Bill Would Apply Rate Cap To Retail Supplier Pricing
February 22,2017
A bill (HP 192) has been introduced into the Maine legislature that would cap residential prices of retail electric providers at the default service rate, on an annual basis.
HP 192 provides that, "As a condition of licensing, a competitive electricity provider may not charge a residential consumer a rate for generation service that is higher than the standard-offer service rate available to residential customers in the service territory of the transmission and distribution utility that serves that consumer."
Another bill, SP 86, would provide that a supplier, "may not continue generation service beyond months without annual express consent from the consumer."
The prohibition would apply to residential and small commercial customers
Note that, as written, the provision would not only prohibit auto-renewals, but would also prohibit contracts longer than 12 months due to the "annual" express consent requirement (ostensibly, express consent for a longer-term contract at enrollment would not qualify)