Ways to Cancel Direct Access
There are various ways to discontinue a Direct Access (DA) Service Account (SA), including:
- ESP Returning Customer to SCE Bundled Service
- Customer Requesting Return to SCE Bundled Service
- Customer Requesting Turn Off Service
- Mass Involuntary Return carried out by SCE due to ESP Non-Compliance
- Mass Voluntary Return carried out by ESP Exiting Market
- ESP Bankruptcy
Please note Direct Access customers returning to SCE Bundled Service are subject to Switching Exemptions, for more information read Rule 22.1: Switching Exemption Guidelines.
ESPs can discontinue a Direct Access account by submitting a Disconnect Direct Access Service Request (DASR) to SCE and marking the appropriate fields. Following this cancellation, a notice will be sent to the ESP and the customer advising them that the customer will be returning to bundled service with SCE. If the ESP or customer owns the meter, and if their meter is not compatible with SCE’s meter reading systems, the customer will be charged the applicable meter replacement, re-programming, maintenance or reading fees as listed in the Customer Choice - Discretionary Service Fees schedule under the Additional Resources section.
A DA customer may elect to discontinue its contract with an ESP and return to SCE bundled service by calling SCE’s DA Support Center at 1-800-799-4723. In such cases, the CPUC has determined that SCE will initiate a cancellation followed by a switch to bundled service or a new ESP in the next DASR processing period. A fee may be charged for this service, to be determined by the CPUC. SCE will notify the prior ESP of the change and will inform them of the scheduled effective date. If the ESP or customer owns the meter, and if their meter is not compatible with SCE’s meter reading systems, the customer will be charged the applicable meter replacement, re-programming, maintenance or reading fees as listed in the Customer Choice - Discretionary Service Fees schedule under the Additional Resources section.
If a DA customer chooses to return to bundled service for a term longer than 60 days, they must provide SCE with a Six-Month Advance Notice to Return to Bundled Portfolio Service (PDF) prior to becoming eligible for Bundled Portfolio Service (BPS) service. The customer has three business days after SCE receives their six-month advance notice to rescind the notice and remain on DA service. If the customer elects BPS service, they must make an 18-month commitment and will not be eligible to return to DA service until their 18-month minimum period has been completed. If they return to BPS service, they continue to be responsible for any Direct Access Cost Responsibility Surcharge (DA CRS) Under-Collection balance incurred during the period they were taking DA service. At the end of the initial 18-month term, customer will have the option to return to DA service or remain on bundled service.
If a customer contacts their ESP requesting Turn Off of service at their service location, please have the customer contact SCE’s DA Support Center at 1-800-799-4723. Do not send a Disconnect DASR for this request.
When SCE processes a customer requested Turn Off of service, a notification e-mail will be sent from SCE’s ESP_AUTOCOMM@sce.com mailbox to the ESP. The notification will be sent within one business day of the customer contact with SCE. The notification will state the electric service is to be discontinued. ESPs will receive separate e-mail notifications for each account.
For those accounts with external Meter Data Management Agents (MDMA), a second e-mail notification will be sent to the ESP from SCE’s Meter Data Management. This notification will be sent within two business days of the initial e-mail notification. A Meter and Data Exception Notification (MADEN) will be attached advising the ESP of the Turn Off effective date and to poll the meter hourly on the day of the Turn Off.
SCE will remove ESP or customer owned meters. SCE will ship the removed meter to the owner within two business days of the meter removal.
If the customer contacts SCE to re-schedule the Turn Off, a follow up e-mail notification will be sent within one business day of the customer contacting SCE. If a MADEN is required, a second e-mail will be sent within two days to the ESP, with the re-scheduled date. If the customer contacts SCE to discontinue the Turn Off, an e-mail notification will be sent to the ESP within one business day of the customer contacting SCE. The notification will state the customer has cancelled their Turn Off order, please do not discontinue service.
ESPs should note that a customer moving from one service location to another service location is equivalent to a change in the Direct Access account. For process regarding customers moving to a new premise who wish to retain or start Direct Access immediately, please refer to the DA Operations webpage.
SCE will discontinue an ESP’s DA accounts when SCE determines that any of the following events has occurred:
- The Commission revokes the ESP’s registration;
- The ESP Service Agreement with the utility becomes discontinued, or
- The ESP or its authorized California Independent System Operator (CAISO) Scheduling Coordinator (SC) has defaulted on its obligations, such that the ESP no longer has an authorized SC.
In these instances, SCE will return all existing switched DA customers to bundled service and discontinue all pending DASRs as of the date the Scheduling Coordinator suspended coordination services for the ESP. The Meter Data Management will issue a Meter and Data Exception Notification (MADENs) to any external MDMAs for final DA pick-up reads. The end-use customer will be informed after five working days via letter of the discontinuation of their pending DASR or of the return to bundled service with SCE.
DASRs submitted by the ESP after SCE’s discontinuation has been made will be rejected. Before SCE will accept new DASRs, a letter of reinstatement must be received from the respective ESP to validate its SCE-ESP Service Agreement. SCE will also require a letter of reinstatement from the ESP’s active/certified Scheduling Coordinator stating it will be performing on the ESP’s behalf.
If an ESP elects to discontinue Direct Access services within the SCE service territory, the ESP must notify SCE. Upon notice, SCE will revert all existing switched DA customers to SCE bundled service.
Customers will be notified that Consolidated ESP Billing services will be discontinued, and will be switched to Separate SCE Billing as promptly as possible if:
- SCE finds that the information provided by the ESP in ESP Service Agreement is materially false, incomplete, or inaccurate;
- the ESP attempts to avoid payment of CPUC-authorized SCE charges;
- The ESP files for bankruptcy, fails to have a bankruptcy proceeding filed against it dismissed within sixty (60) calendar days, admits insolvency, makes a general assignment for the benefit of creditors, or is unable to pay its debts as they mature, or has a trustee or receiver appointed over all or a substantial portion of its assets.
To learn more about ESP Bankruptcy, please refer to Rule 22, section N.4.a.
Schedule CC-DSF: Customer Choice - Discretionary Service Fees schedule
Schedule DA-CRS: Direct Access Cost Responsibility Surcharge
Schedule DA-RCSC: Direct Access Revenue Cycle Service Credits
Schedule ESP-DSF: Electric Service Provider – Discretionary Service Fees
Schedule ESP-NDSF: Electric Service Provider – Non Discretionary Service Fees