Rule 4901:1-10-12 | Provision of customer rights and obligations.
Each electric utility shall provide to new customers, upon application for service, and existing customers upon request, a written summary of their rights and obligations under this chapter. This written summary shall also be prominently posted on the electric utility's website. For purposes of this rule "new customer" means a customer who opens a new account and has not received the latest version of the customer rights summary. The summary shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(A) The electric utility and commission procedures for complaints, which shall include:
(1) How complaints are made to the electric utility, including a local or toll free number, an address and a website, if applicable.
(2) A statement that:
"If your complaint is not resolved after you have called (your electric utility), or for general utility information, residential and business customers may contact the public utilities commission of Ohio (PUCO) for assistance at 1-800-686-7826 (toll free) from eight a.m. to five p.m. weekdays, or at http://www.puco.ohio.gov. Hearing or speech impaired customers may contact the PUCO via 7-1-1 (Ohio relay service)."
"The Ohio consumers' counsel (OCC) represents residential utility customers in matters before the PUCO. The OCC can be contacted at 1-877-742-5622 (toll free) from eight a.m. to five p.m. weekdays, or at http://www.pickocc.org."
(B) Customer rights and responsibilities, which shall include:
(1) A list of customer rights and obligations relating to installation of service, payment of bills, disconnection and reconnection of service, and meter testing.
(2) Information detailing the customer's responsibility to notify the electric utility of material changes in the customer's equipment or usage within the time reasonably necessary to permit the electric utility to provide necessary facilities and acquire additional power supply, if needed.
(3) A description of the following customer rights:
(a) The circumstances under which the electric utility may demand and/or hold security deposits.
(b) The circumstances under which customers may obtain deferred payment plans and low-income assistance plans, and information concerning those plans.
(4) The toll-free telephone number(s) for the "one-call" or "call-before-you-dig" protection service(s) to locate underground utility facilities.
(5) An explanation of what each applicant must do to receive service from that electric utility.
(6) Information explaining when a customer will be charged for the cost of modifying service, installing a meter, and/or providing facilities necessary to serve that customer.
(C) A statement notifying customers that, when electric utility employee(s) or agent(s) seek access to the customer's and/or landlord's premises, the customer or landlord may request the employee/agent to show photo identification and to state the reason for the visit.
(D) A statement concerning the availability of rate information, which shall include:
(1) A statement that the electric utility's rates and tariffs are available for review on the electric utility's website, and on the commission's website, or the customer can request a copy be sent to them.
(2) A statement that, upon inquiry, the electric utility will inform customers about alternative rates and service options and how to obtain details about the programs.
(E) A statement that customers may review a copy of the electric service and safety standards on the commission's website or obtain a copy from the commission upon request.
(F) Information on privacy rights.
(G) A statement that customers have the right to obtain, from their electric utility, a list of available CRES providers, that are actively seeking residential customers in its service territory and their phone numbers.
(H) A statement that customers returning to the electric utility's standard offer service due to default, abandonment, slamming, or certification rescission of a CRES provider will not be liable for any costs associated with the switch.
(I) Information concerning notice of a change in the customer's supplier of electric service.
(1) A statement that, if a change in a residential or small commercial customer's electric services company is initiated, the electric utility is required to send the customer a notice confirming the change.
(2) A statement that the customer has a right to cancel any change in its supplier of electric service within seven calendar days after the notice has been sent by calling the electric utility at the telephone number on the notice.
(J) Information explaining the procedures customers must follow if they believe their generation and/or transmission service has been switched without their consent.
(K) Information concerning actual meter readings.
(1) A statement that the electric utility is required to obtain an actual meter reading when the customer initiates or terminates electric service with the electric utility, if the meter has not been read within the preceding sixty days.
(2) A statement that, if the meter has not been read within the preceding thirty-three to fifty-nine days, the electric utility is required to inform the customer, when the customer contacts the electric utility to initiate or terminate service, of the option to have an actual meter read, at no charge.
(3) A statement that the customer may request two actual meter reads per calendar year, at no charge, if the customer's usage has been estimated for more than two of the consecutively preceding billing cycles or if the customer has reasonable grounds to believe that the meter is malfunctioning.
(L) A statement that customers have the right to obtain the approximate generation resource mix and environmental characteristics in accordance with rule 4901:1-10-31 of the Administrative Code. The statement shall include a notification that customers shall be provided a link to the EDU's website or the commission's environmental disclosure information for consumers' website containing the information, or at the request of the customer, a hardcopy of the data at no cost to the customer.
Last updated April 8, 2024 at 8:31 AM
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