Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 45, November 9, 2024
Section 54.4 - Bill format for residential and small business customers(a) EGS prices billed must reflect the marketed prices and the agreed upon prices in the disclosure statement.(b) The following requirements apply only to the extent to which an entity has responsibility for billing customers, to the extent that the charges are applicable. The default service provider will be considered to be an EGS for the purposes of this section. Duplication of billing for the same or identical charges by both the EDC and EGS is not permitted.(1) EDC charges must appear separately from EGS charges.(2) Charges for basic services must appear before charges for nonbasic services, and appear distinctly separate.(3) Customer bills must contain the following charges, if these charges are applicable, and these charges must appear in a distinct section of the bill. The designation or label of each charge as either a basic charge or nonbasic charge appears in parenthesis following the name of the charge. This label of either basic or nonbasic is not required to accompany the name of the charge on the bill.(i) Generation charges (basic).(A) Generation charges shall be presented in a standard pricing unit for electricity in actual dollars or cents per kWh, actual average dollars or cents per kWh, kW or other Commission-approved standard pricing unit.(B) Generation charges shall appear first among the basic charges with one exception. EDCs may place the customer charge first among the basic charges.(ii) Transmission charges (basic).(iii) Distribution charges (basic).(iv) Customer charge or basic charge (charge for basic service in § 56.15 (relating to billing information)) (basic).(v) Advanced metering charges (basic).(vi) Transition charges (basic).(vii) Taxes (comply with § 56.15) (basic).(viii) Late payment charges (basic).(ix) Security deposit (basic).(x) Reconnection fee (basic).(xi) Itemization of nonbasic charges (nonbasic).(xii) Overall billing total.(4) The entity reading the meter for billing purposes shall provide the following electricity use data figures: (i) The total annual electricity use for the past 12 months in kWh, including the current billing cycle. This is a single cumulative number.(ii) The average monthly electricity use for the past 12 months in kWh, including the current billing cycle. This is a single cumulative number.(5) The requirements of § 56.15 shall be incorporated in customer bills to the extent that they apply.(6) Definitions for the following charges and terms are required in a customer's bill, if they appear as billing items, as contained in "Common Electric Competition Terms" and shall be in a distinctly separate section of the bill:(ii) Transmission charges.(iii) Distribution charges.(iv) Customer charge/basic charge (charge for basic service in § 56.15).(v) Advanced metering, if applicable.(7) "General Information" is the required title for customer contact information in a customer's bill.(i) The name, address and telephone number for the EGS and EDC shall be included.(ii) Both EDC and EGS information in subparagraph (i) is required on all customer bills with the billing entity's information first.(8) When a customer chooses the option to receive a separate bill for generation supply, the EDC shall include in a customer's bill the following information where the EGS charges would normally appear: (ii) A statement that the customer's EGS is responsible for the billing of EGS charges.(9) When a customer chooses the option to receive a single bill from the EDC, the EDC shall include in the customer's bill the name of the EGS where the EGS charges appear.(10) For customers who have chosen electric generation services from a competitive supplier, the customer's bill shall include the following statements which may appear together in a paragraph: (i) "Generation prices and charges are set by the electric generation supplier you have chosen."(ii) "The Public Utility Commission regulates distribution prices and services."(iii) "The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission regulates transmission prices and services."(c) The billing entity shall provide samples of customer bills to the Commission for review.The provisions of this §54.4 amended September 14, 2007, effective 9/15/2007, 37 Pa.B. 4996. This section cited in 52 Pa. Code § 54.1 (relating to purpose); 52 Pa. Code § 56.15 (relating to billing information); and 52 Pa. Code § 56.265 (relating to billing information).