start date. The GDC will follow with a confirmation letter to the customer within one business day of accepting the enrollment request.
      
    - In the case where there are multiple ESP enrollments received during the 14 day recision period, the latest "contact date" will determine the ESP with which the customer is enrolled.

  • Customer Contacts New ESP to Switch ESP's - The new ESP may initiate the enrollment with an 814 enrollment request transaction for a customer who is currently enrolled with another ESP or has service pending with another ESP. The GDC will respond with an 814 enrollment response indicating the anticipated start date to the new ESP and send a confirmation letter to the customer within one business day of accepting the enrollment request. The GDC will also send an 814 drop request to the old ESP. The contract date will be used to determine if the enrollment request is acceptable. Unacceptable requests will be rejected with an 814 reject response transaction to the originator of the 814 enrollment.
      
  • Customer Contacts GDC to Reverse ESP Selection (within 14 day recision period ) - For a customer wishing to reverse an ESP selection during the 14 day recision period, they must contact the GDC.
      
    - Recision - If there is no previous pending ESP, the customer will be returned the GDC system. The GDC will drop the customer and send the ESP an 814D drop request transaction. Upon receipt, the ESP will send the GDC an 814D drop response transaction. The GDC will return the customer to the appropriate GDC rate schedule and send the customer a confirmation letter.
      
    - Reversal - If there is a previous pending ESP and the customer wants to be reinstated with that ESP, the GDC will switch the customer to the previous ESP provided it is within the previous ESP's 14 day recision period. Otherwise, the customer will be returned to the GDC bundled rate.
    To reinstate the customer, the GDC will send an 814D drop request transaction to the pending ESP and an 814R reinstatement request to the previous pending ESP.

  • Customer Contacts GDC to Drop ESP - (after the 14 day recision period) The customer can initiate a drop of an ESP by contacting the GDC. The GDC will drop the customer from the transportation program by sending the ESP an 814D drop request transaction. Upon receipt, the ESP will send the GDC an 814D drop response transaction. The GDC will return the customer to the appropriate GDC rate schedule and send the customer a confirmation letter.

  • Customer Contacts ESP to Drop ESP - For the customer initiated drop of an ESP, the customer contacts the ESP. The ESP will drop the customer by sending the GDC an 814D drop request transaction. Upon receipt, the GDC will send the ESP an 814D drop response transaction. The GDC will return the customer to the appropriate GDC rate schedule and send the customer a confirmation letter.

  • ESP Drops Customer - The ESP initiates the drop of a customer by sending the GDC an 814D drop request transaction. Upon receipt, the GDC will send the ESP a 814D drop response transaction. The GDC will return the customer to the appropriate GDC rate schedule and send the customer a confirmation letter.
     
  • Customer Contacts GDC to Reverse Customer Initiated Drop - If the customer contacts the GDC during the 14 day recision period to reverse their request to drop an ESP, the GDC will return the customer to the ESP. To effect the change, the GDC will send an 814R reinstatement request to the ESP. The ESP will follow with an 814R reinstatement response back to the GDC.
  • Customer Billing
     
    • GDC "Bill Ready" Consolidated Billing -The GDC transmits the meter usage data to the ESP via an 867 transaction. The ESP calculates their charges and transmits the billing data to the GDC via the 810 billing transaction. The GDC will consolidate the ESP charges with their portion of the charges and issue an invoice to the customer.
       
      • Bad meter readings failed by the GDC will not be forwarded to the ESP until corrected.
    • Dual Billing - The GDC transmits the meter usage data to the ESP via an 867 transaction. The GDC and ESP will issue a separate invoice for their respective portions of the bill to the customer.
       
      • Bad meter readings failed by the GDC will not be forwarded to the ESP until corrected.
  • Payments 
    • For ESPs selecting the GDC consolidated bill option, the 820 payment transaction will reflect the entire amount of the ESP billing. Discounts applied to the purchase of the receivable will be deducted from the actual payment to the ESP.
        
    • For ESPs selecting the GDC consolidated bill option, the actual payments will be made to the ESP twice a month, by corporate check.
  • Historical Usage
     
    • The ESP will initiate the request for historical data via an 814 Historical usage request. The GDC will respond with an 867 historical usage data transaction.
  • Functional Acknowledgments - Provide verification of receipt of transactions that comply with the EDI standards. These transactions will be generated at the SJG EDI agent level.

  • Customer Account Maintenance
     
    • Customer Contacts GDC to Final Account - Regardless of the reason for finaling, once the GDC issues a final billing on an account, they will notify the ESP with an 814D Drop Request transaction.
       
    • Customer Data Changes from GDC - GDC is required to notify the ESP of the following changes by transmitting to the TPC an 814C, Change Transaction.
      - Change in GDC account number
      - Change in customer metering or billing cycle
      - Gas delivery requirements not included in EDI process.
       
    • Customer Data Changes from ESP - ESP is required to transmit to the GDC changes in the following using the 814C Change transaction.
      - Change in the ESP account numbers

Contact Information

  • Primary Contact - Manager, Transportation Services

                Mailing Address - South Jersey Gas Company
                1 South Jersey Plaza
                Folsom, NJ 08037
                Attention : Manager, Transportation Services

                Phone Number - (609) 561-9000 extension 6588

                E-mail - transportation@sjindustries.com 


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