Under the Choices for You
Program (Riders SVT and AGG), the SVT Supplier ("Supplier") shall:
- Render all bills to customers in clear and understandable language;
- Include the telephone number of the Supplier's Customer Information Center
and North Shore Gas emergency number and
statements that North Shore Gas should be
notified in the event of an emergency or suspected gas leak on all bills rendered
to customers;
- Identify the Supplier's charges and the Company's charges for all
bills issued that include the Company's charges;
- Provide a toll free telephone exchange or local telephone exchange number for
customers to contact the Supplier;
- Include a statement in all bills rendered to customers indicating that service
was rendered pursuant to the Company's Choices for You program;
- Promptly notify any current or past customers of any billing adjustment for
cancels and rebills;
- Establish customer complaint procedures and respond to complaints promptly;
- Ensure that customers are given adequate prior notice (15 days) of
termination of commodity service from the Supplier to any applicable contract
termination or at least (15) days notice in the event of non-payment of Supplier
services for more than (45) days;
- Refrain from direct marketing to the customers on the Company's Do Not Contact
list;
- Adhere to any applicable truth-in-advertising laws;
- Refrain from telemarketing to the Company's customers between the hours of
9 p.m. and 8 a.m.;
- Comply with the following requirements with respect to marketing, offering
and provision of products or services to residential retail customers;
- Any marketing materials which make statements concerning prices, terms
and conditions of service shall contain information that adequately discloses
the prices, terms and conditions of the products or services that the
Supplier is offering or selling to the customer;
- Before any customer is switched from another Supplier, the new Supplier
shall give the customer written information that adequately discloses, in
plain language, the prices, terms and conditions of the product and services
being offered and sold to the customer;
- Provide to each customer added to or deleted* from a pool they manage, a
letter of explanation sent through the U.S. mail;
- Include as a minimum, the following information for voice-recorded
customer contract: name of Supplier, authorization of Supplier as agent,
pricing of natural gas, other charges, contract termination charges (if
any), customer name, account number, and meter number;
- File with the Illinois Commerce Commission and provide to the Company a copy
of bill formats, standard customer contract and customer complaint and
resolution procedures, and provide a Supplier contact and telephone number prior
to May 1, 2002 or the Supplier beginning participation in the Choices for You
Program, and on an ongoing basis as warranted by changes in any of the above;
- Provide each residential customer the opportunity to rescind its
agreement without penalty.
Failure to comply with these Standards of Conduct is a basis for removal as a
qualified Supplier under Choices for You. Any party alleging improper enforcement of
the Standards of Conduct may file a complaint with the Illinois Commerce Commission
pursuant to Section 10-108 of the Illinois Public Utilities Act.
