Revised Data Collection Templates and Common Set of Metrics and Method(s) for Establishing Performance Benchmarks

February 2021 – With support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Europe and Eurasia, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) has developed a new publication titled "Revised Data Collection Templates and Common Set of Metrics and Method(s) for Establishing Performance Benchmarks."

Quality of service (QoS) monitoring in the electricity sector is a key element of regulatory supervision as it is directly linked to the regulatory authorities’ core mandate of ensuring that customers receive safe and reliable electric service at just and reasonable rates/tariffs. QoS monitoring and respective indicators/metrics encompass three broad areas:

Continuity of supply (CoS) - concerning interruptions in electricity supply
Voltage quality (VQ) - concerning a wide range of voltage disturbances and deviations in voltage magnitude or waveform from the optimum values
Commercial quality (CQ) - concerning transactions between electricity companies and customers

This publication serves as a deliverable where data collection templates, a common set of metrics/indicators, and methods for establishing performance benchmarks are presented under a unified common QoS framework. By migrating towards this framework, the expected outcome in the medium term is for all regulators to have a common basis for QoS treatment that enhances transparency and ultimately improves service for consumers, the practices of the distribution system operators, and monitoring by regulators.

You can access the primer here.

A Russian translation is also available here.