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OPC Recommends Suppliers Post SOS Rates On Suppliers’ Websites
The Maryland Office of People’s Counsel (OPC) has recommended that the Maryland PSC establish a workgroup to develop regulatory language implementing PUA § 7-315, which requires/prohibits certain disclosures by retail suppliers.
Excerpts from OPC’s Recommendations:
{***}The Commission should establish a workgroup to develop enhanced notice and disclosure rules for residential energy retailers.
- The Commission should direct the workgroup to develop specific notice and disclosure requirements for residential energy retailers.
Website FAQ Disclosures:
Residential energy retailers should be required to clearly disclose, on the FAQ section of their websites including:
- Cancellation and early termination penalties;
- Contract termination procedures;
- Late payment fee amounts;
- How to be placed on a utility’s “Do Not Transfer” list;
- Information on the Commission’s customer dispute resolution process;
- A statement that suppliers may not offer variable rates except for seasonal adjustments, which are limited to two per year.
- Supplier Contact Information:
- Residential energy retailers’ customer service contact details should appear on all forms of communication related to customer billing—mail, email, and text messages— not just monthly bills.
- Complete disclosure of the entire terms and conditions: OPC recommends that, pursuant to PUA § 7-315(c)(1), residential energy retailers be required to post the full contract terms and conditions for each currently available offer—not just the contract summary currently required under COMAR 20.53.07.07.C, and COMAR 20.59.07.07.C. Staff’s proposal to rely solely on summaries would leave consumers and regulators without website-access to the complete terms that govern supplier-customer relationships. Full transparency is essential and will impose minimal additional burdens on residential energy retailers. {***}
See filed comments at docket link below.
OPC Comments (04/24/2025)
Staff Comments (04/14/2025)
PC68 (02/03/2025)
(Language for Residential Retailer’s Notices and Disclosures)
