Standards of conduct

Under the Choices for You Program (Riders SVT and AGG), the SVT Supplier ("Supplier") shall:

  1. Render all bills to customers in clear and understandable language;
  2. Include the telephone number of the Supplier's Customer Information Center and Peoples Gas emergency number and statements that Peoples Gas should be notified in the event of an emergency or suspected gas leak on all bills rendered to customers;
  3. Identify the Supplier's charges and the Company's charges for all bills issued that include the Company's charges;
  4. Provide a toll free telephone exchange or local telephone exchange number for customers to contact the Supplier;
  5. Include a statement in all bills rendered to customers indicating that service was rendered pursuant to the Company's Choices for You program;
  6. Promptly notify any current or past customers of any billing adjustment for cancels and rebills;
  7. Establish customer complaint procedures and respond to complaints promptly;
  8. 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;
  9. Refrain from direct marketing to the customers on the Company's Do Not Contact list;
  10. Adhere to any applicable truth-in-advertising laws;
  11. Refrain from telemarketing to the Company's customers between the hours of 9 p.m. and 8 a.m.;
  12. Comply with the following requirements with respect to marketing, offering and provision of products or services to residential retail customers;
    1. 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;
    2. 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;
  13. Provide to each customer added to or deleted* from a pool they manage, a letter of explanation sent through the U.S. mail;
  14. 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;
  15. 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;
  16. 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.