CREDIT LOSSES

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Credit Loss [Abstract]

CREDIT LOSSES

CREDIT LOSSES

The table below shows our gross third-party receivable balances and related allowance for credit losses.

(in millions)	December 31, 2021			December 31, 2020
Accounts receivable and unbilled revenues	$	237.7		$	209.1
Allowance for credit losses	11.1			18.3
Accounts receivable and unbilled revenues, net (1)	$	226.6		$	190.8
Total accounts receivable, net – past due greater than 90 days (1)	$	8.0		$	12.6
Past due greater than 90 days – collection risk mitigated by regulatory mechanisms (1)	97.3		%	94.4		%

(1)    Our exposure to credit losses for certain regulated utility customers is mitigated by a regulatory mechanism we have in place. Specifically, our residential tariffs include a mechanism for cost recovery or refund of uncollectible expense based on the difference between actual uncollectible write-offs and the amounts recovered in rates. As a result, at December 31, 2021, $97.7 million, or 43.1%, of our net accounts receivable and unbilled revenues balance had regulatory protections in place to mitigate the exposure to credit losses. In addition, we have received specific orders related to the deferral of certain costs (including credit losses) incurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The additional protections related to our accounts receivable and unbilled revenue balances provided by these orders are subject to prudency reviews and are still being assessed. They are not reflected in the percentage in the above table or this note. See Note 23, Regulatory Environment, for more information on these orders.

A rollforward of the allowance for credit losses for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, is included below:

	Year Ended December 31
(in millions)	2021		2020
Balance at December 31	$	18.3	$	4.2
Provision for credit losses	6.2		8.2
Provision for credit losses deferred for future recovery or refund	(7.0)		9.7
Write-offs charged against the allowance	(10.0)		(8.1)
Recoveries of amounts previously written off	3.6		4.3
Balance at December 31	$	11.1	$	18.3

The allowance for credit losses decreased at December 31, 2021, compared to December 31, 2020, primarily related to normal collection practices resuming in April 2021. Higher year-over-year natural gas prices drove an increase in gross accounts receivable balances, partially offsetting the decrease in the allowance for credit losses attributed to collection efforts. See Note 23, Regulatory Environment, for more information.

The increase in the allowance for credit losses at December 31, 2020, compared to December 31, 2019, was driven by higher past due accounts receivable balances, primarily related to our residential customers. This increase in accounts receivable balances in

arrears was driven by economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, including higher unemployment rates. Also, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and related regulatory orders we received, we were unable to disconnect any of our customers during the year ended December 31, 2020.