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PUC Sets Effective Date For Form Of Enroll By Wallet
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The PUC of Ohio has established October 5, 2026 as the effective date for several recently adopted retail market rule changes, including a form of enroll by wallet
See Energy Choice Matters' full discussion of the new rules and rule changes in our stories linked below
• PUCO Order on rules
• Rehearing Order on rules
Among other things, the new rules provide that customers may enroll without the customer providing to the retail supplier an account or similar number (now called customer account information) if the customer presents a valid form of government-issued identification or a sufficient alternative form of identification
However, retail suppliers will still need to provide the utility with the customer account information in order to enroll the customer. The rules essentially allow retail suppliers to use a form of ID described above for enrollment and customer identification purposes, with the suppliers then obtaining the customer's account information (number) from the utilities' eligible customer lists. As such, the process is a form of enroll by wallet insofar as the customer does not need to be in possession of their customer account information in order to enroll
As previously reported, for a "direct solicitation" (in-person) in which the customer account information is obtained by first verifying the customer's identity through government ID (or similar acceptable ID) and then getting the customer account information from the ECL, the retail supplier must obtain a customer signature in which the customer acknowledges that the supplier conducted identity verification
The customer signature requirement for the acknowledgment of the identity verification is not required for telesales or internet enrollments
Additionally, with regards to a requirement for a customer to recite (not simply answer yes/no) their account number during third party verification for telesales, PUCO said in adopting the new rules that if the customer verifies their identity via a valid form of government-issued ID (which the supplier may now use for enrollment, with the customer account information [number] then obtained from the eligible customer list as further discussed above), then the customer does not need to recite their customer account information on the telesales TPV
However, if the customer's identity is established via the provision by the customer of customer account information (not from the ECL), then the TPV for telesales must include the customer verbally providing the customer account information (and not simply answering yes/no as to whether the information is correct)
In the final rules, utilities are authorized to set "reasonable standards" that require retail suppliers to maintain financial assurances sufficient to protect customers and utilities from default. The rules explicitly exclude brokers and aggregators from these financial assurance requirements
The final rule does not include specific or prescriptive minimums, or limits, for the financial assurance required from retail suppliers
Specifically, a PUCO ALJ has directed that the adopted amendments to Ohio Adm.Code 4901:1-10-01, -24, and
-29; Ohio Adm.Code 4901:1-13-01, -12, and -14; Ohio Adm.Code 4901:1-21-06; Ohio
Adm.Code 4901:1-24-10 and -14; Ohio Adm.Code 4901:1-27-10 and -14; and Ohio Adm.Code
4901:1-29-06 shall be effective on October 5, 2026.
Case 25-729-GE-ORD, 25-0729-GE-ORD
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New Authority For Utilities To Impose Financial Standards On Retail Suppliers
September 25, 2026
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Copyright 2026 EnergyChoiceMatters.com
Reporting by Paul Ring • ring@energychoicematters.com
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