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*NEW*: Educational and Training Legal Reference Manual for Suppliers (per Senate Bill 1)
To comply with § 7-510.2 of the Public Utilities Article, Annotated Code of Maryland (PUA), the Maryland Public Service Commission is required to maintain a customer choice website and secure portal to receive information about open offers to supply electricity from retail energy suppliers. The website must include:
(1) A list of all electricity suppliers that have open offers to supply electricity to residential customers in a customer’s service area, sortable by:
(i) cost of service;
(ii) cost of electricity per kilowatt–hour;
(iii) rate structure;
(iv) duration of the contract;
(v) cancellation fee; and
(vi) any other aspect of service that the Commission considers necessary;
(2) a way to compare electricity suppliers based on the sortable items specified under item (1) of this subsection; and
(3) a link to the website of each electricity supplier with an open offer to supply electricity to residential customers.
Each electricity supplier that is actively seeking residential customers in a service territory in the state shall maintain at least one open offer to supply electricity to residential customers on the Commission’s website at all times. Suppliers shall submit open offers to the Commission’s website according to instructions provided by the Commission. Electric suppliers should upload new/updated residential offers through this MD Electric Choice secure supplier portal within three (3) days of a change to an open offer.
In the event of a discrepancy between a supplier’s open offer posted on the Commission’s website and the supplier’s corresponding open offer displayed on the supplier’s website, the supplier shall honor the terms that are more favorable to the customer.
Customers also have the right to remain on their utility’s default service and not be contacted by energy suppliers. The Commission’s July 19, 2024 notice details the ‘Do Not Transfer’ list requirements for customers who want to opt out of marketing contacts.
Relevant sections of COMAR (Code of Maryland Regulations):
Subtitle 51 ELECTRICITY SUPPLIERS
- COMAR 20.51.01 General Provisions
- COMAR 20.51.02 Administrative Provisions
- COMAR 20.51.03 Electricity Supplier License Requirements
Subtitle 53 COMPETITIVE ELECTRICITY SUPPLY
- COMAR 20.53.01 General
- COMAR 20.53.03 Pre-enrollment Information
- COMAR 20.53.04 Transfers of Service
- COMAR 20.53.05 Supplier-Utility Coordination and Utility Consolidated Billing
- COMAR 20.53.07 Residential Customer Protection
- COMAR 20.53.08 Supplier Agent Relations