§ 7-510.1

Maryland § 7-510.1

• Jurisdiction: Maryland
• Article gpu: Public Utilities
• Title: 7

Text

(a) The Commission shall educate customers about customer choice in accordance with this section.

(b) (1) The Commission shall:

(i) host and regularly update a user–friendly customer choice education section on its website that complies with standards issued under § 508 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and

(ii) prominently display a link to that section of the Commission’s website on the home page of the Commission’s website.

(2) The customer choice education section of the Commission’s website shall include:

(i) a clear and simple description of:

1. customer choice;

2. how customers can shop for an electricity supplier;

3. what kinds of competitive electricity supply options customers have, including:

A. renewable energy supply;

B. fixed and variable pricing; and

C. other common contract terms;

4. the current price of standard offer service in the service territory of each electric company; and

5. the continuing role of the electric company in delivering electricity to a customer that chooses an electricity supplier;

(ii) fact sheets that:

1. answer common questions about customer choice;

2. advise customers about the questions customers should ask when choosing an electricity supplier;

3. list the kinds of disclosures that electricity suppliers must make to customers;

4. describe common issues about contracts for electricity supply and available options; and

5. describe consumer rights and protections that are available and the means of making use of them;

(iii) a list of all electricity suppliers that have open offers to supply electricity in a customer’s service area, searchable by service territory or jurisdiction;

(iv) a statement indicating that customers who have entered into a contract with a competitive electricity supplier for electricity supply should be aware of the ending date of the contract so that they may determine, before being placed into a renewal contract with the current electricity supplier, whether they would like to:

1. shop for an alternative electricity supplier;

2. renew with the current electricity supplier; or

3. return to the standard offer service which may be offered at a price that is less than the renewal price offered by the current electricity supplier; and

(v) a link to the customer choice shopping websites established under § 7–510.2 of this subtitle and § 7–604.1 of this title.

(3) To the extent practicable, the list of electricity suppliers required under paragraph (2)(iii) of this subsection shall include:

(i) the terms of any open offers to supply electricity, including:

1. the duration of the contract;

2. the cost of electricity per kilowatt–hour; and

3. any cancellation fees; and

(ii) a link to the website of each electricity supplier with an open offer to supply electricity.

(c) (1) To ensure the currency and accuracy of information required under subsection (b)(2)(iii) of this section, the Commission shall maintain a secure portal on its website to receive information about offers to supply electricity from electricity suppliers.

(2) Each electricity supplier that is actively seeking residential customers in a service territory in the State shall maintain at least one open offer to supply electricity to residential customers on the Commission’s website at all times.

(3) At least once each month, each electricity supplier with an open offer to supply electricity shall submit detailed information about the offer to the Commission through a secure portal maintained by the Commission on the Commission’s website for this purpose.

(d) The Commission shall work with media outlets in the State to develop and air public service announcements publicizing customer choice and directing customers to the Commission’s website for additional information.

(e) The Commission shall recover the cost of complying with this section in accordance with § 2–110 of this article.