Installing energy assets, paying your electricity bill, or making a complaint? These are the key takeaways Ohioan energy users need to know about their electricity rights.
‘Know your rights’ is a popular refrain, one that applies to all aspects of our lives, even including our activity in the electricity market. If you are installing new energy assets, paying your energy bill, or making a complaint, you need to make sure you know your electricity rights. Navigating energy markets is complicated and time-consuming, so making sure you know what your rights are is vital if you want to avoid unpleasant surprises. EnPowered has put customers first since our inception and we want to make understanding the energy sector as transparent and simple as possible.
To this end, we’ve distilled the key takeaways from the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) that businesses need to remember about the state’s electricity scene. Ohioan energy users have had to deal with plenty of uncertainty, whether from the hurdles faced by renewable energy production under House Bill 786 or the continuing fallout from the House Bill 6 scandal. Know your electricity rights and protect yourself and your projects.
Installing new electricity solutions or services?
- PUCO states that electricity services should be set up within 3 business days from the time that the call to set up said service is received, unless construction is required.
- If your energy solution requires construction, electricity services must be set up within 10 business days after notification of the end of construction and installation.
- Your electricity supplier is required to notify you if service installation will take longer than 3 or 10 days (depending on circumstances), and must provide you with reasons for the delay, the steps being taken to rectify the situation, and a date when the installation will be completed.
Making a deposit?
- Your electricity company cannot charge a deposit that exceeds 130% of your estimated, average monthly bill for regulated services. If your deposit is held for longer than 6 months, the electricity company must pay 3% interest on the deposit.
- If you choose to enroll with an alternate electricity supplier, your electricity company must return any portion of your deposit that applies to the services they are no longer providing.
Something wrong with your bill?
- Contact your electricity company first if you feel there is an error with your bill — if the problem remains unsolved, contact PUCO.
- Pay the amount of the bill not in dispute, and remember that your electricity company cannot disconnect service over non-payment of disputed bill amounts, so long as you have registered a complaint or filled out a formal complaint form with PUCO.
Making a complaint?
- Electricity companies are required to investigate each informal complaint and resolve said complaints within 10 business days. If the problem is still not solved after 10 business days, your electricity company must provide you with status reports every 5 business days.
- If you need to take things further, remember that you have the right to file a formal complaint through the PUCO Call Center. Electricity companies have the opportunity to respond to formal complaints.
- If the problem persists, and if PUCO determines reasonable grounds for continuing, a hearing will take place at PUCO offices in Columbus, Ohio. This hearing will take place before a PUCO attorney examiner.
- Remember: corporations must be represented by an attorney during the formal complaint process, and you are responsible for proving the merits of the complaint.
At EnPowered customers always come first
Our founder, Tomas van Stee, started EnPowered to improve the energy sector after his parents’ farm was locked into a predatory electricity contract, so from Day 1 we have been putting customers front and center. We are a licensed energy company (OH-2017-3827) and we pride ourselves on our transparent, accountable, and customer-centric offerings and company vision.
Reach out today to find out how we can help you realize your energy goals.
