Current through all regulations passed and filed through September 16, 2024
(A) A retail natural gas supplier or
governmental aggregator (and/or its agent) may bill customers directly for
competitive retail natural gas services pursuant to this rule. A retail natural
gas supplier or governmental aggregator may bill for consolidated services if
it can demonstrate, pursuant to the standards contained in the incumbent
natural gas company tariffs, to the incumbent natural gas company and the
commission it has the capability to bill customers for such services.
(B) Customer bills issued by or for retail
natural gas suppliers and governmental aggregators shall be accurate and
understandable, be rendered at intervals consistent with those of the
customer's natural gas company, and contain sufficient information for
customers to compute and compare the total cost of competitive retail natural
gas service(s). In order to promote these objectives,
customer bills should highlight and provide a clear explanation of any changes
in the rates, terms, and conditions of service, for two consecutive billing
periods. Such bills shall also include:
(1) The customer's name, billing address,
service address, the customer's natural gas company account number, and if
applicable, the retail natural gas supplier or governmental aggregator account
number.
(2) The dates of service
covered by the bill, an itemization of each type of competitive retail natural
gas service covered by the bill, any related billing components, the charge for
each type of natural gas service, and an itemization of all other fees and
charges.
(3) The customer's
historical consumption during each of the preceding twelve months or each of
the preceding months that the customer has been a customer of the retail
natural gas supplier or governmental aggregator, whichever is less; with a
total consumption and an overall average monthly consumption for such
period.
(4) The applicable billing
determinants, including beginning meter reading(s), ending meter reading(s),
multiplier(s), and any other consumption(s) adjustments.
(5) The unit price charged per Ccf or Mcf,
whichever is consistent with the incumbent natural gas company's billing
format, if the product is based on a per-unit price for competitive retail
natural gas service, as calculated by dividing current-period competitive
retail natural gas service charges by the current- period consumption. For
monthly-rate offers, a specific listing of the rate being charged per month for
the duration of the contract.
(6)
An identification of the retail natural gas supplier or governmental aggregator
of each retail natural gas service appearing on the bill.
(7) The amount billed for the current period,
any unpaid amounts due from previous periods, any payments or credits applied
to the customer's account during the current period, any late payment charges
or gross and net charges, if applicable, and the total amount due and
payable.
(8) The due date for
payment to keep the account current. Such due date shall be consistent with
that provided by the incumbent natural gas company for its charges.
(9) Current balance of the account, if a
residential customer is billed according to a budget plan.
(10) Options and instructions on how
customers may make their payments.
(11) A toll-free or local telephone number
and address for customer billing questions or complaints must appear for any
retail natural gas supplier or governmental aggregator whose charges appear on
the bill.
(12) The following
statement: "If your complaint is not resolved after you have called (name the
retail natural gas company or governmental aggregator), or for general utility
information, residential and business customers may contact the public
utilities commission of Ohio (PUCO) for assistance at 1-800-686-7826 (toll
free) from eight a.m. to five p.m. weekdays, or at
http://www.puco.ohio.gov. Hearing
or speech impaired customers may contact the PUCO via 7-1-1 (Ohio relay
service).
The Ohio consumers' counsel (OCC) represents residential
utility customers in matters before the PUCO. The OCC can be contacted at
1-877-742-5622 (toll free) from eight a.m. to five p.m. weekdays, or at
http://www.pickocc.org."
(13) The incumbent natural gas
company's twenty-four hour local/toll-free telephone number for reporting
service emergencies.
(14)
Identification of estimated bills or bills not based upon actual end-of-period
meter readings for the period.
(15)
An explanation of any codes and abbreviations used.
(C) If applicable, each retail natural gas
supplier and governmental aggregator shall, upon request, provide customers
with the name and street address/location of the nearest payment center and/or
authorized payment agent and disclose any fee associated with using such
payment center and/or agent.
(D)
When a customer pays the bill at a payment center or to an authorized payment
agent, such payment shall be credited to the customer's account as of the day
it is received by such payment center or agent.
(E) Each retail natural gas supplier and
governmental aggregator shall establish policies and procedures for handling
billing disputes and requests for payment arrangements.
(F) Partial payments applied towards any past
due amount on a bill or the balance due on a disconnection notice must be
apportioned to past due natural gas company service and delivery charges, then
to any current natural gas company service and delivery charges, before being
applied to any retail natural gas supplier or governmental aggregator charges
unless the customer pays the entire amount past due or more. In that case, any
amount paid over the amount past due shall be applied first to natural gas
company service and delivery charges.
(G) Natural gas companies shall make dual
billing and consolidated billing available to retail natural gas suppliers and
governmental aggregators.
(1) If the retail
natural gas supplier or governmental aggregator elects for its charges to be
included on the incumbent natural gas company's consolidated bill:
(a) The retail natural gas supplier or
governmental aggregator shall furnish the incumbent natural gas company
sufficient bill contents as required by paragraph (B) of this rule.
(b) The incumbent natural gas company shall
produce a consolidated bill including all such required contents provided by
the retail natural gas supplier or governmental aggregator if it is not already
on the customer's bill from the incumbent natural gas company. However, the
consolidated bill may provide the following amounts on a consolidated basis
only: budget amounts, past due balances, and payments applied.
(c) The consolidated bill shall state the
name of the applicable retail natural gas supplier or governmental aggregator
in close proximity to the retail natural gas supplier or governmental
aggregator commodity charges.
(d)
The incumbent natural gas company shall offer budget billing of retail natural
gas supplier and governmental aggregator charges as a customer- elected
option.
(2) If the retail
natural gas supplier or governmental aggregator elects a dual billing
arrangement, the incumbent natural gas company's bill shall include the name of
the applicable retail natural gas supplier or governmental aggregator and a
statement that such retail natural gas supplier or governmental aggregator is
responsible for billing the retail natural gas supplier or governmental
aggregator charges.
(H)
Customer bills issued by or for a natural gas company shall state the
customer's historical consumption during each of the preceding twelve months,
with a total and average consumption for such twelve-month period.
(I) Natural gas companies shall prominently
display the "apples to apples" notice on customer bills for customers in
accordance with rule
4901:1-13-11 of the
Administrative Code.
(J) Natural
gas companies shall comply with Chapter 4901:1-18 of the Administrative Code
regarding disconnection of a customer's natural gas service.
(K) For the purposes of this rule, full
payment of a budget amount due shall not be construed as a partial
payment.
(L) In the event the
retail natural gas supplier or opt-in governmental aggregator bills for its own
services, the retail natural gas supplier and/or governmental aggregator may
terminate the contract for customer nonpayment only upon fourteen days'
notice.
(M) Any competitive retail
natural gas service supplier that bills for both regulated and unregulated
service shall comply with paragraphs (E) and (F) of rule
4901:1-13-11 of the
Administrative Code.
