Statutes, codes, and regulations
Delaware Administrative Code
Title 26 - Public UtilitiesEnergy Regulations
Rules for Certification and Regulation of Electric Suppliers
Section 3001-10.0 - Customer Protection

26 Del. Admin. Code § 3001-10.0

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Current through Register Vol. 28, No. 4, October 1, 2024
Section 3001-10.0 - Customer Protection
10.1 General Customer Protections. No electric supplier or broker shall engage in fraudulent or improper activities, nor shall it disseminate any customer information obtained pursuant to subsection 3.1. Electric suppliers or brokers found to have violated these provisions may be subject to certificate revocation, penalties, or both as described in subsection 17.2.1 and 26 Del.C. § 1019.
10.2 Electric suppliers and agents shall not:
10.2.1 Engage in false, misleading, or deceptive conduct or make false, misleading or deceptive statements or representations in any dealings with customers;
10.2.2 Say or suggest to a prospective customer that the prospective customer is required to choose an electric supplier;
10.2.3 Say or suggest to a prospective customer that the prospective customer's service will suffer degradation or risk if the prospective customer does not choose an electric supplier; or
10.2.4 Suggest a relationship that does not exist with the customer's SOSS, EDC, government agency or another electric supplier.
10.3 Electric suppliers and brokers are responsible for any false, fraudulent, deceptive or unlawful marketing or billing acts performed by their agents in the conduct of marketing or sales activities on behalf of the electric supplier or broker.
10.4 Agent Training.
10.4.1 An electric supplier shall ensure the training of its agents on the following subjects:
10.4.1.1 State and Federal laws and regulations that govern marketing, Telemarketing, consumer protection and door-to-door sales, including consumer protection regulations required by Delaware law and regulations;
10.4.1.2 Responsible and ethical sales practices as described in this regulation;
10.4.1.3 The electric supplier's products and services;
10.4.1.4 The electric supplier's prices, price structures and payment options;
10.4.1.5 The customer's right to rescind and cancel contracts;
10.4.1.6 The applicability of an early termination fee for contract cancellation when the electric supplier has one;
10.4.1.7 The necessity of correctly and fully explaining the contract, contract summary, relying on approved sales script and knowledge of the contents of the script, if one is used;
10.4.1.8 The proper completion of transaction documents;
10.4.1.9 The electric supplier's contract and contract summary;
10.4.1.10 Information about how customers may contact the electric supplier to obtain information about billing, disputes and complaints; and
10.4.1.11 The confidentiality and protection of customer information.
10.4.2 An electric supplier shall document the training of an agent and maintain a record of the training for 3 years from the date the training was completed.
10.4.3 An electric supplier shall make training materials and training records available to the Commission and the DPA upon request.
10.4.4 When an electric supplier contracts with an independent contractor or vendor to perform marketing or sales activities on the electric supplier's behalf, the electric supplier shall confirm that the contractor or vendor has provided electric supplier-approved training to agents in accordance with this section.
10.4.5 The electric supplier shall routinely monitor telemarketing calls and door-to-door sales calls to:
10.4.5.1 Evaluate the electric supplier's training program; and
10.4.5.2 Ensure that agents are providing accurate and complete information, complying with applicable rules and regulations and providing courteous service to customers.
10.4.5.3 The electric supplier shall maintain records of such monitoring activities, results, and actions taken in response to the results of the monitoring activities and make such records available to the Commission and the DPA upon request.
10.5 Slamming. An electric supplier shall not engage in slamming. If a customer believes that their electric supply service has been switched without authorization, the customer may request that the electric supplier provide evidence of the authorization and verification. The electric supplier must provide this to the customer within 5 business days if feasible, but no longer than 15 business days of the request. If the customer is not satisfied with this response, the customer may file a complaint with the Commission pursuant to 26 DE Admin. Code 1001 et seq.
10.6 Cramming. An electric supplier shall not engage in cramming. If the Commission determines that an electric supplier may have engaged in cramming, the electric supplier may be subject to investigation and, after a hearing, the Commission may impose penalties or require the electric supplier to void and refund all of the charges in question.
10.7 Complaint Procedures to be followed by the customer (or a broker acting on behalf of a customer).
10.7.1 A customer (or a broker acting on behalf of a customer) should first notify the electric supplier of its complaint.
10.7.2 If the customer (or a broker acting on behalf of a customer) and electric supplier are not able to come to a resolution, the customer or broker may contact the DPA with its complaint. If the DPA is unable to effect a satisfactory resolution, the customer or broker may file a formal complaint with the Commission as described in 26 DE Admin. Code 1001, subsection 2.2.1 Rules of Practice and Procedure of the Delaware Public Service Commission.
10.7.3 A broker acting on behalf of a customer must provide written proof to the Commission and the DPA, with a copy to the electric supplier, that it is authorized to act on the customer's behalf in order to file and maintain a complaint.
10.8 Complaint Procedures to be Followed by the Electric Supplier.
10.8.1 The electric supplier shall use good faith efforts to respond to and resolve complaints.
10.8.2 An electric supplier shall investigate customer inquiries, disputes and complaints concerning marketing or sales practices. The electric supplier shall cooperate with the Commission and other government agencies that are investigating complaints about marketing or sales practices prohibited by State and Federal laws and with local law enforcement officials that are investigating complaints about violations of local municipal law.
10.8.3 An electric supplier shall implement an internal process for responding to and resolving customer inquiries, disputes and complaints. The process shall document as a record the customer inquiry, dispute or complaint, subsequent communications between the supplier and the customer, and the resolution of the inquiry, dispute or complaint. An electric supplier shall retain the record for three years in a system capable of retrieving that record by customer name and account number or by other effective means to obtain access to the information.
10.8.4 If the customer and electric supplier are not able to come to a resolution, the electric supplier will inform the customer that it may contact the DPA.
10.8.5 In any complaint proceeding before the DPA or the Commission, the burden of proof shall be on the marketer or broker to establish, if applicable, that its agents were adequately trained and that the customer was enrolled in accordance with this regulation.
10.9 Return of Customer Deposits. If a customer has an outstanding or unpaid balance due, an electric supplier may apply the deposit against such unpaid balance. Any remaining deposit amount shall be returned to the customer.
10.10 Assignment of Contracts.
10.10.1 At least 30 days prior to the effective date of any assignment or transfer of an electric supplier contract from one electric supplier to another, the electric supplier shall jointly:
10.10.1.1 Provide written notice of the assignment or transfer to the customers of the electric supplier, with a copy to the Commission, the EDC, and the DPA; and
10.10.1.2 Coordinate with the EDC to effectuate the transfers of service.
10.10.1.3 Notice to Customer. The electric suppliers shall jointly send a letter to the customers informing them of the assignment or transfer. The letter shall include:
10.10.1.3.1 A description of the transaction in clear and concise language including the effective date of the assignment or transfer;
10.10.1.3.2 Customer service contact information for the assignee; and
10.10.1.3.3 A statement that the terms and conditions of the customer's contract at the time of assignment shall remain the same for the remainder of the contract term.
10.10.1.4 The electric suppliers shall file a notice with the Commission, the DPA, and the EDC, of the assignment or transfer of the customer contracts and include a copy of the letter sent to customers.
10.10.2 Upon request by the Commission, the assignee shall be responsible for providing documents and records related to the assigned contracts. Records shall be maintained for a period of 3 years or until the contracts are expired, whichever is longer.
10.10.3 An assignment or transfer of an electric supplier contract from one electric supplier to another is not an enrollment or drop.
10.11 Record Retention. All electric suppliers shall retain a copy of the customer's contract, contract summary, billing and payment history, and verification of enrollment for a period of three years after enrollment or termination of the contract, whichever is later.

26 Del. Admin. Code § 3001-10.0

27 DE Reg. 262 (10/1/2023)
27 DE Reg. 983 (6/1/2024) (Final)