The Commission adopted changes to its Consumer Bill of Rights requirements stemming from a rulemaking opened in 2014. The new and revised consumer protection requirements applicable to energy suppliers pertain to:

1) disclosure of consumer information;
2) requiring energy suppliers to institute a privacy protection policy to protect against unauthorized disclosure of customer information;
3) provision of a ten business day timeframe for OPC to comment on energy supplier consumer pamphlets;
4) expression of a variable price as based on market conditions and that the rate could result in higher or lower costs than an introductory rate;
5) requirements for up-front disclosures to prospective customers about products;
6) residential customer enrollment can be accomplished via recorded verbal consent, electronically or in writing;
7) contract renewals are not negative contract options;
8) a three business day right of rescission applies, the commencement of which depends upon the manner of customer solicitation and contracting;
9) for direct mail solicitations, an electronic signature constitutes an electronic signature and executed contract;
10) energy suppliers must prominently display on their website homepages the links to the Commission's website pages for Customer Retail Choice and Customer Supplier Offers; and
11) the utility shall transfer a customer to a competitive supplier in no later than three business days after receiving the notice of an enrollment transaction;
12) thirty day prior written notice of assignment of supplier contracts must be provided to affected customers, the Commission, the utility and OPC.

The full text of the Order and Revised Consumer Bill of Rights Rules are available on the NEM Website.

The Commission approved ComEd's request to include a Price to Compare (PTC) message on customer bills. ComEd had sought a declaratory ruling that inclusion of the PTC message is the type of “legitimate consumer education effort” authorized under Commission rules, and not impermissible promotion, advertising, and marketing. The Commission approved the following message:

"PRICE TO COMPARE: The ComEd electric supply price to compare is x.xxx cents per kWh. This price does not include a monthly purchased electricity adjustment factor that may range between +$0.005 and -$0.005 per kWh. For more information and supplier offers visit https://www.pluginillinois.org/fixedrate.aspx. For more information on ComEd bill line items go to ComEd.com/UnderstandBill."

The Commission also directed parties to continue workshops to discuss how the PTC language can be improved in view of questions raised about where the PTC message will be located on the bill and whether the PEA language is confusing. ORMD must file a report in 180 days on the workshop results and whether changes to the language are warranted. The full text of the Order is available on the NEM Website.