Current through all regulations passed and filed through September 16, 2024
(A) Upon customer request and if the
competitive retail electric service (CRES) provider possesses such information,
a CRES provider shall timely provide to the customer, no more than twice within
a twelve-month period, up to twenty-four months of the customer's payment
history without charge.
(B) CRES
providers shall not disclose a customer's account number without the customer's
consent and proof of that consent as delineated in paragraph (E) of this rule,
or appropriate order, except for the following purposes:
(1) A CRES provider's collections and credit
reporting activities.
(2)
Participation in programs funded by the universal service fund, pursuant to
section 4928.52 of the Revised Code,
such as the percentage of income payment plan programs.
(3) Governmental aggregation, pursuant to
section 4928.20 of the Revised
Code.
(4) Assignment of a customer
contract to another CRES provider.
The CRES provider must use the consent form set forth in
paragraph (D) of this rule unless authorization is obtained
electronically.
(C) CRES providers shall not disclose a
customer's social security number without the customer's written consent as
delineated in paragraph (E) of this rule, or a court order, except for the
following purposes:
(1) A CRES provider's own
credit evaluation.
(2) Electric
utility's or CRES provider's own collection and/or credit reporting.
(3) Participation in programs funded by the
universal service fund, pursuant to section
4928.52 of the Revised Code,
such as the percentage of income payment plan programs.
(4) Assignment of a customer contract to
another CRES provider.
(D) CRES providers shall not disclose a
customer's energy usage data that is more granular than the monthly historical
consumption data, provided in paragraph (E)(1) of rule
4901:1-10-29 of the
Administrative Code, without the customer's written consent as delineated in
paragraph (E)(1) of this rule, or appropriate order.
(E) Customer information release consent
format.
(1) Written consent shall be on a
separate piece of paper, be clearly identified on its face as a
release of personal information and all text appearing on the consent form
shall be in at least sixteen-point type. The following statement
should
appear prominently on the consent form, just prior to the signature, in type
darker and larger than the type in surrounding sentences: "I realize that under
the rules and regulations of the public utilities commission of Ohio, I may
refuse to allow (name of the CRES provider) to release the information set
forth above. By my signature, I freely give (name of the CRES provider)
permission to release the information designated above." The written consent
form for the release of customer energy usage data shall specify the identity
of any recipients of the data, type and granularity of the data being
collected, and uses for which the data is being collected. Forms requiring a
customer to circle or to check off preprinted types of information to be
released may not be used.
(2)
Electronic consent shall be in a substantially similar format to the written
consent in paragraph (E)(1) of this rule. The following statement shall appear
prominently: "I realize that under the rules and regulations of the public
utilities commission of Ohio, I may refuse to allow (name of the CRES provider)
to release the information set forth above. By providing my electronic
signature, I freely give (name of electric utility) permission to release the
information designated above."
