Md. Code Regs. 20.53.04.02

Current through Register Vol. 51, No. 26, December 27, 2024

Section 20.53.04.02 - Supplier Enrollment and Drops

A. A supplier may enroll or drop a customer by sending the appropriate electronic enrollment or drop transaction to the utility.

B. Effective Dates. A utility shall process an electronic enrollment or drop from a supplier to be effective within 3 business days after receipt of the electronic transaction.

C. The utility shall drop a customer from its current supplier when another supplier enrolls the customer.

D. A utility shall assign a customer who has been dropped by a supplier and not enrolled by another supplier to SOS.

E. A utility may not be required to process more than two enrollments and two drops per customer per bill cycle.

F. A supplier may not require that a customer provide it with advance notice, written or otherwise, before the customer switches to another supplier or to SOS.

G. A utility shall reject a customer's enrollment into supplier-consolidated billing if, at the time of switch, the customer:

(1) Has a regulated electric utility arrearage older than 30 days;

(2) Is on a payment arrangement plan with the utility; or

(3) Has applied for or is receiving funds from the Office of Home Energy Programs, including but not limited to, payments authorized as part of the Electric Universal Service Program or Maryland Energy Assistance Program or enrolled into the Utility Service Protection Program.

H. Beginning July 1, 2023, a utility shall reject a customer's enrollment with a supplier if, at the time of the enrollment:

(1) The customer is an energy assistance household; and

(2) The supplier does not have a Commission-approved contract for energy assistance households.

I. The supplier shall inform the customer within 2 weeks if a customer's enrollment is rejected for the reasons specified in §G or H of this regulation.

J. Customer Who Starts to Receive Energy Assistance While on Supplier-Consolidated Billing.

(1) The utility shall provide a supplier 3 business days notice if a supplier's customer on supplier-consolidated billing receives a Maryland Energy Assistance Program or Electric Universal Service Program grant.

(2) The utility shall drop a customer from supplier-consolidated billing to SOS after sending the supplier notice under this regulation if the supplier continues to provide the customer supplier-consolidated billing service after 3 business days.

(3) A supplier may change a customer's billing method adhering to COMAR 20.53.05.08 within 3 business days of receipt of the utility notice provided in §I(1) of this regulation, provided that the supplier issues the notices required by COMAR 20.53.05.08B after the change in billing method.

K. For Contracts Signed on or After July 1, 2023 with a Customer Who Starts to Receive Energy Assistance While Receiving Service from an Electric Supplier.

(1) When a utility determines that a supplier's existing customer is newly identified as an energy assistance household, the utility shall within 3 business days provide the supplier notice of that determination.

(2) Upon receipt of the notice required under §K(1) of this regulation, the retail supplier shall, within 5 business days:

(a) Terminate the contract and return the customer to SOS;

(b) If provided for under the existing contract, begin providing service under a Commission-approved contract for low-income customers; or

(c) Obtain the customer's consent to receive service under a Commission-approved contract for low-income customers.

(3) The supplier shall charge the customer the supplier's current contract rate or SOS rate, whichever is lower, for the time between the supplier's receipt of the notice in §K(1) of this regulation and the date the customer either is dropped to SOS or begins receiving service under a contract for energy assistance households.

Md. Code Regs. 20.53.04.02

Regulations .02, Transfers of Service adopted effective June 20, 2008 (35:11 Md. R. 1043); amended effective 43:5 Md. R. 386, eff.3/14/2016; amended effective 49:5 Md. R.367, eff. 3/7/2022; amended effective 50:13 Md. R. 513, eff. 7/10/2023