Section 25.475 - General Retail Electric Provider Requirements and Information Disclosures to Residential and Small Commercial Customers(a) Applicability. The requirements of this section apply to retail electric providers (REPs) in connection with the provision of service and marketing to residential and small commercial customers. When specifically stated, the requirements of this section apply to brokers, aggregators, and transmission and distribution utilities (TDUs). The requirements for an additional notice to residential customers of contract expiration is effective for contracts entered into on or after September 1, 2021. REPs must comply with the requirements set forth in §25.475(e)(2)(B)(ii), (e)(2)(C)(iii), (v), (vi), (vii), (h)(4), (h)(6)(C), and the requirements set forth under §25.475(e)(1) for contracts entered into with small commercial customers by April 1, 2022. Contracts entered into prior to the effective date of these provisions must comply with the provisions of this section in effect at the time the contracts were executed.(b) Definitions. The definitions set forth in §25.5 (relating to Definitions) and §RSA 25.471<subdiv>(d)</subdiv> (relating to General Provisions of Customer Protection Rules) of this title apply to this section. In addition, the following words and terms, when used in this section have the following meanings, unless the context indicates otherwise. (1) Contract--The terms of service document, the Electricity Facts Label (EFL), Your Rights as a Customer document (YRAC), and the documentation of enrollment pursuant to § RSA 25.474 of this title (relating to Selection of Retail Electric Provider), and, if applicable, Prepaid Disclosure Statement (PDS).(2) Contract documents--The terms of service, EFL, YRAC, and, if applicable, PDS.(3) Contract expiration--The time when the initial term contract is completed. A new contract is initiated when the customer begins receiving service pursuant to the new EFL.(4) Contract term--The time period the contract is in effect.(5) Fixed rate product--A retail electric product with a term of at least three months for which the price (including all recurring charges and ancillary service charges) for each billing period of the contract term is the same throughout the contract term, except that the price may vary from the disclosed amount solely to reflect actual changes in TDU charges, changes to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) or Texas Regional Entity, Inc. administrative fees charged to loads or changes resulting from federal, state or local laws that impose new or modified fees or costs on a REP that are beyond the REP's control. The price may not vary from the disclosed amount to reflect changes in ancillary service charges unless the commission expressly designates a specific type of ancillary service product as incurring charges beyond the REP's control for a customer's existing contract.(6) Indexed product--A retail electric product for which the price, including recurring charges, can vary according to a pre-defined pricing formula that is based on publicly available indices or information and is disclosed to the customer, and to reflect actual changes in TDU charges, changes to the ERCOT or Texas Regional Entity administrative fees charged to loads or changes resulting from federal, state or local laws or regulatory actions that impose new or modified fees or costs on a REP that are beyond the REPs control. An indexed product may be for a term of three months or more, or may be a month-to-month contract.(7) Month-to-month contract--A contract with a term of 31 days or less. A month-to-month contract may not contain a termination fee or penalty.(8) Price--The cost for a retail electric product that includes all recurring charges, including the cost of ancillary services, excluding state and local sales taxes, and reimbursement for the state miscellaneous gross receipts tax.(9) Recurring charge--A charge for a retail electric product that is expected to appear on a customer's bill in every billing period or appear in three or more billing periods in a twelve month period. A charge is not considered recurring if it will be billed by the TDU and passed on to the customer and will either not be applied to all customers of that class within the TDU territory, or cannot be known until the customer enrolls or requests a specific service.(10) Term contract--A contract with a term in excess of 31 days.(11) Variable price product--A retail product for which price may vary according to a method determined by the REP, including a product for which the price, can increase no more than a defined percentage as indexed to the customer's previous billing month's price. For residential customers, a variable price product can be only a month-to-month contract.(12) Wholesale Indexed Product--A retail electric product in which the price a customer pays for electricity includes a direct pass-through of real-time settlement point prices determined by the independent organization certified under the Public Utility Regulatory Act (PURA) §39.151 for the ERCOT power region.(c) General Retail Electric Provider requirements.(1) General Disclosure Requirements.(A) All written, electronic, and oral communications, including advertising, websites, direct marketing materials, billing statements, terms of service, EFLs, YRACs, and, if applicable, PDSs distributed by a REP or aggregator must be clear and not misleading, fraudulent, unfair, deceptive, or anti-competitive. Prohibited communications include, but are not limited to: (i) Using the term or terms "fixed" to market a product that does not meet the definition of a fixed rate product.(ii) Suggesting, implying, or otherwise leading someone to believe that a REP or aggregator has been providing retail electric service prior to the time the REP or aggregator was certified or registered by the commission.(iii) Suggesting, implying or otherwise leading someone to believe that receiving retail electric service from a REP will provide a customer with better quality of service from the TDU.(iv) Falsely suggesting, implying or otherwise leading someone to believe that a person is a representative of a TDU or any REP or aggregator.(v) Falsely suggesting, implying or otherwise leading someone to believe that a contract has benefits for a period of time longer than the initial contract term.(B) Written and electronic communications must not refer to laws, including commission rules without providing a link or website address where the text of those rules are available. All printed advertisements, electronic advertising over the Internet, and websites, must include the REP's certified name or commission authorized business name, or the aggregator's registered name, and the number of the certification or registration.(C) The terms of service, EFL, YRAC, and, if applicable, PDS must be provided to each customer upon enrollment. Each document must be provided to the customer whenever a change is made to the specific document and upon a customer's request, at any time free of charge.(D) A REP must retain a copy of each version of the terms of service, EFL, YRAC, and, if applicable, PDS during the time the plan is in effect for a customer and for four years after the contract ceases to be in effect for any customer. REPs must provide such documents at the request of the commission or its staff.(2) General contracting requirements.(A) Each terms of service, EFL, and YRAC must be complete, be written in language that is clear, plain and easily understood, and be printed in paragraphs of no more than 250 words in a font no smaller than 10 point. References to laws including commission rules in these documents must include a link or website address to the full text of the applicable law or rule.(B) Each contract document must be available to the commission to post on its customer education website if the REP chooses to post offers to the website.(C) A contract is limited to service to a customer at a location specified in the contract. If the customer moves from the location, the customer is under no obligation to continue the contract at another location. The REP may require a customer to provide evidence that it is moving to another location. There must be no early termination fee assessed to the customer as a result of the customer's relocation if the customer provides a forwarding address and, if required, reasonable evidence that the customer no longer occupies the location specified in the contract.(D) A terms of service document and EFL must disclose the type of product being described, using one of the following terms: fixed rate product or a variable price product.(E) A REP must not use a credit score, a credit history, or utility payment data as the basis for determining the price for electric service for a product with a contract term of 12 months or less for an existing residential customer or in response to an applicant's request to become a residential customer.(F) In any dispute between a customer and a REP concerning the terms of a contract, any vagueness, obscurity, or ambiguity in the contract will be construed in favor of the customer.(G) For a variable price product, the REP must disclose on the REP's website and through a toll-free number the current price and, for residential customers, one year price history, or history for the life of the product, if it has been offered less than one year. A REP must not rename a product in order to avoid disclosure of price history. The EFL of a variable price product must include a notice of how the current price and, if applicable, historical price information may be obtained by a customer.(H) A REP must comply with its contracts.(3) Specific contract requirements.(A) The contract term must be conspicuously disclosed.(B) The start and end dates of the contract must be available to the customer upon request. If the REP cannot determine the start date, the REP may estimate the start date. After the start date is known, the REP must specify the end date of the contract by: (i) specifying a calendar date; or(ii) reference to the first meter read on or after a specific calendar date.(C) If a REP specifies a calendar date as the end date, the REP may bill the term contract price through the first meter read on or after the end date of the contract.(D) Each contract for service must include the terms of the default renewal product that the customer will be automatically enrolled in if the customer does not select another retail electric product before the expiration of the contract term after the customer has received all required expiration notices.(E) If a REP does not provide proper notice of the expiration of a fixed rate contract and the customer does not select another REP before expiration of the contract term, the REP must continue to serve the customer under the pricing terms of the fixed rate product until the REP provides notice in accordance with applicable requirements of subsection I(2)(A)(i) or (ii) or the customer selects another retail electric product.(F) A REP, aggregator, or broker is prohibited from offering:(i) an indexed product to a residential or small commercial customer on or after February 1, 2022; or(ii) a wholesale indexed product to a residential or small commercial customer on or after September 1, 2021.(4) Website requirements. (A) Each REP that offers residential retail electric products for enrollment on its website must prominently display the EFL for any products offered without a person having to enter any personal information other than zip code and information that allows determination of the type of offer the consumer wishes to review. Person-specific information must not be required.(B) The EFL for each product must be printable in no more than a two-page format. The EFL, terms of service, YRAC, and, if applicable, PDS for any products offered for enrollment on the website must be available for viewing or downloading.(d) Changes in contract and price and notice of changes. A REP may make changes to the terms and conditions of a contract or to the price of a product as provided for in this section. Changes in term (length) of a contract require the customer to enter into a new contract and may not be made by providing the notice described in paragraph (3) of this subsection.(1) Contract changes other than price.(A) A REP may not change the price (other than as allowed by paragraph (2) of this subsection) or contract term of a term contract for a retail electric product, during its term; but may change any other provision of the contract, with notice under paragraph (3) of this subsection.(B) A REP may not change the terms and conditions of a variable price month-to-month product unless it provides notice under paragraph (3) of this subsection.(2) Price changes. (A) A REP may only change the price of a fixed rate product or a variable product consistent with the definitions in this section and according to the product's EFL. Such price changes do not require notice under paragraph (3) of this subsection.(B) For a fixed rate product, each bill must either show the price changes on one or more separate line items, or must include a conspicuous notice stating that the amount billed may include price changes allowed by law or regulatory actions.(C) Each residential bill for a variable price product must include a statement informing the customer how to obtain information about the price that will apply on the next bill.(3) Notice of changes to terms and conditions. A REP must provide written notice to its customers at least 14 days in advance of the date that the change in the contract will be applied to the customer's bill or take effect. Notice is not required for a change that benefits the customer.(4) Contents of the notice to change terms and conditions. The notice must: (A) be provided in or with the customer's bill or in a separate document;(B) include the following statement, "Important notice regarding changes to your contract" clearly and conspicuously in the notice;(C) identify the change and the specific contract provisions that address the change;(D) clearly specify what actions the customer needs to take if the customer does not accept the proposed changes to the contract;(E) state in bold lettering that if the new terms are not acceptable to the customer, the customer may terminate the contract and no termination penalty may apply for 14 days from the date that the notice is sent to the customer but may apply if action is taken after the 14 days have expired. No such statement is required if the customer would not be subject to a termination penalty under any circumstances; and(F) state in bold lettering that establishing service with another REP may take up to seven business days.(e) Contract expiration and renewal offers. (1) Notice Timeline for Expiration of a Fixed Rate Product.(A) For fixed rate products, the REP must provide the customer with at least three written notices of the date the fixed rate product will expire. The notices must be provided during the last third of the fixed rate contract period and in intervals that allow for, as practicable, even distribution of the notices throughout the last third of the fixed rate contract period. For contracts with a period of 12 months or longer, the first notice may be provided up to three months prior to the contract end date. For fixed rate contracts for a period: (i) Of more than four months, the final notice must be provided at least 30 days before the date the fixed rate contact will expire.(ii) Of four or fewer months, the final notice must be provided at least 15 days before the date the fixed rate contract will expire.(iii) For a small commercial customer, the final notice must be provided at least 14 days before the fixed rate contract will expire.(B) The notices must be provided to the customer by mail at the customer's billing address, unless the customer has opted to receive communications electronically from the REP.(C) If a REP does not provide the required notice of the expiration of a customer's fixed rate contract and the customer does not select another retail electric product before expiration of the fixed rate contract term, the REP must continue serving the customer under the terms of the fixed rate contract until the REP provides notice in accordance with applicable requirements of subsection (e)(1)(A)(i) or (ii), or until the customer selects another retail electric product.(2) Contract Expiration.(A) If a customer takes no action in response to the final notice of contract expiration for the continued receipt of retail electric service upon the contract's expiration, the REP must serve the customer pursuant to a default renewal product that is a month-to-month product that the customer may cancel at any time without a fee. The month-to-month product price may vary between billing cycles based on clear terms designed to be easily understood by the average customer.(B) Written notice of contract expiration must be provided in or with the customer's bill, or in a separate document. (i) If notice is provided with a residential customer's bill, the notice must be printed on a separate page. A statement must be included in a manner readily visible on the outside of the envelope sent to a residential customer's billing address by mail and in the subject line on the e-mail (if the REP sends the notice by e-mail) that states, "Contract Expiration Notice. See Enclosed."(ii) If the notice is provided in or with a small commercial customer's bill, the REP must include a statement in a manner readily visible on the outside of the billing envelope or in the subject line of an electronic bill that states, "Contract Expiration Notice" or "Contract Expiration Notice. See Enclosed."; or(iii) For residential and small commercial customers, if notice is provided in a separate document, a statement must be included in a manner readily visible on the outside of the envelope and in the subject line of the e-mail (if customer has agreed to receive official documents by e-mail) that states, "Contract Expiration Notice. See Enclosed."(C) A written notice of contract expiration (whether with the bill or in a separate envelope) must set out the following:(i) The date, in boldfaced and underlined text, as provided for in subsection (c)(3)(B) of this section that the existing contract will expire.(ii) If the REP provided a calendar date as the end date for the contract, a statement in bold lettering no smaller than 12 point font that no termination penalty must apply to residential and small commercial customers 14 days prior to the date stated as the expiration date in the notice. In addition, a description of any fees or charges associated with the early termination of a residential customer's fixed rate product that would apply before 14 days prior to the date stated as the expiration date in the notice must be provided. No such statements are required if the original contract did not contain a termination fee.(iii) If the REP defined the contract end date by reference to the first meter read on or after a specific calendar date, a statement in bold lettering no smaller than 12 point font that no termination penalty applies to residential customers for 14 days prior to the date provided as the "on or after" date included in connection with the first meter read language referenced in the notice, or that no termination penalty applies to small commercial customers for 14 days prior to the contract end date. No such statement is required if the original contract did not contain a termination fee.(iv) A description of any renewal offers the REP chooses to make available to the customer and the location of the terms of service and EFL for each of those products and a description of actions the customer needs to take to continue to receive service from the REP under the terms of any of the described renewal offers and the deadline by which actions must be taken.(v) The final notice provided pursuant to subsection (e)(2) must include a copy of the EFL for the default renewal product if the customer takes no action or if the EFL is not included with the contract expiration notice, the REP must provide the EFL to the customer at least 14 days before the expiration of the contract using the same delivery method as was used for the notice. The contract expiration notice must specify how and when the EFL will be made available to the customer.(vi) The final notice provided pursuant to subsection (e)(2) must include a statement that if the customer takes no action, service to the customer will continue pursuant to the EFL for the default renewal product that must be included as part of the notice of contract expiration. The terms of service for the default renewal product must be included as part of the notice, unless the terms of service applicable to the customer's existing service also applies to the default renewal product.(vii) The final notice provided pursuant to subsection (e)(2) must include a statement that the default service is month-to month and may be cancelled at any time with no fee.(3) Affirmative consent. A customer that is currently receiving service from a REP may be re-enrolled with the REP for service with the same product under which the customer is currently receiving service, or a different product, by conducting an enrollment pursuant to § RSA 25.474 of this title or by obtaining the customer's consent in a recording, electronic document, or written letter of authorization consistent with the requirements of this subsection. Affirmative consent is not required when a REP serves the customer under a default renewal product pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection. Each recording, electronic document, or written consent form must: (A) Indicate the customer's name, billing address, service address (for small commercial customers, the ESI ID may be used rather than the service address);(B) Indicate the identification number of the terms of service and EFL under which the customer will be served;(C) Indicate if the customer has received, or when the customer will receive copies of the terms of service, EFL, YRAC, and, if applicable, PDS;(D) Indicate the price(s) which the customer is agreeing to pay;(E) Indicate the date or estimated date of the re-enrollment, the contract term, and the estimated start and end dates of contract term;(F) Affirmatively inquire whether the customer has decided to enroll for service with the product, and contain the customer's affirmative response; and(G) Be entirely in plain, easily understood language, in the language that the customer has chosen for communications.(f) Terms of service document. The following information must be conspicuously contained in the terms of service: (1) Identity and contact information. The REP's certified name and business name (dba) (if applicable), mailing address, e-mail and Internet address (if applicable), certification number, and a toll-free telephone number (with hours of operation and time-zone reference).(2) Pricing and payment arrangements.(A) Description of the amount of any routine non-recurring charges resulting from a move-in or switch that may be charged to the customer, including but not limited to an out-of-cycle meter read, and connection or reconnection fees;(B) For small commercial customers, a description of the demand charge and how it will be applied, if applicable;(C) An itemization, including name and cost, of any non-recurring charges for services that may be imposed on the customer for the retail electric product, including an application fee, charges for default in payment or late payment, and returned checks charges;(D) A description of any collection fees or costs that may be assessed to the customer by the REP and that cannot be quantified in the terms of service; and(E) A description of payment arrangements and bill payment assistance programs offered by the REP.(3) Deposits. If the REP requires deposits from its customers:(A) a description of the conditions that will trigger a request for a deposit;(B) the maximum amount of the deposit or the manner in which the deposit amount will be determined;(C) a statement that interest will be paid on the deposit at the rate approved by the commission, and the conditions under which the customer may obtain a refund of a deposit;(D) an explanation of the conditions under which a customer may establish satisfactory credit pursuant to § RSA 25.478 of this title (relating to Credit Requirements and Deposits); and(E) if applicable, the customer's right to post a letter of guarantee in lieu of a deposit pursuant to §RSA 25.478<subdiv>(i)</subdiv> of this title.(4) Rescission, Termination and Disconnection.(A) In a conspicuous and separate paragraph or box: (i) A description of the right of a customer, for switch requests, to rescind service without fee or penalty of any kind within three federal business days after receiving the terms of service, pursuant to § RSA 25.474 of this title; and(ii) Detailed instructions for rescinding service, including the telephone number and, if available, facsimile number or e-mail address that the customer may use to rescind service.(B) A statement as to how service can be terminated and any penalties that may apply;(C) A statement of the customer's ability to terminate service without penalty if the customer moves to another premises and provides evidence that it is moving, if required, and a forwarding address; and(D) If the REP has disconnection authority, pursuant to § RSA 25.483 of this title (relating to Disconnection of Service), a statement that the REP may order disconnection of the customer for non-payment.(5) Antidiscrimination. A statement informing the customer that the REP cannot deny service or require a prepayment or deposit for service based on a customer's race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, lawful source of income, level of income, disability, familial status, location of a customer in a economically distressed geographic area, or qualification for low income or energy efficiency services. For residential customers, a statement informing the customer that the REP cannot use a credit score, a credit history, or utility payment data as the basis for determining the price for electric service for a product with a contract term of 12 months or less.(6) Other terms. Any other material terms and conditions, including exclusions, reservations, limitations of liability, or special equipment requirements, that are a part of the contract for the retail electric product.(7) Contract expiration notice. For a term contract, the terms of service must contain a statement informing the customer that a contract expiration notice will be sent at least 14 days prior to the end of the initial contract term. The terms of service must also state that if the customer fails to take action to ensure the continued receipt of retail electric service upon the contract's expiration, the customer will continue to be served by the REP automatically pursuant to a default renewal product, which must be a month-to-month product.(8) A statement describing the conditions under which the contract can change and the notice that will be provided if there is a change.(9) Version number. A REP must assign an identification number to each version of its terms of service, and must publish the number on the terms of service document.(g) Electricity Facts Label. The EFL must be unique for each product offered and must include the information required in this subsection. Nothing in this subsection precludes a REP from charging a price that is less than its EFL would otherwise provide.(1) Identity and contact information. The REP's certified name and business name (dba) (if applicable), mailing address, e-mail and Internet address (if applicable), certification number, and a toll-free telephone number (with hours of operation and time-zone reference).(2) Pricing disclosures. Pricing information must be disclosed by a REP in an EFL. The EFL must state specifically whether the product is a fixed rate or variable price product.(A) For a fixed rate product, the EFL must provide the total average price for electric service reflecting all recurring charges, excluding state and local sales taxes, and reimbursement for the state miscellaneous gross receipts tax, to the customer.(B) For a variable price product, the EFL must provide the total average price for electric service for the first billing cycle reflecting all recurring charges, including any TDU charges that may be passed through and excluding state and local sales taxes, and reimbursement for the state miscellaneous gross receipts tax, to the customer. Actual changes in TDU charges, changes to the ERCOT or Texas Regional Entity administrative fees charge to loads or changes resulting from federal, state or local laws or regulatory actions that impose new or modified fees or costs on a REP that were not implemented prior to the issuance of the EFL and were not included in the average price calculation may be directly passed through to customers beginning with the customer's first billing cycle.(C) The total average price for electric service must be expressed in cents per kilowatt hour, rounded to the nearest one-tenth of one cent for the following usage levels: (i) For residential customers, 500, 1,000 and 2,000 kilowatt hours per month; and(ii) For small commercial customers, 1,500, 2,500, and 3,500 kilowatt hours per month. If demand charges apply assume a 30 percent load factor.(D) If a REP combines the charges for retail electric service with charges for any other product, the REP must:(i) If the electric product is sold separately from the other products, disclose the total price for electric service separately from other products; and(ii) If the REP does not permit a customer to purchase the electric product without purchasing the other products or services, state the total charges for all products and services as the price of the total electric service. If the product has a one-time cost up front, for the purposes of the average price calculation, the cost of the product may be figured in over a 12-month period with 1/12 of the cost being attributed to a single month.(E) The following must be included on the EFL for specific product types: (i) For a variable price product that increases no more than a defined percentage as indexed to the customer's previous billing month's price, a notice in bold type no smaller than 12 point font: "Except for price changes allowed by law or regulatory action, this price is the price that will be applied during your first billing cycle; this price may increase by no more than {insert percentage} percent from month-to-month." For residential customers, the following additional statement is required: "Please review the historical price of this product available at {insert specific website address and toll-free telephone number}." In the disclosure chart, the box describing whether the price can change during the contract period must include the following statement: "The price applied in the first billing cycle may be different from the price in this EFL if there are changes in TDSP charges; changes to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas or Texas Regional Entity, Inc. administrative fees charged to loads; or changes resulting from federal, state or local laws or regulatory actions that impose new or modified fees or costs that are outside our control."(ii) For all other variable price products, a notice in bold type no smaller than 12 point font: "Except for price changes allowed by law or regulatory action, this price is the price that will be applied during your first billing cycle; this price may change in subsequent months at the sole discretion of {insert REP name}. In the disclosure chart, the box describing whether the price can change during the contract period must include the following statement: "The price applied in the first billing cycle may be different from the price in this EFL if there are changes in TDSP charges; changes to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas or Texas Regional Entity administrative fees charged to loads; or changes resulting from federal, state or local laws or regulatory actions that impose new or modified fees or costs that are outside our control." For residential customers, the following additional statement is required: "Please review the historical price of this product available at {insert specific website address and toll-free telephone number}."(3) Fee Disclosures.(A) If customer may be subject to a special charge for underground service or any similar charge that applies only in a part of the TDU service area, the EFL must include a statement in the electricity price section that some customers will be subject to a special charge that is not included in the total average price for electric service and must disclose how the customer can determine the price and applicability of the special charge.(B) A listing of all fees assessed by the REP that may be charged to the customer and whether the fee is included in the recurring charges.(4) Term Disclosure. EFL must include disclosure of the length of term, minimum service term, if any, and early termination penalties, if any.(5) Renewable Energy Disclosures. The EFL must include the percentage of renewable energy of the electricity product and the percentage of renewable energy of the statewide average generation mix.(6) Format of Electricity Facts Label. REPs must use the following format for the EFL with the pricing chart and disclosure chart shown. The additional language is for illustrative purposes. It does not include all reporting requirements as outlined above. Such subsections should be referred to for determination of the required reporting items on the EFL. Each EFL must be printed in type no smaller than ten points in size, unless a different size is specified in this section, and must be formatted as shown in this paragraph: Attached Graphic
(7) Version number. A REP must assign an identification number to each version of its EFL, and must publish the number on the EFL.(h) Your Rights as a Customer disclosure. The information set out in this section must be included in a REP's "Your Rights as a Customer" document in plain language, to summarize the standard customer protections provided by this subchapter or additional protections provided by the REP.(1) A YRAC document must be consistent with the terms of service for the retail product.(2) The YRAC document must inform the customer of the REP's complaint resolution policy pursuant to § RSA 25.485 of this title (relating to Customer Access and Complaint Handling) and payment arrangements and deferred payment policies pursuant to § RSA 25.480 of this title (relating to Bill Payment and Adjustments).(3) The YRAC document must inform the customer of the REP's procedures for reporting outages and the steps necessary to have service restored or reconnected after an involuntary suspension or disconnection.(4) The YRAC must provide information the REP has received from the TDU pursuant to PURA §17.003(e) regarding the TDU's procedures for implementing involuntary load shedding initiated by the independent organization certified under PURA §39.151 for the ERCOT power region, and, if applicable, where any additional details regarding those procedures or relevant updates may be located. The REP may fulfill this requirement by providing a website address with the required information. Each TDU must develop such information and resources by September 1, 2021 and make the website address where such information can be viewed available to REPs. A REP may provide this information at a website address other than the website addresses made available by the TDUs. A TDU or other entity providing a website address is required to update this information within 30 days of any material change in the information.(5) The YRAC document must inform the customer of the customer's right to have the meter tested pursuant to § RSA 25.124 of this title (relating to Meter Testing), or in accordance with the tariffs of a transmission and distribution utility, a municipally owned utility, or an electric cooperative, as applicable, and the REP's ability in all cases to make that request on behalf of the customer by a standard electronic market transaction, and the customer's right to be instructed on how to read the meter, if applicable.(6) The YRAC document must inform the customer of the availability of: (A) Financial and energy assistance programs for residential customers;(B) Any special services such as readers or notices in Braille or TTY;(C) Special policies or programs available to residential customers designated as chronic condition or critical care under § RSA 25.497 of this title and the procedure for a customer to apply to be considered for such designations; and(D) Any available discounts that may be offered by the REP for qualified low-income residential customers. A REP may comply with this requirement by providing the customer with instructions for how to inquire about such discounts.(7) The YRAC document must inform the customer of the following customer rights and protections: (A) Unauthorized switch protections applicable under § RSA 25.495 of this title (relating to Unauthorized Change of Retail Electric Provider);(B) The customer's right to dispute unauthorized charges on the customer's bill as set forth in § RSA 25.481 of this title (relating to Unauthorized Charges);(C) Protections relating to disconnection of service pursuant to § RSA 25.483 of this title;(D) Non-English language requirements pursuant to § RSA 25.473 of this title (relating to Non-English Language Requirements);(E) Availability of a Do Not Call List pursuant to § RSA 25.484 of this title (relating to Electric No-Call List) and § RSA 26.37 of this title (relating to Texas No-Call List); and(F) Privacy rights regarding customer proprietary information as provided by § RSA 25.472 of this title (relating to Privacy of Customer Information).(8) Identity and contact information. The REP's certified name and business name (dba), certification number, mailing address, e-mail and Internet address (if applicable), and a toll-free telephone number (with hours of operation and time-zone reference) at which the customer may obtain information concerning the product.(i) Advertising claims. If a REP or aggregator advertises or markets the specific benefits of a particular electric product, the REP or aggregator must provide the name of the electric product offered in the advertising or marketing materials to the commission or its staff, upon request. All advertisements and marketing materials distributed by or on behalf of a REP or aggregator must comply with this section. REPs and aggregators are responsible for representations to customers and prospective customers by employees or other agents of the REP concerning retail electric service that are made through advertising, marketing or other means. (1) Print advertisements. Print advertisements and marketing materials, including direct mail solicitations that make any claims regarding price, savings, or environmental quality for an electricity product of the REP compared to a product offered by another REP must include the EFL of the REP making the claim. In lieu of including an EFL, the following statement must be provided: "You can obtain important standardized information that will allow you to compare this product with other offers. Contact (name, telephone number, and Internet address (if available) of the REP)." If the REPs phone number or website address is included on the advertisement, such phone number or website address is not required in the disclaimer statement. Upon request, a REP must provide to the commission the contract documents relating to a product being advertised and any information used to develop or substantiate comparisons made in the advertisement.(2) Television, radio, and internet advertisements. A REP must include the following statement in any television, Internet, or radio advertisement that makes a specific claim about price, savings, or environmental quality for an electricity product of the REP compared to a product offered by another REP: "You can obtain important standardized information that will allow you to compare this product with other offers. Contact (name, telephone number and website (if available) of the REP)." If the REPs phone number or website address is included on the advertisement, such phone number or website address is not required in the disclaimer statement. This statement is not required for general statements regarding savings or environmental quality, but must be provided if a specific price is included in the advertisement, or if a specific statement about savings or environmental quality compared to another REP is made. Upon request, a REP must provide to the commission the contract documents relating to a product being advertised and any information used to develop or substantiate comparisons made in the advertisement.(3) Outdoor advertisements. A REP must include, in a font size and format that is legible to the intended audience, its certified name or commission authorized business name, certification number, telephone number and Internet address (if available).(4) Renewable energy claims. A REP must authenticate its sales of renewable energy in accordance with § RSA 25.476 of this title (relating to Renewable and Green Energy Verification). If a REP relies on supply contracts to authenticate its sales of renewable energy, it must file a report with the commission, not later than March 15 of each year demonstrating its compliance with this paragraph and § RSA 25.476 of this title.16 Tex. Admin. Code § 25.475
The provisions of this §25.475 adopted to be effective March 16, 2009, 34 TexReg 1806; amended to be effective April 1, 2010, 35 TexReg 221; Amended by Texas Register, Volume 43, Number 19, May 11, 2018, TexReg 3066, eff. 5/13/2018; Amended by Texas Register, Volume 46, Number 53, December 31, 2021, TexReg 9269, eff. 1/6/2022