Illinois Administrative Code › Title 83 - PUBLIC UTILITIES › Part 412 - OBLIGATIONS OF RETAIL ELECTRIC SUPPLIERS › Subpart B - MARKETING PRACTICES › Section 412.165 - Rate Notice to Customers

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 28, July 12, 2024
a) Each ARES shall
				make publicly available on its website, without need for customer login, rates
				currently available to residential customers, including but not limited to fixed
				periodic charges and per-kWh charges. The ARES must disclose the period to which the
				rates will apply. In addition, each ARES shall provide the rate information to its
				variable and time-of-use rate customers who request it through the ARES' toll-free
				number. The customer's contract shall contain the website address and toll-free
				phone number for the customer to obtain variable and time-of-use rate information in
				accordance with this Section. Additionally, when a customer's rates change during
				the term of an agreement or contract, the ARES shall make the new rates available to
				that customer on its website and, if applicable, through the customer's online
				account at least 30 days prior to the effective date of any rate change applicable
				for that billing cycle.
b) If the ARES's
				charges are for residential variable or time-of-use rate customers, the ARES shall
				use the allotted space on the bill to disclose the customer's variable or
				time-of-use rate that is in effect at the time the bill is received by the customer
				and the percentage change, if any, of the variable or time-of-use rate from one
				monthly billing period to the next. When there is insufficient available allotted
				space on the bill for the ARES to make these disclosures each month, the ARES shall
				ensure that no residential variable or time-of-use rate customer receives
				consecutive monthly bills that fail to disclose upcoming variable or time-of-use
				rates in the bill's message section.
c)
				If the ARES bills its residential variable or time-of-use rate customers directly,
				the ARES shall ensure that those customers' bills always contain the variable or
				time-of-use rate information described in this Section. Additionally, every ARES
				that issues a single bill for delivery and supply shall include the electric
				utility's price to compare ("PTC") on the bill.
d) If the electric utility's implementation of
				Section 16-118(d) prevents an ARES from complying with this Section, the ARES shall
				include a bill message that contains the toll-free phone number and/or website
				address where the variable or time-of-use rate information can be obtained by the
				customer. The requirements of subsections (b) and (c) to provide notifications in
				customer bills do not apply if the ARES sends the notifications required by this
				subsection via a written communication sent at the same time as the customer's
				monthly bill.
e) If a residential
				variable rate customer's rate increases by more than 20% from one monthly billing
				period to the next, the ARES shall send a separate written, dated, notice to the
				customer, informing the customer of the upcoming rate change and shall include the
				electric utility's PTC.
f) Subsections
				(a) through (e) shall not apply to contracts that disclose the formula that will
				allow a customer to determine the variable or time-of-use rate based on a publicly
				available index or benchmark. For contracts to which subsections (a) through (e) do
				not apply:
1) The ARES shall provide sufficient
				information on its website to identify the inputs to the formula used to calculate
				the variable or time-of-use rate, including the timing and location of the index or
				benchmark price and any other information necessary to calculate the rate;
2) The ARES shall provide clear and unambiguous
				information on the index or benchmark and any risks represented by the potential
				volatility (price spikes) involved in the rate calculations;
3) Notice of the rates shall be available on the
				ARES's website and by toll-free telephone as soon as reasonably practicable;
				and
4) For time-of-use rates, high price
				notifications shall be given when the rate meets or exceeds a level set by the
				customer; notice shall be given as soon as practicable by telephone, email, or text
				message, as authorized by the customer.