<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".12" citation="COMAR 20.53.05.12" title_num="20" subtitle_num="53" chapter_num="05" heading="Nonpayment by Customer Receiving a Supplier-Consolidated Bill.">
  <paragraph num="A.">
    <text>If a customer has not paid the supplier’s consolidated bill or otherwise has breached the supply contract:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>The supplier may return the nonpaying customer to the utility pursuant to COMAR 20.53.06.06 or COMAR 20.53.07.10; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>The supplier shall conduct reasonable collection efforts for unpaid amounts if the supplier intends to seek repurchase of the regulated electric utility charges from the utility.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="B.">
    <text>Collection Notices.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>A supplier that provides two collection notices shall have complied with the reasonable collection efforts required by §A(2) of this regulation.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>A supplier may include a collection notice with its final bill to the customer.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>A collection notice shall be sent to the customer 15 days before the supplier submits regulated electric utility charges to the utility for repurchase.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>If a notice was not sent with the final bill in accordance with §B(2) of this regulation, a collection notice must be sent prior to sending the collection notice required in §B(3) of this regulation.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="C.">
    <text>A supplier shall prominently display the following information in the notices required to be sent in §B of this regulation:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>The total amount due;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>A statement that regulated utility charges will be returned to the utility due to nonpayment on a specific date;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>The date by which the payment was due to the supplier;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>The date on or after which the supplier will return the regulated utility charges to the utility if payment is not received; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(5)">
      <text>The telephone number at which the supplier representatives who handle payment arrangements, payment plans, and customer complaints may be reached.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="D.">
    <text>Purchase of Arrears and Limitations.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>After the supplier has conducted reasonable collection efforts as required by §A(3) of this regulation, the utility shall purchase arrearages attributable to the utility submitted by the supplier.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>A utility shall purchase arrearages attributable to the utility no more than:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>110 days after the utility sent an invoice with the charges to the supplier for residential customers; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>105 days after the utility sent an invoice with the charges to the supplier for nonresidential customers.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>A supplier may sell a utility arrearage to the utility if the customer remains with the supplier after a change in billing method.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="E.">
    <text>A supplier shall provide the following to a utility when submitting unpaid charges to the utility:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>The amount of unpaid regulated electric utility charges; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>The supplier’s electronic submission to the utility of a customer’s unpaid regulated electric utility charges, which shall constitute the supplier’s certification that the customer has not paid the charges pursuant to the payment posting hierarchy in Regulation .11 of this chapter.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="F.">
    <text>Records of Purchased Unpaid Charges.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>The utility shall maintain records of a utility’s repurchase of unpaid regulated electric utility charges for a minimum of 3 years from the date the supplier receives the utility’s payment, and the utility shall make the records available to the supplier upon request.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>The supplier shall maintain, for a minimum of 3 years from the date the supplier receives the utility’s payment, records of unpaid regulated electric utility charges sold to the utility.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>A supplier shall include in the records:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>The customer’s payment history; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>The appropriate application of the customer’s funds pursuant to Regulation .11 of this chapter.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>The supplier shall make the records available to the Commission and the utility upon request.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="G.">
    <text>A supplier shall report to the utility, every 2 weeks, the unpaid regulated electric utility charges.</text>
  </paragraph>
</regulation>