<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<chapter num="06" heading="Nonresidential Customer Protection" title_num="20" subtitle_num="53">
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".01" heading="Scope.">
    <text>This chapter applies to supplier services to nonresidential customers.</text>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".02" heading="Enrollment.">
    <paragraph num="A.">
      <text>A supplier may not enroll a customer without the customer's consent.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="B.">
      <text>A customer's choice of electricity supplier is the electricity supplier with the last enrollment of the customer received by the utility consistent with the requirements of COMAR 20.53.04.02.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".03" heading="Termination.">
    <paragraph num="A.">
      <text>Except as provided under §§B and C of this regulation, an electric company may not terminate service for failure of a customer to pay supplier charges.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="B.">
      <text>If a utility purchases the receivables of a supplier under COMAR 20.53.05.03, the purchased supplier receivables become utility charges for the purpose of termination of service.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="C.">
      <text>If a utility purchases arrearages attributable to a utility as described in COMAR 20.53.05.12D from a supplier providing supplier-consolidated billing services, the purchased arrearages become utility charges for the purpose of termination of service under COMAR 20.31.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".04" heading="Contract Requirements.">
    <paragraph num="A.">
      <text>Only a person licensed under COMAR 20.51 as a supplier may execute an electricity supply contract with a customer.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="B.">
      <text>A supplier contract shall contain all material terms and conditions.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".05" heading="Notice of Enrollment.">
    <paragraph num="A.">
      <text>Form and Presentation.</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>A supplier and the utility shall provide written notice of enrollment to a customer entering into a service agreement with the supplier on the next business day following the supplier's receipt of the utility's enrollment response.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>If a customer's billing method changes, the notice of enrollment shall contain a statement that the customer's previous billing providers may still bill the customer for unpaid charges.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(3)">
        <text>A supplier's presentation of a signed copy of the customer's contract at any time before enrollment constitutes sufficient written notice of enrollment to the customers.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="B.">
      <text>Enrollment Notice Content.</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>An electricity supplier shall provide notice of enrollment of a customer to a utility in a format consistent with the Commission-accepted utility supplier coordination agreement.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>Notice of enrollment under §B(1) of this regulation shall include the following:</text>
        <paragraph num="(a)">
          <text>Customer account name;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(b)">
          <text>Customer service address;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(c)">
          <text>Billing name;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(d)">
          <text>Billing address;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(e)">
          <text>Utility name;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(f)">
          <text>Utility account number;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(g)">
          <text>Supplier name;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(h)">
          <text>Supplier account number;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>Commodity provided;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(j)">
          <text>Effective date of the enrollment; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(k)">
          <text>Whether the customer will receive supplier-consolidated billing service.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".06" heading="Cancellation of Supply Service.">
    <paragraph num="A.">
      <text>Except as provided under §D of this regulation or in a tariff regarding supplier default, a utility may remove a customer from supplier services only if directed by a supplier, subject to applicable bankruptcy law.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="B.">
      <text>A supplier shall process a customer's request to cancel supply services not later than the end of the second utility business day after the customer's cancellation request.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="C.">
      <text>A supplier shall notify the customer's utility of a drop by electronic transaction within the time period specified in §B of this regulation.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="D.">
      <text>Customer Cancellation.</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>After the third utility business day following a customer request for a supplier to cancel supply service, the customer may contact the utility to verify that the cancellation request submitted by the supplier has been processed by the utility.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>If a customer's cancellation request has not been processed by the customer's utility, and the customer requests cancellation of supplier service, the utility shall process a cancellation.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="E.">
      <text>Supplier-Consolidated Billing-Nonpaying Customer.</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>A supplier providing supplier-consolidated billing services shall provide a nonpaying customer a minimum of 3 days notice before cancellation of the customer’s contract.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>A supplier’s notice to a nonpaying customer under §E(1) of this regulation shall include:</text>
        <paragraph num="(a)">
          <text>The total amount due;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(b)">
          <text>The date by which the payment is due to the supplier;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(c)">
          <text>The date on or after which the supplier will transmit the drop request to the utility if payment is not received; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(d)">
          <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>
    <paragraph num="F.">
      <text>A customer may designate a third party to receive a notice of drop for nonpayment as required in §E(2) of this regulation on the customer's behalf.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".07" heading="Rescission Period.">
    <text>A supplier is not required to offer a contract rescission period except where required by law.</text>
  </regulation>
  <annotations>
    <annotation type="Authority">Public Utilities Article, §§2-113, 2-121, 5-101, 7-505, 7-507, 7-511, and 7-603, Annotated Code of Maryland</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Effective date: June 20, 2008 (35:11 Md. R. 1043)</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Regulation .02B amended effective March 11, 2019 (46:5 Md. R. 309)</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Regulation .03A amended effective March 7, 2022 (49:5 Md. R. 367)</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Regulation .03C adopted effective March 7, 2022 (49:5 Md. R. 367)</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Regulation .05 amended effective March 7, 2022 (49:5 Md. R. 367)</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Regulation .06 amended effective April 6, 2009 (36:7 Md. R. 527)</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Regulation .06E repealed effective March 11, 2019 (46:5 Md. R. 309)</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Regulation .06E, F adopted effective March 7, 2022 (49:5 Md. R. 367)</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Regulation .07 amended effective March 11, 2019 (46:5 Md. R. 309)</annotation>
  </annotations>
</chapter>