Md. PSC Seeks Additional Info from Utility Choice International

The Maryland PSC issued letter orders finding that the Commission requires additional information to rule on the pending electric and natural gas broker applications of Utility Choice International, LLC, and directed the company to answer several questions.

Among other things, the Commission sought a description of how and under what circumstances Utility Choice International grants approval to its independent representatives to use the company's logo, advertising and display copy, marketing materials, trademark, designs, documents, brochures, flyers, videos, and web sites.

Utility Choice International utilizes a network marketing approach. As only reported by Matters, Staff and the Office of People's Counsel have raised questions regarding whether the independent contractors under network marketing, and similar marketing methods, require individual broker licenses from the PSC (Matters, 9/27/10).

The PSC sought a representative copy of the contract between Utility Choice International and its independent representatives, and copies of Utility Choice International's training and marketing materials.

Furthermore, the Commission asked Utility Choice International to, "[d]escribe the Company's policy and instructions to its Independent Representatives regarding the disclosure of price to the customer for the electricity or gas supply in terms of the cost to the customer and the price to compare with other competitive offers and default standard offer/POLR supply."