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Ohio Laws and Rules
(A) Each electric utility shall coordinate with CRES providers to promote nondiscriminatory access to electric services, to ensure timely enrollment with CRES providers to maintain a customer's electric service, and to timely and correctly switch the customer's electric service between CRES providers.
(B) Each electric utility shall adopt a supplier tariff containing standardized requirements to the extent such standardization is feasible. At a minimum, such tariff shall include requirements for imbalances, load profiles, scheduling, billing (between the electric utility and CRES provider), customer billing (options, collection, and application of customer payments), metering, retail settlements, scheduling coordinators, losses, customer information (procedures for disclosing load profile, account information, and payment history), dispute resolution processes (between the electric utility and CRES provider), standard operating rules, performance incentives and standards, creditworthiness and default security, supplier agreement, electronic data interchange protocols, CRES provider enrollment with the electric utility, service termination and disconnection (of end-user customer), certified CRES provider lists, return to standard offer, customer enrollment and switching, supplier training, and supplier proof of certification.
(C) An electric utility shall execute with each CRES provider a supplier agreement to operate under the terms of the supplier tariff. At minimum, the supplier agreement shall include representations and warranties, indemnification, limitations on liability, default (breach), remedies, force majeure, form/format of scheduling coordinators, commencement, and term.
(D) The electric utility and CRES provider shall execute a standardized trading partner agreement, as required by the standard electronic transmission protocols.
(E) Pre-enrollment. Electric utilities shall make eligible-customer lists available to certified CRES providers in spreadsheet, word processing, or an electronic non-image-based format, with formula intact, compatible with personal computers. Such lists shall be updated quarterly. The eligible customer list shall, at a minimum, contain customer name, service and mailing address, rate schedule (class and sub-class), applicable riders, load profile reference category, meter type, interval meter data indicator, budget bill indicator, meter read date or schedule, and historical consumption data (actual energy usage plus any applicable demand) for each of the most recent twelve months.
(F) Customer enrollment.
(1) Within two business days after confirming the validated electronic data file for a CRES provider's customer enrollment request, the electric utility shall mail the customer a competitively neutral confirmation notice stating:
(a) That the electric utility has received a request to enroll the customer for competitive electric service with the named CRES provider.
(b) The date such service is expected to begin.
(c) That residential and small commercial customers have seven days from the postmark date on the notice to contact the electric utility to rescind the enrollment request or notify the electric utility that the change of service provider was not requested by the customer.
(d) The electric utility's toll-free telephone number.
(2) Such notice shall not be used as an opportunity for the electric utility to convince customers to remain on or return to the electric utility's standard offer service.
(3) Each electric utility shall have a twenty-four hour per day capability for accepting CRES residential and small commercial customer enrollment rescission by telephone.
(4) When a residential or small commercial customer calls the electric utility to rescind enrollment with a CRES provider, the electric utility shall provide the customer a unique cancellation number.
(5) Within two business days after receiving a customer's request to rescind enrollment with a CRES provider, the electric utility shall initiate such rescission and mail the customer confirmation that such action has been taken.
(G) Customer billing.
(1) Electric utilities shall make consolidated billing available to CRES providers and shall not take any actions to inhibit or prohibit dual billing by CRES providers.
(2) Consolidated billing shall include budget billing as a customer-elected option.
(H) Customers returning to standard offer.
(1) Any customer returning to the standard offer due to a CRES provider's default, abandonment, slamming, certification rescission of a CRES provider, or the end of their contract term with a CRES provider, will not be liable for any costs or penalties associated with the customer's return to the standard offer.
(2) Within two business days after confirming the validated electronic data file for a CRES provider's customer-drop request, the electric utility shall mail the customer a notice stating:
(a) That the electric utility has received a request to drop the customer from competitive electric service with the named CRES provider.
(b) The deadline date for the electric utility to receive a CRES provider's request to enroll the customer.
(c) That the electric utility is available to address any questions the customer may have.
(d) The electric utility's local and toll-free telephone number.
(I) Percentage of income payment plan (PIPP) customers will be coordinated exclusively by the Ohio department of development pursuant to section 4928.54 of the Revised Code.
(1) Electric utilities shall not switch PIPP and arrearage crediting program customers to CRES providers.
(2) Customers pending enrollment with a CRES provider who subsequently become approved for PIPP or the electric utility's arrearage crediting program shall not be switched to the CRES provider.
(3) Electric utility customers who have switched to a CRES provider and subsequently become approved for the electric utility's arrearage crediting program shall be transferred to the electric utility's standard offer service at the next regularly scheduled meter read date after the electric utility enrolls the customer in the program.
(4) Until the Ohio department of development has in place a mechanism for the administration and operation of the low-income customer assistance programs, customers who have switched to a CRES provider and subsequently become approved for PIPP shall be dropped by the electric utility to standard offer service at the next regularly scheduled meter read date after the electric utility receives notice of the customer's participation in PIPP. The electric utility shall notify the affected CRES provider within ten business days of the customer's transfer to a new electric service provider to participate in PIPP. Any switching fees shall be added to the customer's arrearages, not current charges.
(5) When the host electric utility is not purchasing the receivables of the affected CRES provider, the electric utility shall submit to Ohio department of development, on behalf of the affected CRES provider(s), the pre-PIPP arrearages of customers transferred to the PIPP program.
(6) The host electric utility shall transfer the pre-PIPP arrearages received from the Ohio department of development, on behalf of the affected CRES provider, to the appropriate CRES provider within ten business days after receipt from the Ohio department of development.
Effective: 06/29/2009
R.C.
119.032 review dates: 11/26/2008
and 09/30/2012
Promulgated Under:
111.15
Statutory
Authority:
4928.06,
4928.11,
4928.53
Rule
Amplifies:
4928.10,
4928.11,
4928.54
Prior
Effective Dates: 9/18/00, 1/1/04
(A) Each electric utility shall
coordinate with CRES providers to promote nondiscriminatory access to electric
services, to ensure timely enrollment with CRES providers to maintain a
customer's electric service, and to timely and correctly switch the customer's
electric service between CRES providers.
(B) Each electric utility
shall adopt a supplier tariff containing standardized requirements to the
extent such standardization is feasible. At a minimum, such tariff shall
include requirements for imbalances, load profiles, scheduling, billing
(between the electric utility and CRES provider), customer billing (options,
collection, and application of customer payments), metering, retail
settlements, scheduling coordinators, losses, customer information (procedures
for disclosing load profile, account information, and payment history), dispute
resolution processes (between the electric utility and CRES provider), standard
operating rules, performance incentives and standards, creditworthiness and
default security, supplier agreement, electronic data interchange protocols,
CRES provider enrollment with the electric utility, service termination and
disconnection (of end-user customer), certified CRES provider lists, return to
standard offer, customer enrollment and switching, supplier training, and
supplier proof of certification.
(C) An electric utility shall
execute with each CRES provider a supplier agreement to operate under the terms
of the supplier tariff. At minimum, the supplier agreement shall include
representations and warranties, indemnification, limitations on liability,
default (breach), remedies, force majeure, form/format of scheduling
coordinators, commencement, and term.
(D) The electric utility and
CRES provider shall execute a standardized trading partner agreement, as
required by the standard electronic transmission protocols.
(E)
Pre-enrollment. Electric utilities shall make eligible-customer lists available
to certified CRES providers in spreadsheet, word processing, or an electronic
non-image-based format, with formula intact, compatible with personal
computers. Such lists shall be updated quarterly. The eligible customer list
shall, at a minimum, contain customer name, service and mailing address, rate
schedule (class and sub-class), applicable riders, load profile reference
category, meter type, interval meter data indicator, budget bill indicator,
meter read date or schedule, and historical consumption data (actual energy
usage plus any applicable demand) for each of the most recent twelve months.
(F) Customer enrollment.
(1) Within two business days
after confirming the validated electronic data file for a CRES provider's
customer enrollment request, the electric utility shall mail the customer a
competitively neutral confirmation notice stating:
(a) That the
electric utility has received a request to enroll the customer for competitive
electric service with the named CRES provider.
(b) The date such
service is expected to begin.
(c) That residential and small
commercial customers have seven days from the postmark date on the notice to
contact the electric utility to rescind the enrollment request or notify the
electric utility that the change of service provider was not requested by the
customer.
(d) The electric utility's toll-free telephone number.
(2) Such notice shall not be used as an opportunity for the
electric utility to convince customers to remain on or return to the electric
utility's standard offer service.
(3) Each electric utility shall
have a twenty-four hour per day capability for accepting CRES residential and
small commercial customer enrollment rescission by telephone.
(4)
When a residential or small commercial customer calls the electric utility to
rescind enrollment with a CRES provider, the electric utility shall provide the
customer a unique cancellation number.
(5) Within two business days
after receiving a customer's request to rescind enrollment with a CRES
provider, the electric utility shall initiate such rescission and mail the
customer confirmation that such action has been taken.
(G) Customer
billing.
(1) Electric utilities shall make consolidated billing
available to CRES providers and shall not take any actions to inhibit or
prohibit dual billing by CRES providers.
(2) Consolidated billing
shall include budget billing as a customer-elected option.
(H)
Customers returning to standard offer.
(1) Any customer returning
to the standard offer due to a CRES provider's default, abandonment, slamming,
certification rescission of a CRES provider, or the end of their contract term
with a CRES provider, will not be liable for any costs or penalties associated
with the customer's return to the standard offer.
(2) Within two
business days after confirming the validated electronic data file for a CRES
provider's customer-drop request, the electric utility shall mail the customer
a notice stating:
(a) That the electric utility has received a
request to drop the customer from competitive electric service with the named
CRES provider.
(b) The deadline date for the electric utility to
receive a CRES provider's request to enroll the customer.
(c) That
the electric utility is available to address any questions the customer may
have.
(d) The electric utility's local and toll-free telephone
number.
(I) Percentage of income payment plan (PIPP) customers will
be coordinated exclusively by the Ohio department of development pursuant to
section 4928.54 of the Revised Code.
(1) Electric utilities shall not switch PIPP and arrearage
crediting program customers to CRES providers.
(2) Customers
pending enrollment with a CRES provider who subsequently become approved for
PIPP or the electric utility's arrearage crediting program shall not be
switched to the CRES provider.
(3) Electric utility customers who
have switched to a CRES provider and subsequently become approved for the
electric utility's arrearage crediting program shall be transferred to the
electric utility's standard offer service at the next regularly scheduled meter
read date after the electric utility enrolls the customer in the program.
(4) Until the Ohio department of development has in place a
mechanism for the administration and operation of the low-income customer
assistance programs, customers who have switched to a CRES provider and
subsequently become approved for PIPP shall be dropped by the electric utility
to standard offer service at the next regularly scheduled meter read date after
the electric utility receives notice of the customer's participation in PIPP.
The electric utility shall notify the affected CRES provider within ten
business days of the customer's transfer to a new electric service provider to
participate in PIPP. Any switching fees shall be added to the customer's
arrearages, not current charges.
(5) When the host electric utility
is not purchasing the receivables of the affected CRES provider, the electric
utility shall submit to Ohio department of development, on behalf of the
affected CRES provider(s), the pre-PIPP arrearages of customers transferred to
the PIPP program.
(6) The host electric utility shall transfer the
pre-PIPP arrearages received from the Ohio department of development, on behalf
of the affected CRES provider, to the appropriate CRES provider within ten
business days after receipt from the Ohio department of development.
Effective: 06/29/2009
R.C.
119.032 review dates: 11/26/2008
and 09/30/2012
Promulgated Under:
111.15
Statutory
Authority:
4928.06,
4928.11,
4928.53
Rule
Amplifies:
4928.10,
4928.11,
4928.54
Prior
Effective Dates: 9/18/00, 1/1/04