Pa. PUC Orders Utilities to Send Postcard Encouraging Customers to Shop

The Pennsylvania PUC, via Secretarial Letter, ordered eight of the state's electric distribution companies (EDCs) to mail a postcard promoting electric shopping to small volume customers.

Specifically, the EDCs were directed to, "produce and mail a Commission-endorsed postcard encouraging customers to shop for a competitive electric generation supplier as well as promoting the Commission's website for electric shopping, www.PAPowerSwitch.com" (emphasis added)

The Secretarial Letter noted that the Commission-endorsed postcard is one of several consumer education initiatives put forth during the Investigation of Pennsylvania's Retail Electricity Markets, which is being conducted by the Office of Competitive Market Oversight (OCMO). While several proposals in an intermediate retail markets workplan were voted for comment by the PUC yesterday (see related story today), the order in the Secretarial Letter appears final, and the direction to the EDCs to send the postcard does not appear to be subject to comment or further PUC order (although the specific content of the postcard may be developed via stakeholder comment in the intermediate workplan; this is not clear).

Specific EDCs ordered to send the postcard to customers are: Duquesne Light Company; Metropolitan Edison; PECO Energy Company; Pennsylvania Electric Company; Pennsylvania Power Company; PPL Electric Utilities Corporation; Pike County Light and Power; and West Penn Power Company.

The Secretarial Letter states that the Commission's Office of Communications will supply the layout as a digital file as well as printing specifications. Upon receipt of the digital file, EDCs will be responsible to have the postcards produced and mailed as expeditiously as possible, using current customer mailing lists to label and mail the 6” x 10” postcards to all residential and the smallest general service rate class customers.

The Secretarial Letter directs that the mailing should occur no later than February 29, 2012.

The Secretarial Letter was filed in Docket I-2011-2237952.