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Effective Date Set for New Mercantile Customer Rule Governing Return to Default Service
On July 7, 2026 an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) issued an order establishing July 17, 2026 as the effective date for new rules governing the return of mercantile customers to default service, including expedited returns to the SSO, at OAC 4901:1-10-36 and 4901:1-21-21.
As reported previously, “By Entry dated June 15, 2026, the administrative law judge directed that by June 30, 2026, interested stakeholders should provide Staff with any feedback regarding the draft certified-request form which Staff had published on the Commission’s website.”
“AEP Ohio filed comments on June 30, 2026. In the comments, AEP Ohio contends that the certified request form’s use of the term “Mercantile Customer Account Number” is ambiguous, potentially meaning either a customer’s unique EDU billing account number or a customer’s Service Delivery Identifier (SDI) number. In some cases, AEP Ohio states, one customer could have multiple SDI numbers for one bill account number. Thus, confusion might result during a switch to a CRES supplier about which service point the customer seeks to switch over to a CRES supplier. Instead, AEP Ohio recommends that the “Customer Account Number” should mean the SDI number, not a billing account number.”
“In response, Staff has modified the certified request form to reflect this change. The updated certified request form is available on the Commission’s website on the Competitive Retail Electric Service Provider Forms and Applications page (available at https://puco.ohio.gov/utilities/electricity/resources/competitive-retail-electricservicecertification).”
“Pursuant to the requirements of R.C. 111.15, the Commission filed the proposed amendments adopted in this proceeding with the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR). JCARR’s jurisdiction over the amendments to the rules ended as of July 5, 2026. {¶ 11} Consequently, the effective date of these rules will become July 17, 2026.”
As reported previously, PUCO’s approved rule language requires retail electric supplier to provide seven (7) calendar days’ notice to the mercantile customer and the utility prior to submitting a certified request to the utility to return the mercantile customer to the SSO, “unless a different timeframe is agreed to between the parties in the voluntary service agreement that explicitly authorizes the expedited return.”
