PUC Will Require Rescission Period For Customers Taking Retail Supply Under Seamless Moves, Extends Deadline For Compliance Plans

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio issued an order directing that a rescission period be granted to customers under a new "seamless move" process, and also granted further time for the filing of operational compliance plans

In a rehearing order concerning its retail market investigation, PUCO affirmed its decision to require the electric utilities to adopt seamless moves.

In Ohio, a seamless move allows a customer to transfer an existing CRES contract to a new address, if the customer and CRES provider both consent to the transfer of the contract. The customer would receive generation service from the CRES provider on the first day of service at the new address. Unlike contract portability, in Ohio, a seamless move requires that the customer affirmatively choose that opportunity when calling the EDU to transfer service

"The Commission recognizes that there will be costs associated with the implementation of new systems and details of implementation and cost allocation will be determined in the future, after parties have had a full and fair opportunity to address these issues and the proposed EDU operational plans. However, in order to allow the EDUs and marketers time to consider the upgrades and processes needed to implement the new system, the Commission will grant an extension of the operational plan deadline to nine months from the final order in this case," PUCO said

Furthermore, PUCO ordered that, "each EDU's operational plan must include a 7-day rescission period for customers when service is transferred to a new address."

PUCO affirmed its prior rejection of a "warm transfer" process, which would have allowed a customer to transfer an existing CRES contract to a new address, through a three-way conference call with the electric distribution utility (EDU) and his or her CRES provider

Case No. 12-3151-EL-COI