Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 38, September 20, 2024
a) An
applicant that seeks to serve residential or small commercial customers within a
geographic area that is smaller than a gas utility's service area shall demonstrate
that the designation of this smaller area does not violate any part of Section
19-115 of the Act [220 ILCS
5/19-115] . An applicant may state in its application for
certification any limitations that will be imposed on the number of residential or
small commercial customers or maximum load to be served [220 ILCS
5/19-110(d)] and certify that it will not
deny service to a residential or small commercial customer or group of customers nor
establish any differences as to prices, terms, conditions, services, products,
facilities, or in any other respect, whereby such denial or differences are based
upon race, gender or income nor deny service to a residential or small commercial
customer or group of customers based on locality nor establish any unreasonable
difference as to prices, terms, conditions, services, products, or facilities as
between localities. [220 ILCS
5/19-115(e)]
b) The applicant shall certify that it will comply
with the following requirements with respect to the marketing, offering and
provision of products or services to residential and small commercial customers:
1) Any marketing materials that make statements
concerning prices, terms and conditions of service shall contain information that
adequately discloses the prices, terms and conditions of the products or services
that the alternative gas supplier is offering or selling to the residential or small
commercial customer.
2) Before any
residential or small commercial customer is switched from another supplier, the
alternative gas supplier shall give the customer written information that adequately
discloses, in plain language, the prices, terms and conditions of the products and
services being offered andsoldto the customer.
3) The alternative gas supplier shall provide to
the residential customer accurate, timely, and itemized billing statements that
describe the products and services provided to the customer and their prices and
that specify the gas consumption amount and any service charges and taxes; and an
additional statement, at least annually, that adequately discloses the average
monthly prices, and the terms and conditions, of the products and services sold to
the residential customer.
4) The
alternative gas supplier shall provide refunds of any deposits with interest within
30 days after the date that the residential or small commercial customer changes gas
suppliers or discontinues service if the customer has satisfied all of its
outstanding financial obligations to the alternative gas supplier at an interest
rate set by the Commission which shall be the same as that required of gas
utilities.
5) The alternative gas
supplier shall provide timely refunds of any undisputed overpayments upon oral or
written request of the residential or small commercial customer. [220 ILCS
5/19-115(f)]
6) The alternative gas supplier shall file with
the Commission and maintain procedures addressing the manner in which any disputed
amount for which a residential or small commercial customer is billed may be
resolved, stating that while the dispute is pending, the customer shall pay the
undisputed portion of the bill or an amount equal to last year's bill at the same
location for the same period, normalized for weather, whichever is greater. Any
disputed amount in excess of last year's bill for the same address adjusted for
weather shall not be included in the amount that must be paid by the due date. The
alternative gas supplier is required to inform its customers how to contact the
Commission's Consumer Services Division to pursue an unresolved dispute. The
alternative gas supplier's billing statements shall include a toll-free number and
other means by which a customer may contact it with inquiries or
complaints.
7) The alternative gas
supplier shall inform its residential and small commercial customers how to contact
the Commission to obtain consumer education materials provided pursuant to Section
19-125of the Act. [220 ILCS
5/19-125(b)]
