Ohio Administrative Code
Title 4901:1 - Utilities
Chapter 4901:1-10 - Electric Companies
Section 4901:1-10-09 - Minimum customer service levels
Universal Citation: OH Admin Code 4901:1-10-09
Current through all regulations passed and filed through March 18, 2024
(A) On a calendar monthly basis, each electric utility shall complete the installation of new service or upgrade of service as follows:
(1) Ninety-nine per cent
of new service installations requiring no construction of electric facilities
shall:
(a) Be completed within three business
days, except for meters that are capable of starting and stopping service
remotely, after the electric utility has been notified that the service
location is ready for service and all necessary tariff and regulatory
requirements have been met.
(b) Be
completed by the requested installation date, when an applicant requests an
installation date more than three business days after the service location is
ready for service and all necessary tariff requirements have been
met.
(c) Be completed within one
business day after the electric utility has been notified that the service
location is ready for service and all necessary tariff and regulatory
requirements have been met for meters that are capable of starting and stopping
service remotely.
(2)
Ninety per cent of service upgrades and new service installations that require
construction of electric facilities (including the setting of the meter) and
that are not primary line extensions shall:
(a) Be completed within ten business days
after the electric utility has been notified that the service location is ready
for service and all necessary tariff and regulatory requirements have been
met.
(b) Be completed by the
requested installation date, when an applicant or customer requests an
installation date more than ten business days after the service location is
ready for service and all necessary tariff requirements have been
met.
(3) If an applicant
or customer, complies with all pertinent tariff requirements and the electric
utility cannot complete the requested service installation or service upgrade
as set forth in paragraph (A)(1)(a), (A)(1)(b), (A)(2)(a), or (A)(2) (b) of
this rule, then the electric utility shall promptly notify the applicant or
customer of the delay, the reasons for the delay, the steps being taken to
complete the work, and the probable completion date. The electric utility shall
make a reasonable attempt to provide such notification at least one business
day prior to the end of the prescribed time interval. If a rescheduled
completion date cannot be met, the applicant or customer shall be promptly
notified. If the rescheduled completion date is delayed more than two business
days, written notification, including email, shall be given, stating the
reason(s) for the delay, the steps being taken to complete the work and the new
rescheduled completion date. This notification process shall be repeated as
necessary. Each subsequent missed completion date shall count as a missed
service installation or upgrade pursuant to paragraph (A)(1) or (A)(2) of this
rule.
(4) If the electric utility
fails to complete the requested service installation or upgrade as set forth in
paragraph (A)(1) or (A)(2) of this rule, as a result of a military action, war,
insurrection, riot or strike, or as a result of a lack of access to the
premises when necessary, then such failure shall not be included in the monthly
percentage calculations for this rule. Each electric utility must justify and
document in its records each instance where it relies on any of the exceptions
listed in this paragraph.
(B) On a calendar monthly basis, each electric utility's average (arithmetic mean) answer time for telephonic customer service calls shall not exceed ninety seconds. An electric utility shall set its queue to minimize the number of disconnected calls and busy signals.
(1) As used in this paragraph,
"answer" means the service representative or automated system is ready to
render assistance and/or to accept the information necessary to process the
call.
(2) Answer time shall be
measured from the first ring at the electric utility or at the point the caller
begins to wait in queue, whichever comes first.
(3) When an electric utility utilizes a
menu-driven, automated, interactive answering system (referred to as the
system), the initial recorded message presented by the system to the caller
shall only identify the company and the general options available to the
caller, including the option of being transferred to a live attendant. At any
time during the call, the caller shall be transferred to a live attendant if
the caller fails to interact with the system for a period of ten seconds
following any prompt.
(4) Callers
shall not be delayed from reaching the queue by any promotional or
merchandising material not selected by the customer.
(5)
When an electric
utility is experiencing system related issues or is otherwise unable to accept
inbound customer calls, the electric utility shall notify the director of the
service monitoring and enforcement department, or his or her designee, of such
messaging, and the anticipated timeframe for returning to normal business
operations.
(C) Electric utilities shall comply with the following reporting requirements:
(1) When an electric utility fails to meet
any minimum service level, as set forth in paragraph (A) or (B) of this rule,
for any two months within any twelve-month period, the electric utility shall
notify the director of the service monitoring and enforcement department in
writing within thirty calendar days after such failure. The notification shall
identify any factors that contributed to such failure, as well as any remedial
action taken or planned to be taken or rationale for not taking any remedial
action. Any failure to report the lack of compliance with the minimum service
levels set forth in paragraphs (A) and (B) of this rule constitutes a violation
of this rule.
(2) By March
thirty-first of each year, each electric utility shall submit an annual report
to the director of the service monitoring and enforcement department, setting
forth its actual monthly customer service performance data during the previous
calendar year as compared with each of the minimum monthly customer service
performance levels set forth in paragraphs (A) and (B) of this rule.
(3) Performance data during major events,
consistent with that reported in accordance with paragraph (C)(2) of rule
4901:1-10-10
of the Administrative Code, may be excluded from the calculations of actual
monthly customer service performance pursuant to paragraphs (A) and (B) of this
rule.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Ohio may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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