PSC Directs Utility To Include Choice Education Materials In Bill

The Delaware PSC directed Delmarva Power to include certain electric choice education materials in bills, but the materials will not include specific supplier offers.

As previously reported, Direct Energy had sought to include certain information in Delmarva bills concerning its offers under its status as the, "Electric Retail Supplier Exclusively Contracted by the State of Delaware."

The PSC directed Delmarva to include in its residential and small commercial bills a, "bill insert will include general information regarding customer choice and will refer to a Commission-maintained website for additional information."

"The bill insert will also include a list of active electricity suppliers, in alphabetical order, who meet the criteria set forth," by the PSC noted below

The incremental cost of the bill insert will be paid by electric suppliers who elect to participate in the bill insert

The Commission directed Staff to immediately develop and implement a webpage on the Commission's website that lists in alphabetical order, the name, telephone number, website address, and link to website, of each Commission-certified supplier, that as of October 6, 2016, is "actively offering" supply choice options to Delmarva residential and small commercial customers in Delaware. Commission-certified suppliers will be considered to be actively offering supply choice options if, pursuant to Delmarva's records as of October 6, 2016, a supplier: (a) has a total of no fewer than 10 combined residential and small commercial customers in Delaware; (b) is registered with Delmarva; and (c) is ready to immediately begin accepting additional supply customers through at least the end of 2016, the PSC ordered

In addition, the website shall note in a footnote any supplier that has been approved by the State of Delaware to provide, "a special electric supply product offering to Residential and Small Commercial customers," by stating that the supplier is the, "Electric Retail Supplier Exclusively Contracted by the State of Delaware" [Direct Energy has been awarded this designation by the state]

In addition, suppliers who are certified by the Commission as of October 6, 2016 but as of October 6, 2016 are not meeting the requirements of (a), (b), and (c) as listed above, may also be included in the listing if, by October 31, 2016, such suppliers provide a verification to the Commission, executed by an officer of such supplier, confirming that the supplier will be fully prepared to begin accepting Delmarva Residential and Small Commercial supply customers as of November 1, 2016, or for inclusion on the Commission's website at any point after October 31, 2016, such verification may be provided at a subsequent date.

The issue of any improvements or upgrades to the website shall be considered in Docket No. 15-1693. The issue of future educational choice bill inserts will also be reserved for Docket No. 15-1693.

Delmarva shall use reasonable best efforts to distribute the bill insert starting in bills for the December bill cycles.

Docket 16-0744