An Act To Ensure Accurate Explanations of Electric Bills
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 35-A MRSA §3106 is enacted to read:
§ 3106. Consumer protections; bill information
The commission by rule shall establish customer bill information requirements for investor-owned transmission and distribution utilities that:
1. Historical rate information. Require investor-owned transmission and distribution utilities to include, once per year, as an insert or attachment to customer bills, an informational chart produced by the commission that displays a 10-year history of transmission, distribution and standard-offer service rates available to the customer's rate class, along with a statement of the total percentage change in transmission, distribution and standard-offer service rates over the 10-year period. The commission shall post the informational charts produced pursuant to this subsection on the commission's publicly accessible website;
2. Consumer assistance. Require a customer bill issued by an investor-owned transmission and distribution utility to display clearly and prominently the toll-free telephone number for the commission's consumer assistance and safety division and a statement of the consumer assistance services available by calling the division; and
3. Correction of misleading information. Establish a process by which, if the commission finds that an investor-owned transmission and distribution utility has included on customer bills, or inserts or attachments to customer bills, information that is misleading, deceptive or inaccurate, the transmission and distribution utility is required to provide to customers a statement that corrects the misleading, deceptive or inaccurate information that was disseminated. Upon request of the Public Advocate, the commission shall investigate the truth and accuracy of information included on customer bills, or inserts or attachments to customer bills.
Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
Effective 90 days following adjournment of the 129th Legislature, First Regular Session, unless otherwise indicated.