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PUC Adopts Regs. Increasing Consumer Protections, Price Transparency In Competitive Electric Market

On February 27, the Public Utility Commission approved a final rulemaking intended to increase consumer protections and ensure greater price transparency in the competitive retail electricity market.

The Commission voted 5-0 to adopt final regulations to Chapter 54 of the Public Utility Code regarding customer information, including electric generation supplier (EGS) disclosure statements for residential and small business customers.

The revised rules, drafted by the PUC’s Office of Competitive Market Oversight, are intended to provide customers with accurate, timely pricing information when they are shopping for electric service from EGSs.

The rulemaking revises several rules regarding electricity generation customer choice, including:

-- A ban on early termination fees during the final month of an expiring contract. This will allow residential and small commercial customers the freedom to shop for a new supplier during the final month of their contract with their current supplier without fear of incurring early termination fees.

-- Requirements that EGSs display their prices in a format that allows for easier price comparisons.

-- Requirements that any introductory price be clearly identified and explained to the customer and disclose both the introductory price and the price after the introductory period expires.

-- Requirements to provide more information about variable prices and time-of-use products.

-- Use of common, consistent terminology by EGSs in their customer communications, including marketing, billing and disclosure statements.

-- Simplifying the format of customer contract summaries that customers receive with their full EGS disclosure statement.

Click Here for a copy of the final regulation.

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