FAQs for Survey Form EIA-826

Used in conjunction with the form instructions, this FAQ should serve to answer more specific questions about the EIA-826 form. If you still have questions once reviewing the instructions and FAQ, please contact a staff member at EIA-826@eia.gov for more information.

Accessing the survey online

I forgot my username and password, how can I get it?

If you are the registered Preparer and have forgotten your User ID, go to the EIA SSO Login screen (https://signon.eia.doe.gov/ssoserver/login) and click the 'Forgot your Userid?' link at the bottom. From there you can enter your last name and email address, and then it will be emailed to you. If it doesn't work, either you're not the registered Preparer, or the email address we have on file for you is different. In that case, contact a staff member for help.

If you have your User ID but forgot your password, go to the login screen and enter your User ID, then click the 'Forgot your password?' link. You will then see your previously established security question to answer in able to reset your password. Survey staff is unable to see or retrieve your password.

I can't gain access to the form, got any tips?

Start by trying the following suggestions. If these don't work, more software tips are below.

• Most of the time log-in problems are because the incorrect User ID is being entered. Try the 'Forgot your Userid' link and see if you're using what we have on record.
• Make sure that you're using Google Chrome or Internet Explorer as your web browser; sometimes our system doesn't work with Firefox or Opera.
• If you need to download the latest version of Java Client software. To determine if you need an updated version of Java, follow that link and then click the "Do I have Java?" link. Once your version is detected, you'll be able to see if you need an update.
• You can also check the Java help index.
• If you have a pop-up blocker activated, turn it off.
• Try logging in on another computer; some people find better results with this even though they have the same computer that worked last year.

When trying to log-in to the EIA SSO website, what do I do if I receive one of the following errors:

• User gets blank web page (IE)
• "Your connection to the server was interrupted" before the log-in screen
• "An Add-on for this website failed to run. Check the security settings in the Internet Option for potential conflicts"
• "Java add-on required to display some elements of this page"

If you're getting any of these errors, you need to install the latest version of Java. This requires admin privileges on your PC. You may need to uninstall an older version of Java before installing the new version.

How do I determine if I have Java, and which version?

Start Button → Settings → Control Panel → Java → About

How do I see if I have ADMIN rights to install Java?

Start Button → Settings → Control Panel → User Accounts

How do I remove an older version of Java?

Start Button → Settings → Control Panel → Add or Remove Programs

What if I need to have an old version of Java for other purposes?

Start Button → Settings → Control Panel → Java icon → Java tab → View → Check 'Enabled' box for all required versions → Click OK to complete

I have the correct version of Java and I'm still getting a blank screen.

This is most likely a firewall issue. Confirm that ports 80 and 443 are open at firewall. Contact your IT Staff and ask them to allow connection to the EIA site.

I have the correct version of Java and I'm getting the message, "On Oracle.Forms.Engine.Main Error" or "No suitable plugins were found."

This may be a Proxy Server issue. If you are accessing the internet through a Proxy Server, contact your IT staff. What may be happening is that the proxy server is not handling the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) session fully. It may only be changing the address in the network part of the packet, then passing the data packet (with the embedded IP address unchanged) along. If this is true then the following information may provide a solution:

• Have your IT staff assign a fixed address to these respondents and then do not NAT this address at the firewall. Even though they are running DHCP it is still possible to always give a particular address to a user or Web server, etc.
• Another solution, though not as easily implemented, is to establish the SSL session with the proxy server and then have the proxy server establish a session with us. They would need to move the certificates that are on the client's machine to the proxy server.

I am unable to print the form, what do I do?

Thereport server may be down for maintenance. Wait a few minutes and retry. Also, be certain you have Acrobat Reader 7 or better installed on your PC. If it still won't print, most often the problem is because of a pop-up blocker. To temporarily override this, hold down the Control (CTRL) button on your keyboard while pressing the Print button on the screen. Be sure to hold down the CTRL button for about 5 seconds after you press print. If this does not work, send an email to survey staff requesting a PDF copy of your form. Make sure to reference the legal entity name, and/or utility ID number as found on schedule 1 of the survey.

Schedule 1

The person filling out the form has changed this year. Can they just use the old username and password?

For security purposes, we require that whenever there is a change with the person who prepares the form, the new contact must register with EIA's "Single Sign-On" system and create their own username and password. In this case, send an email requesting assistance to survey staff with "New Preparer" in the subject line. Make sure to provide the new Preparer's full contact profile including full name, email address, phone number, job title, work address, and fax number (if applicable). Once added, we will send the new Preparer instructions on how to register for EIA's data collection system.

Some of my contact information has changed. How do I update that?

If there is a change with an existing contact person's information, such as telephone, last name, title, etc., send an email to survey staff with the updates. Please reference the entity name and/or utility ID number so we may locate your contact information in the system.

Why do you need my supervisor's contact information? What if I don't have a supervisor?

We need a secondary contact person in case we have questions and the primary contact person is unavailable. A supervisory contact is preferred, but if there is no supervisor, please provide information for someone else we can refer to with questions in the event we cannot reach the primary contact person.

What are ownership codes and what do they mean?

Ownership codes are related to a category of respondent, and are used to analyze the data.

A= Municipal Marketing Authority: Voted into existence by the residents of a municipality and given authority for creation by the state government. They are supported by the taxes or other contributions of the persons directly served by that organization. They are nonprofit organization.
C= Cooperative: Member owned organizations.
D= Non-Utility DSM Administrator: Only involved with Demand-Side Management activities.
F= Federal: Government
I= IOU: Investor owned Utilities are entities that are privately owned and provide a public service.
M= Municipal: Entities that are organized under authority of state statue to provide a public service to residents of that area.
P= Political Subdivision: Also called "public utility district." Independent of city or county government, and is a form of a local tax-supported organization, voted into existence by a majority of the residents of any given area for the specific purpose of providing the utility service to the voters. State laws provide for the formation of such districts.
R= Retail Power Marketer: Entities that market power to retail customers in restructured markets.
S= State: Entities that own or operate facilities or provide a public service.
T= Transmission: Entities that own transmission capabilities.
W= Wholesale Power Marketer: Entities that buy and sell power in the wholesale market
Q= IPP: Independent Power Producer or Qualifying Facility, these are entities that own power plants and sell their power into the wholesale market.

Schedule 2

How do I add an additional state?

Click within the state box and then click the 'Insert Record' button at the top.

How do I split up the customer classes?

You may view examples of each customer class on the sector chart from the survey instructions. EIA classifies customers based on their business type (NAIC classification), as opposed to amount of load.

For apartment buildings, do I count each resident as one Residential customer or the whole apartment building as one Commercial customer?

It depends on who gets billed. If each resident receives their own bill, they each get counted as a Residential customer. If the apartment building is billed one cumulative invoice, then report that as one Commercial customer.

When reporting Transportation customers, for example a metro system, do I count each station as a customer?

No – The system as a whole should be counted as one customer. Each different type of transportation system counts as one, so therefore most utilities do not have more than a few transportation customers.

How do I report the number of customers?

Use the month's end customer count.

What does it mean to report the Revenue in "thousand dollars to the nearest 0.1?"

Revenue should be reported in thousand dollar increments, allowing for one decimal place. For example, if the total Revenue is $100,580.00 then it should be reported as 100.6 on the form.

Schedule 3B

Do we report Net Metering customers with whom we have only a Power Purchase Agreement?

No. For the purposes of this survey, Net Metering is defined as installations that are primarily used to offset a customer's own energy needs, and only selling electricity back to the utility (typically at retail rates) if the net metering application produces more electricity than the customer needs for their own use. Net metering customers are usually provided a "credit" that can be used to offset usage at another time period.

Do we only report Net Metering customers who put electricity back on the grid?

No. All customers having a net metering application should be reported, whether or not they produce enough electricity to sell back to the utility.

How do we figure out the installed net metering capacity?

The 'installed net metering capacity' is the sum of capacities of all customers within the specified group. For example, if you have 5 Residential Photovoltaic customers who each have an installed capacity of 0.01 MW (10 kW), then the Residential Photovoltaic installed net metering capacity should be reported as 0.05 MW (50 kW). Remember to report in MW, up to 3 decimal places. The installed capacity should be detailed in each customer's interconnection agreement, and should be reported as AC capable. Capacities should not exceed limits set up by each state, which can be found on the Database of State Incentive for Renewable and Efficiency's website.

What if the Installed Net Metering Capacity is too small to enter in MW, even with 3 decimal places?

In that case, enter the smallest amount possible (0.001 MW) and then add a footnote with the actual amount.

What do you mean by "electric energy sold back to the utility?"

If a customer's net metering installation produces more electricity than they require for their own energy needs, the excess may be sold back to the utility, or a credit provided based on their contract. The excess electricity should be entered as MWh. Often there will be no energy sold back, and in that case either enter '0' or leave this line item blank on the survey. This data point is only required to be reported if available.

If a single customer has both photovoltaic and wind technologies, should this be considered as two customers?

Yes. The two generating types would be counted as two customers, reported as one for each installed technology on the survey.

What renewable technologies, other than Photovoltaic and Wind, can be eligible for net metering?

'Other' can include Solar Thermal Electric, Combined Heat and Power (CHP), Landfill Gas, Biomass, Geothermal Electric, Fuel Cells, Municipal Solid Waste, Biogas, Small Hydroelectric, Tidal Energy, Wave Energy, and Ocean Thermal, but should be based on the state program eligibility.

Schedule 3C

Do we report all installed meters, or the number of installed meters that were active?

Only enter the number of meters of each type which were active as such during the reporting month. You may notate the actual total, including inactive installed meters, in the footnotes section.

We don't have advanced metering. Do we have to enter data on this schedule?

Yes. A new question, starting with May 2014 data collection, is the number of "non AMR/AMI meters" which refers to standard electric meters. All customers will have one of these three types of meters.

What is the difference between each type of meter?

Standard meters, or Glass meters, are the old meter technology which requires readings to be taken manually by electric company personnel, having to go to the consumer's property and walk up to the physical meter itself to view the meter and note readings.

AMR (Automated Meter Reading) meters transmit usage information one way, from the customer to the utility. Meter readings can be taken remotely, by means such as hand-held readers, drive-by vans, and network communication.

AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure) meters transmit data two ways, between the customer and utility. Usage data is recorded by the meter at least once hourly and is transmitted to the utility at least once daily. In addition, data may be made available to the customers via a number of different services (i.e. website) and at different time intervals.

If AMI meters are installed but the data is not provided to the customer daily, do we count them as AMR?

As long as the meters record the data at least hourly, and transmit it to the utility at least daily, they count as AMI. Additionally, the data must be made available to customers at reasonable intervals, or be readily accessible to customers, such as via a website.

I don't know the Energy Served Through AMI. Can I leave that line blank?

If you list AMI meters, you must also list the energy served through AMI. If you don't know the precise amount, please use your best estimate.

Error log

I believe the data I've entered is correct, but I'm still getting error messages.

The most common mistake is entering data in the wrong units. The unit of energy you should use is the MW (Megawatt) and MWh (Megawatthour). You should convert to this unit instead of entering data using the kW (kilowatt) or kWh (kilowatt hour). 1 MWh = 1,000 kWh. To convert from kW to MW, divide by 1,000. You can find power conversion calculators on the internet, such as RapidTables.com - power unit conversion calculator.

Revenue should be reported in thousands of dollars. For example, if the total Revenue is $175,841.00 then it should be reported as 175.8 on the form.

You should always have a copy of the previous month's form handy, which will aid in comparing month over month data.

What do I put for an override comment?

Your comments should explain WHY the data differs in the manner outlined in each error message. Many times there is a reasonable explanation for why data is outside of the set criteria, and as long as it is detailed thoroughly there likely will be no further questions. "Data is correct" is not an acceptable answer and you will be contacted for further explanation.

What if there were errors with the previous month's data?

If this is the case, please notate corrections for that month in your override comments or footnotes to avoid further questioning.