Texas PUC To Open Rulemaking On Tablet-Enabled In-Person Sales, Waives TPV Requirement for REP As Pilot

Prompted by a request for a good cause exception sought by IGS Energy, Commissioners of the Texas Public Utility Commission agreed to open a generic rulemaking concerning the use of tablets and other hand-held devices for door-to-door electricity sales.

IGS Energy (Accent Energy) had applied for a good cause exception from certain existing door-to-door rules for its sales process in which door-to-door agents use tablets to enroll customers online. Specifically, IGS Energy sought a good cause exception of the TPV requirement, with IGS Energy instead complying with the internet enrollment rules

Click here for more specifics on the IGS Energy enrollment process

Commissioners agreed to grant IGS Energy the requested good cause exception to allow the proposed tablet-based door-to-door sales method without TPV for a period of 12 months, to essentially serve as a pilot as the Commission considers the issues in a generic rulemaking which is to be opened. If a rule has not been adopted by the end of 12 months, the company would have to re-apply to continue the exception

IGS Energy's good cause exception was premised on its specific process described in its application, and conditioned on its inclusion of a notice concerning the customer's right of rescission in the body of its email message to the customer confirming the terms of service, accessible without the need to open an attachment or hyperlink

Docket 44518