(a) The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, in consultation with the Office of Consumer Counsel, shall establish a program for the dissemination of information regarding electric suppliers. Such program shall require electric distribution companies to distribute an informational summary on electric suppliers to any new customer and to existing customers beginning on January 1, 2004, and semiannually thereafter. Such informational summary shall be developed by the authority and shall include, but not be limited to, the name of each licensed electric supplier, the state where the supplier is based, information on whether the supplier has active offerings for either residential or commercial and industrial consumers, the telephone number and Internet web site of the supplier, and information as to whether the supplier offers electric generation services from renewable energy sources in excess of the portfolio standards established pursuant to section 16-245a. The authority shall include pricing information in the informational summary to the extent the authority determines feasible. The authority shall post the informational summary in a conspicuous place on its Internet web site and provide electronic links to the Internet web site of each supplier. The authority shall update the informational summary on its Internet web site on at least a quarterly basis.
(b) (1) On or before October 1, 2014, the authority shall redesign the rate board Internet web site to better enable customers to compare pricing policies and charges among electric suppliers. Such redesign shall (A) reflect the best practices of similar rate board Internet web sites in other states and the development of a process to remove an electric supplier's price listings from such Internet web site based on protocols established by the authority to ensure compliance with this chapter and to address customer complaints, and (B) emphasize (i) uniformity in how electric suppliers provide information for each category on the rate board Internet web site, (ii) ease of use by customers, and (iii) ease of selecting and purchasing a specific contract from an electric supplier shown on the rate board Internet web site.
(2) On or before July 1, 2017, and every two years thereafter, the authority shall review the rate board Internet web site and make any improvements to ensure such Internet web site remains a progressive tool for customers to compare pricing policies and charges among electric suppliers.
(P.A. 98-28, S. 17, 117; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9, S. 18, 131; P.A. 03-135, S. 5; P.A. 10-32, S. 55; P.A. 11-80, S. 1; P.A. 13-5, S. 10; P.A. 14-75, S. 5; P.A. 15-12, S. 2.)
History: P.A. 98-28 effective July 1, 1998; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9 extended the authority of the Department of Public Utility Control to retain consultants for implementing the public education outreach program from December 31, 2000, to December 31, 2005, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 03-135 added new Subsec. (f) re program for the dissemination of information re electric suppliers and added new Subsec. (e) re the restart of the education outreach program, effective July 1, 2003; P.A. 10-32 made technical changes in Subsec. (f), effective May 10, 2010; pursuant to P.A. 11-80, “Department of Public Utility Control” and “department” were changed editorially by the Revisors to “Public Utilities Regulatory Authority” and “authority”, respectively, and “Department of Environmental Protection” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Department of Energy and Environmental Protection”, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 13-5 deleted former Subsecs. (a) to (e) and (g) re comprehensive public education outreach program and Consumer Education Advisory Council, and deleted Subsec. (f) designator, effective May 8, 2013; P.A. 14-75 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a) and made technical changes therein and added Subsec. (b) re rate board Internet web site, effective June 3, 2014; P.A. 15-12 made a technical change in Subsec. (b)(2).
Structure Connecticut General Statutes
Title 16 - Public Service Companies
Chapter 283 - Telephone, Gas, Power and Water Companies
Section 16-228. - Telephone lines.
Section 16-229. - Excavation in highway.
Section 16-230. - Bond requirement.
Section 16-231a. - Cuts and permanent patches in highway. Inspections. Repairs. Certification.
Section 16-232. - Rights of companies organized under general law.
Section 16-233. - Use of gain by town, city, borough, fire district or Department of Transportation.
Section 16-235. - Control by local authorities. Orders. Appeals.
Section 16-236. - Appraisal of damages; costs.
Section 16-237. - No prescriptive right.
Section 16-238. - Wires may be cut; notice.
Section 16-239. - Dispatches transmitted in order. Exceptions.
Section 16-243. - Jurisdiction of authority over electricity transmission lines.
Section 16-243b. - Definitions. Jurisdiction.
Section 16-243bb. - Adjustment of electric distribution company residential fixed charge.
Section 16-243cc. - Energy storage deployment. Report.
Section 16-243d. - Project by private power producer deemed “industrial project”.
Section 16-243dd. - Energy storage project proposals.
Section 16-243g. - Assignment of electricity purchase agreements.
Section 16-243h. - Credit to residential customers who generate electricity; metering.
Section 16-243l. - Rebate for customer-side distributed resource projects that use natural gas.
Section 16-243m. - Measures to reduce federally mandated congestion charges.
Section 16-243o. - Waiver of back-up power rates.
Section 16-243q. - Class III renewable energy portfolio standards.
Section 16-243t. - Class III credits.
Section 16-243u. - Plan to build peaking generation.
Section 16-243w. - Advanced metering system plan and deployment.
Section 16-243x. - Time-of-use meters. Notice of availability.
Section 16-244. - Electric deregulation; findings and declarations.
Section 16-244a. - Rate freeze for electric service.
Section 16-244aa. - Performance-based regulation of electric distribution companies.
Section 16-244bb. - Sustainable materials management account.
Section 16-244cc. - Energy storage systems pilot program.
Section 16-244i. - Duties of electric distribution companies.
Section 16-244k. - Allocation of the proceeds of the retail adder.
Section 16-244l. - Modification of fuel cell electricity purchase agreements.
Section 16-244m. - Procurement Plan re standard service.
Section 16-244n. - Standard service contract buydown.
Section 16-244o. - Generation evaluation and procurement process.
Section 16-244p. - Transmission line project review.
Section 16-244q. - Request for proposal re reliability concerns.
Section 16-244u. - Virtual net metering.
Section 16-244w. - Grid-side system enhancements pilot program.
Section 16-244x. - Shared clean energy facility pilot program.
Section 16-244z. - Renewable energy tariffs.
Section 16-245a. - Renewable portfolio standards.
Section 16-245aa. - Renewable energy and efficient energy finance program.
Section 16-245bb. - Bond authorization.
Section 16-245cc. - Demand charge waiver for fuel cells.
Section 16-245dd. - Residential electric space heating tariff.
Section 16-245ff. - Residential solar investment program.
Section 16-245gg. - Master purchase agreement for solar home renewable energy credits.
Section 16-245hh. - Condominium renewable energy grant program.
Section 16-245ii. - Energy consumption data of nonresidential buildings.
Section 16-245j. - Rate reduction bonds and economic recovery revenue bonds; terms.
Section 16-245jj. - Town customer electricity and gas usage information.
Section 16-245kk. - Issuance of bonds, notes and other obligations by the Connecticut Green Bank.
Section 16-245ll. - Clean energy bonds.
Section 16-245m. - Energy Conservation Management Board. Conservation and Load Management Plan.
Section 16-245mm. - Special capital reserve funds.
Section 16-245nn. - Residential solar photovoltaic system permit.
Section 16-245q. - Changing electric suppliers.
Section 16-245r. - Discrimination by electric suppliers prohibited.
Section 16-245s. - Switching electric suppliers; procedures; penalties; regulations.
Section 16-245t. - Complaints to authority re electric suppliers; procedures; remedies.
Section 16-245y. - Annual reporting re status of electric deregulation.
Section 16-245z. - Internet links to Energy Star program.
Section 16-246. - Other companies which may sell electricity.
Section 16-246a. - Definitions.
Section 16-246f. - Electric company emergency assistance.
Section 16-246g. - Pilot program for electric generation.
Section 16-247. - Foreign telephone companies.
Section 16-247a. - Goals of the state. Definitions.
Section 16-247c. - Provision of intrastate telecommunications services. Civil penalty. Competition.
Section 16-247i. - Telecommunications service and regulation status report.
Section 16-247j. - Regulations.
Section 16-247o. - Consultant to test operations support systems interface.
Section 16-247p. - Quality-of-service standards. Performance standards.
Section 16-247t. - Customer inquiries and complaints regarding cellular mobile telephone service.
Section 16-248. - Rights of telephone company in operation May 23, 1985.
Section 16-250b. - Cellular mobile telephone service. Authority jurisdiction. Regulations.
Section 16-251. - Bonds of telephone company.
Section 16-252. - Bonds may be secured by mortgage.
Section 16-255. - General powers.
Section 16-256. - Notice of offense in party line usage in telephone directory.
Section 16-256a. - Directory assistance charge prohibited.
Section 16-256d. - Itemized telephone bills for business customers.
Section 16-256f. - Blocking service available to customers.
Section 16-256h. - Business to residential pricing ratio for basic exchange service.
Section 16-257. - Recording of agreement of consolidation or merger of electric and gas companies.
Section 16-258. - Standards concerning electricity and gas.
Section 16-258a. - Registration of natural gas sellers. Procedures. Penalties.
Section 16-258b. - Registration of electric generating facilities.
Section 16-258c. - Dual fuel capability requirements for electric generating facilities.
Section 16-258d. - District heating systems incentive program.
Section 16-259. - Inspection of meters.
Section 16-259a. - Inaccurate billing. Financial liability of customer. Payment plan.
Section 16-260. - Water meters may be required.
Section 16-261. - Extension of electric lines to unserved areas. Determination of rates.
Section 16-262. - Gas companies authorized to deal in natural gas.
Section 16-262b. - Notice of discharge of explosives or highway excavation to gas companies.
Section 16-262h. - Nonexclusivity of remedy.
Section 16-262i. - Regulations.
Section 16-262m. - Construction specifications for water companies.
Section 16-262p. - Improvements by acquiring entity.
Section 16-262q. - Compensation for acquisition of water company.
Section 16-262r. - Satellite management of water companies. Expedited rate proceedings.
Section 16-262s. - Voluntary acquisition of water company. Surcharges. Rate of return.
Section 16-262u. - Replacement and repair of water service connections. Granting of exceptions.
Section 16-262v. - Water company infrastructure projects: Definitions.
Section 16-262w. - Water company rate adjustment mechanisms.
Section 16-262x. - Termination of residential utility service. Requirements.
Section 16-262y. - Water company revenue adjustment mechanism.