Certified Supplier Guidebook

The Certified Supplier Guidebook has been developed by Duke Energy Ohio to be used by electric suppliers interested in providing power and energy services within Duke Energy Ohio’s service area. A certified supplier is a person, corporation, broker, marketer, aggregator, generator or any other entity licensed by the PUCO to sell electricity to end-use customers and registered in the Duke Energy Ohio Customer Choice Program.

This guidebook is intended to set forth the basic requirements for interactions and coordination between Duke Energy Ohio and the certified supplier necessary for ensuring the delivery of competitive retail electric service from certified suppliers to their end-use customers. This guidebook is a working document, and Duke Energy Ohio reserves the right to modify this guidebook to reflect regulatory and/or business process changes, as necessary and without notice. Duke Energy Ohio will endeavor to make changes to this guidebook available to certified suppliers via Duke Energy Ohio’s certified supplier website.

Disclaimer and Warning

Duke Energy Ohio has provided these guidelines for informational purposes only. In the event of any conflict between the guidelines contained within this guidebook and Duke Energy Ohio’s approved PUCO Certified Supplier Tariff, the tariff will take precedence.

Ancillary Services – those services that are necessary to support Capacity and the transmission of energy from resources to loads while maintaining reliable operation of the transmission provider’s transmission system in accordance with Good Utility Practice.

Arrears – previous charges that are unpaid at the time the current bill is generated.

Authorized Payment Agency – a third-party agent (bank, savings & loan, etc.) that has been authorized to collect payments on behalf of the Company.

Backcast – an after-the-fact recalculation of a Certified Supplier’s hourly load obligation based upon actual weather and system load. This will be used to determine preliminary energy imbalance.

Bill Ready Billing – a consolidated billing option available to a Certified Supplier where the Certified Supplier submits its charges and associated descriptions to the Company for presentment to the End-use Customer on the Company's invoice.

Billing Cycle – the time frame between two regularly scheduled meter readings. End-use customer meter readings are obtained on a regular schedule, which is managed by the Company.

Capacity Payment Agreement (CPA) – A contractual document between Duke Energy Ohio and a Certified Supplier and/or Load Serving Entity in the Duke Energy Ohio/Kentucky Load Zone within PJM that describes the obligations of each party regarding generation resources and the associated financial obligations, including credit requirements.

Certified Broker/Aggregator – any person, corporation, or other entity, other than the Company, that is authorized/certified by the Commission to provide brokerage or aggregation (governmental or otherwise) services in the Company's service territory

Certified Supplier – a person, corporation, broker, marketer, aggregator, generator or any other entity approved by the Commission to sell electricity to end-use customers, utilizing the jurisdictional transmission and distribution facilities of the Company and registered in the Company’s Customer Choice Program.

Certified Supplier Service Agreement – an agreement that must be signed by both the Certified Supplier and the Company in order for the Certified Supplier to participate in the Company’s Customer Choice Program, stating the rights and obligations of each party in the Company’s Customer Choice Program.

Certified Supplier Services – those services that provide the interface and coordination, between the Certified Supplier and the Company, in order to affect the delivery of competitive retail electric service to serve end-use customers located within the Company’s service territory.

Certified Supplier Service Charges – all charges stated in the Certified Supplier Tariff and attached rate schedules for those services rendered by the Company or its agent for Certified Supplier services performed hereunder.

Certified Supplier Tariff – the Company’s PUCO Electric No. 20.

Charge – any fee or charge that is billable by the Company or its agent to a Certified Supplier or TSA, under Duke Energy Ohio's Certified Supplier Tariff, including any Certified Supplier service charge or fees described in the OATT.

Commission – the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.

Commodity – the unbundled generation service of electrical energy which end-use customers may purchase from a Certified Supplier in the Customer Choice Program.

Communication Link – a telephone line, wireless communication, or other means of transmitting data from a meter to the Company’s remote meter reading hardware.

Company – Duke Energy Ohio

Competitive Retail Electric Service – any service involved in supplying or arranging for the supply of electrical energy to end-use customers from the point of generation to point of consumption that has been declared competitive pursuant to the Ohio Revised Code or an Order of the Commission.

Consolidated Billing – a billing service where the Company bills for both the regulated utility charges as well as the Certified Supplier's charges.

Control Area – an electric power system or combination of electric power systems to which a common automatic generation control scheme is applied in order to:

• Match, at all times, the power output of the generators within the electric power system(s) and capacity and energy purchased from entities outside the electric power system(s), with the load within the electric power system(s);
• Maintain scheduled interchange with other control areas, within the limits of Good Utility Practice;
• Maintain the frequency of the electric power system(s) within reasonable limits in accordance with Good Utility Practice; and
• Provide sufficient generating capacity to maintain operating reserves in accordance with Good Utility Practice.

Coordination Services – those services that permit the type of interface and coordination between a Certified Supplier and the Company in connection with the delivery of electricity to end-use customers located within the Company's service territory, including load forecasting, certain scheduling-related functions and reconciliation.

Customer Choice Program – the program offered in the state of Ohio, under which an End-use Customer may select a Certified Supplier.

DASR (Direct Access Service Request) – an electronic form of communication that may be exchanged between the Company and a Certified Supplier.

Distribution Losses – energy losses that occur on a LDC system in the process of delivering electrical energy to end-use customers. These losses are usually expressed as a percent of the total energy consumed.

Dual Billing – Duke Energy Ohio and the Certified Supplier provide separate bills to end-use customers for their respective charges.

Duke Energy Business Services – a service-company subsidiary of Duke Energy Corporation and an affiliate of the Company.

Duke Energy Business Services Ancillary Services Tariff – either the Ancillary Services tariff that is filed with an accepted by FERC and under which certain Ancillary Services Charges are billed in the Company's service territory or that portion of the Transmission Provider's OATT under which those certain Ancillary Services Charges are billed.

Duke Energy Control Area – the control area encompassing the franchised service territories of Duke Energy.

Duke Energy Control Area Operator – Duke Energy's division, personnel or affiliate that is designed as the entity with the responsibility for operating a Control Area consistent with NERC policies and procedures, and the Transmission Provider's policies and procedures.

Duke Energy Ohio Transmission System – the portion of the transmission system that is owned by the company.

ECAR (East Central Area Reliability) – the NERC reliability council area that provides electric service to the states of Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and parts of eastern Kentucky, western Virginia, western Maryland, western Pennsylvania, northern Tennessee and West Virginia. The organizational purpose of ECAR is to ensure the reliability of the interconnected electricity network of its members.

EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) – a standard format for the exchange of electronic information.

Electric Security Plan Standard Service Offer (ESP-SSO) – became effective January 1, 2009, and will continue for a three-year period ending December 31, 2011. ESP-SSO is a rate offered by the Company as approved by the Commission to end-use customers in its service territory for all essential electric service to end-use customers who are not receiving competitive services from a Certified Supplier.

End-Use Customer – the final user of generation and regulated delivery services.

Energy Imbalance – is the difference between the energy scheduled by a Certified Supplier or its designated TSA and the end-use customer's metered consumption adjusted for unaccounted energy.

FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) – the agency which has primary jurisdiction over energy regulation at the federal level.

Federal Reserve Lending Rate – interest rate at which the Federal Reserve lends money, as published daily on Bloomberg’s money market rate page.

Flat Rate – a rate by which a Certified Supplier's total charge to its End-use Customers is based on the price per quantity of electric generation consumed, regardless of the total volume used or time of use.

Generation Resource Mix – the source of the physical resource required to generate electricity (e.g., green power, coal, or nuclear).

Good Utility Practice – any of the practices, methods and acts engaged in or approved by a significant portion of the electric utility industry during the relevant time period, or any of the practices, methods and acts which, in the exercise of reasonable judgment in light of the facts known at the time the decision was made, could have been expected to accomplish the desired result at a reasonable cost consistent with good business practices, reliability, safety and expedition. Good Utility Practice is not intended to be limited to the optimum practice, method or act to the exclusion of all others, but rather to be acceptable practices, methods, or acts generally accepted in the region.

Interconnected Operations Services – services, in addition to ancillary services, to facilitate the delivery of power (e.g., transmission services, real power transmission losses).

Interval Meter – an electricity meter that records an end-use customer’s electric usage for defined intervals (e.g., 15 minutes, half-hour, hour, etc.), allowing the possibility for consumption during different time periods to be billed at different rates and providing a means for an end-use customer’s load pattern to be analyzed.

KW (kilowatt) – one kilowatt equals 1,000 watts.

KWH (kilowatt-hour) – the basic unit of electric energy equal to one kilowatt of power supplied to or taken from an electrical circuit steadily for one hour. One kilowatt-hour equals 1,000 watt-hours.

LDC (Local Distribution Company) – an entity that has been granted the authority or has an obligation pursuant to state or local law, regulation or franchise to transmit and distribute electric energy to end-use customers located within a jurisdictional service territory.

Load Forecast – an hourly projection of load prepared by a transmission customer for its load in the Company’s service territory, consisting of, but not limited to, the aggregated load of monthly and interval–metered customers, as adjusted for distribution losses.

Load Profile – as applied to an end-use customer, group of end-use customers, class or system, a load profile or "curve" (as graphically plotted point-to-point, after midnight to midnight) shows the power (as actual consumption or "normalized" as a percentage of maximum demand) supplied during a specific period of time plotted by time of occurrence.

Load Research Meters – interval meters installed by the Company throughout its service territory that monitor hourly energy consumption of selected end-use customers to provide data for developing load profiles for various customer classes.

Market-Based Standard Service Offer (MBSSO) – became effective January 1, 200,5 and remained in effect for a four-year period ending December 31, 2008. MBSSO is a rate offered by the Company as approved by the Commission to end-use customers in its service territory for all essential electric service to end-use customers who are not receiving competitive services from a Certified Supplier.

Mercantile Customer – an End-use Customer that uses electricity for nonresidential purposes and consumes greater than or equal to 700,000 kWh of electricity per year or is part of a national account involving multiple facilities in one or more states.

Meter Data Management Agent – the party designated by the TSA to provide hourly metered load data to the RTO.

Meter Read Date – the date on which the Company schedules a meter to be read for purposes of producing an end-use customer bill in accordance with the Company’s regularly scheduled billing cycles.

Monthly Meter – a consumption meter that records total energy (kWh) and peak demand (kW), where applicable, for the billing cycle but does not have the capability to record the dates and times the energy was consumed.

Multi-tiered Rate – a rate where each group (tier) of units of consumption (kWh) are priced at a certain rate while other groups of units of consumption are priced at a different rate.

MW (Megawatt) – equals one million watts or 1,000 kilowatts

MWH (Megawatt hour) – equals one million watt-hours or 1,000 kilowatt-hours

Native Load Customers – the wholesale and retail power customers of the transmission provider on whose behalf the transmission provider, by statute, franchise, regulatory requirement or contract, has undertaken an obligation to construct and operate the transmission provider’s system to meet the reliable electric needs of such customers.

NERC – the North American Electric Reliability Council. The council’s mission is to promote the reliability of the electricity supply for North America. In short, NERC helps electric utilities and other electricity suppliers work together to keep the power on. It does this by reviewing the past for lessons learned, monitoring the present for compliance with policies, standards, principles and guides, and assessing the future reliability of the bulk electric systems.

NERC Tag – a standardized means of electronically communicating and tracking details of an open access energy transaction among all involved parties. Information contained on the tag includes: interchange transaction ID number, 24 hours of energy profiles, loss accounting, transaction path and products, and transaction days.

Network Customer – an entity receiving transmission service pursuant to the terms of the transmission provider’s network integration transmission service under Module B of the OATT.

Network Integration Transmission Service – the transmission service provided under Module B of the OATT.

Network Load – the load that a network customer designates for Network Integration Transmission Service under Module B of the OATT. The Network Customer’s Network Load shall include all load served by the output of any Network Resources designated by the Network Customer. A Network Customer may elect to designate less than its total load as Network Load but may not designate only part of the load at a discrete point of delivery. Where an eligible customer has elected not to designate a particular load at discrete points of delivery as Network Loads, the eligible customer is responsible for making separate arrangements under Module B of the OATT for any point-to-point transmission service that may be necessary for such nondesignated load.

Network Resource – any designated generating resource or portion thereof, that is owned or leased by a Network Customer or whose output is under contract to a Network customer, and that is designated under the Network Integration Transmission Service provisions of Module B of the OATT. Network resources do not include any resource, or any portion thereof, that is committed for sale to third parties or otherwise cannot be called upon to meet the Network Customer’s Network Load on a non-interruptible basis.

Non-mercantile customer – an End-use Customer that uses electricity for non-residential purposes and consumes less than 700,000 kWh of electricity per year and is not part of a national account involving multiple facilities in one or more states.

Non-volumetric Rate – a flat charge to the end-use customer regardless of the amount of consumption for a given period of time.

OASIS (Open Access Same-time Information System) – a computerized information system, developed as an internet application, that allows the Transmission Provider to access (i) Transmission Service and Ancillary Service information with Transmission Customers, and (ii) energy market clearing information with market participants and Control Area Operators. The OASIS requirements and standards of conduct were initially defined in FERC's Order 889, as superseded by order No. 2004. Additional information about the OASIS is available at www.pjm.com/markets-and-operations/etools/oasis.aspx

OATT (Open Access Transmission Tariff) – the open access transmission and energy markets tariff filed by PJM or the open access transmission tariff filed by Duke Energy Ohio, whichever is applicable, under which the transmission and interconnection service over the Duke Energy Ohio transmission system is provided, as filed with the FERC and as it may be amended from time to time, or any successor tariff.

Ohio Choice Service ID Number – The 22-digit Ohio Choice Service ID number is located in the meter box section of the customer’s bill. The first 12 digits match the Duke Energy account number. If customers receive both natural gas and electric service from Duke Energy, they will have a unique service ID number for each. If they choose a Certified Supplier to provide their electric or natural gas supply, they will need to provide this number to the Supplier to be enrolled.

PAR (Purchase of Accounts Receivable) – a payment remittance option available to Certified Suppliers utilizing the Company's Consolidated Billing Option, under which the Company pays the Certified Supplier a discounted amount on a monthly basis in exchange for the assignment and purchase, without recourse, of the Certified Supplier's accounts receivable, represented by the current Certified Supplier charges presented on the Company's invoice, during a period of time when a Purchase of Accounts Receivable agreement is in effect between the Company and the Certified Supplier.

Percentage-off Rate Option – a rate option under which a Certified Supplier may charge a rate to its End-use Customers that is calculated as a stated percentage less than the Company's SSO.

PIPP (Percentage of Income Payment Plan) – a statewide utility program in Ohio which sets guidelines for low-income end-use customer payments to utilities managed by the Ohio Department of Development.

PJM Settlement Inc. – a regional transmission organization (RTO) that coordinates the movement of wholesale electricity in all or parts of 13 states and the District of Columbia.

PUCO – the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.

Rate Ready – a Certified Supplier billing option where the Company performs consumption calculations from meter reads and applies the Certified Supplier’s rates to create charges for the end-use customer.

Record Layouts – a predefined format for which data is organized for electronic transmission.

Regulated Utility Charges – utility charges for noncompetitive services including but not limited to, tariffed transmission and distribution and generation services that are under the jurisdiction of the Commission. May also include utility charges for noncompetitive gas services.

Reserved Capacity – the maximum amount of capacity and energy that the Transmission Provider agrees to transmit for the Transmission Customer over the Transmission Provider’s Transmission System between the point(s) of receipt and the point(s) of delivery under Module B of the OATT. Reserved Capacity shall be expressed in terms of whole MW's on a sixty (60) minute interval (commencing on the clock hour) basis.

Residential End-use Customer – an End-use Customer who uses electricity for residential purposes.

Retail Tariff (PUCO Tariff No. 19) – a tariff filed with the PUCO by the Company containing the Service Regulations, Tariff Rate Schedules, and Tariff Rider Schedules for end-use customers.

RTO (Regional Transmission Organization) – an organization responsible for the functional control of the Bulk Electric System within its boundaries.

Schedule – a document prepared by the Certified Supplier or its designated TSA and submitted to the OASIS System Administrator, that provides the schedule for receipt and delivery of energy for the benefit of end-use customers.

Service Regulations – the Certified Supplier service regulations as defined in the Company’s Certified Supplier Tariff.

Small Commercial Customer – an industrial or commercial customer who uses electricity for nonresidential purposes and consumes less than 700,000 kWh of electricity per year and is not part of a national account involving multiple facilities in one or more states.

Special Meter Reads – meter reads requested by Certified Suppliers on dates other than the scheduled monthly meter read date.

SSO (Standard Service Offer) – an offer by the Company, as approved by the Commission, to End-use Customers in its service territory, for all competitive retail electric services necessary to maintain essential electric service, including a firm supply of electric generation service.

Tariff Rate Schedules – documents filed with the P.U.C.O. specifying the charges for various Certified Supplier services.

Time of Use Rate – a rate where the amount charged per unit (kWh or kW) varies according to the time of day it was consumed; this reflects the difference in on-peak and off-peak demands and the costs to provide service at those times.

Transmission Customer – the entity authorized to schedule power into, out of, or through the Duke Energy Control Area, as described in the OATT filed with the FERC.

Transmission Provider – the entity providing transmission service as described in the OATT filed with the FERC.

Transmission Provider's Balancing Authority Area – the Balancing Authority Area within which the Company's service territory exists.

TSA (Transmission Scheduling Agent) – an entity that is an eligible transmission customer under the OATT, performing transmission scheduling and other bulk power services to deliver electrical energy into the Company’s service territory for the Customer Choice Program. A Certified Supplier may act as a TSA, if the Certified Supplier is an eligible transmission customer, or hire another entity that is an eligible transmission customer to perform these functions.

Ohio’s customer choice law, which was signed by Gov. Bob Taft on July 6, 1999, provides for electric competition. The customer choice legislation fundamentally changed the way Ohio consumers purchase electricity. Traditionally, electricity has been sold as a packaged product with one rate covering the costs of generation (electric commodity), transmission, distribution and ancillary services. As of January 1, 2001, customers are able to buy electricity and certain ancillary services competitively from suppliers other than Duke Energy Ohio. Duke Energy Ohio continues to provide the regulated functions of transmitting and distributing electricity to end-use customers.

Duke Energy Ohio’s Role in Generation

On December 28, 1999, Duke Energy (formerly CG&E) filed its transition plan with The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to implement Ohio’s electric industry customer choice legislation effective January 1, 2001. The unbundling portion of Duke Energy Ohio’s transition plan provides for separate rates for generation, transmission, distribution, and ancillary services. The initial stage of Ohio Electric Choice, called the Market Development period (MDP), expired for non-residential customers on December 31, 2004, and for residential customers on December 31, 2005. The Market-Based Standard Service Offer (MBSSO) for nonresidential customers, began on January 1, 2005, and ended December 31, 2008. On December 17, 2008, the Commission approved Duke Energy Ohio's Electric Security Plan-Standard Service Offer (ESP-SSO) to replace the MBSSO. The plan requested recovery of costs for fuel used to generate electricity, electricity purchased wholesale, emission allowances and federally mandated carbon taxes. The goals of the plan included price stability, ensuring an adequate supply of electricity, promoting economic development, job retention, energy efficiency and conservation. The plan was in effect through December 31, 2011. The Standard Service Offer-Electric Security Plan (SSO-ESP began on January 1, 2012, and runs through May 31, 2015. Duke Energy Ohio will continue to provide electric commodity service to retail end-use customers in its service area on a regulated (tariff) basis and will provide electric commodity service as the default supplier for those end-use customers who return to Duke Energy Ohio's generation service from a certified supplier.

Duke Energy Ohio's Role in Transmission

Transmission service is and will continue to be regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Duke Energy Ohio is a member of and participants in PJM that received approval by FERC as a Regional Transmission Organization (RTO). Effective January 1, 2012, any transmission related services for transactions previously provided under the Duke Energy Open Access Transmission Tariff (Duke Energy OATT) are provided under the PJM Open Access Transmission Tariff (PJM OATT). However, portions of the Duke Energy OATT involving certain ancillary services and losses remain in effect since the PJM OATT references certain ancillary services and loss factors being provided under other OATT’s. The Transmission Scheduling Agent (TSA) will be billed for transmission services and the appropriate ancillary services. This entity will agree to pay such amounts in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT). This arrangement will ensure that all generation suppliers have nondiscriminatory access to the transmission system to transmit electricity to consumers and to maintain the balance between the supply and demand for electricity. Duke Energy Ohio will continue to have the responsibility for the reliability and safety of its transmission system assets.

Duke Energy Ohio’s Role in Distribution

Duke Energy Ohio continues to own and operate the regulated distribution facilities in its service area and continues to be responsible for the reliability and safety of the distribution of electricity. Duke Energy Ohio provides certified suppliers and TSAs with impartial information on distribution services to ensure that energy suppliers have the appropriate resources for participating in the electric marketplace. As part of its distribution role, Duke Energy Ohio provides the following services to customers:

• Metering services (ownership, installation, removal, calibration, testing, and maintenance)
• Meter reading and usage data management
• Billing and related services (call centers, account set-up and maintenance, bill generation and payment processing)

Utility Code of Conduct

Duke Energy Ohio will abide by the PUCO's code of conduct:

Duke Energy Ohio will not release any proprietary customer information (e.g., individual customer load profiles or billing histories) to an affiliate, or otherwise, without the prior authorization of the customer, except as required by a regulatory agency or court of law.

Duke Energy Ohio will make customer lists, which include name and address, available on a nondiscriminatory basis to all non-affiliated and affiliated certified retail electric competitors transacting business in its service territory unless otherwise directed by the customer. This paragraph does not apply to customer-specific information, obtained with proper authorization, necessary to fulfill the terms of a contract, or information relating to the provision of general and administrative support services.

Electric utilities shall treat as confidential all information obtained from a competitive supplier of retail electric service, both affiliated and nonaffiliated, and shall not release such information unless a competitive supplier provides authorization to do so.

Duke Energy Ohio will not tie (nor allow an affiliate to tie) or otherwise condition the provision of the electric utility’s regulated services, discounts, rebates, fee waivers, or any other waivers of the electric utility’s ordinary terms and conditions of service, including but not limited to tariff provisions, to the taking of any goods and/or services from the electric utility’s affiliates.

Duke Energy Ohio will provide comparable access to products and services related to tariffed products and services and specifically comply with the following:

• Duke Energy Ohio will be prohibited from unduly discriminating in the offering of its products and/or services
• Duke Energy Ohio will apply all tariff provisions in the same manner to the same or similarly situated entities, regardless of any affiliation or non-affiliation
• Duke Energy Ohio will not, through a tariff provision, a contract, or otherwise, give its affiliates preference over non-affiliated competitors of retail electric service or their customers in matters relating to any product and/or service
• Duke Energy Ohio will strictly follow all tariff provisions
• Except to the extent allowed by state law, Duke Energy Ohio will not be permitted to provide discounts, rebates, or fee waivers for any state regulated monopoly service

Notwithstanding any provision of this rule, in a declared emergency situation, an electric utility may take actions necessary to ensure public safety and system reliability. Duke Energy Ohio will maintain a log of all such actions that do not comply with this rule, which log shall be subject to review by the PUCO.

The Transmission Scheduling Agent’s Role in Transmission

The TSA is a transmission customer in accordance with the applicable Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT). The certified supplier may choose to be its own TSA or may contract with a TSA for wholesale power services. The TSA will contract for transmission services. The TSA will schedule power and energy in accordance with the applicable OATT. Settlement will be conducted with the TSA.

The Certified Supplier’s Role in the Marketplace

In the competitive electric marketplace, certified suppliers will sell electric energy to the end-use customer pursuant to contractual arrangements that are not part of Duke Energy Ohio’s tariffs. Duke Energy Ohio is not a party to such sale of electric power and energy to the end-use customer taking service from a certified supplier and shall not be bound by any term, condition, or provision of agreement for such sale. The certified supplier, acting either directly or through a TSA, will arrange for transmission services and appropriate ancillary services with the transmission provider or an alternate third party provider to be used in the transmission and distribution of electric power to the end-use customer. The certified supplier will enter into a service agreement with Duke Energy Ohio.

The Certified Supplier’s Code of Conduct

Each certified supplier participating in Ohio’s Customer Choice Program is required to refrain from engaging in marketing, solicitation, sales acts or practices that are unfair, misleading, deceptive, or unconscionable in the marketing, solicitation or sale of a certified supplier service. Such unfair, misleading, deceptive or unconscionable acts or practices include, but are not limited to, the following:

Marketing, solicitation or sale of a competitive retail electric service:

Failing to provide pricing information to residential and small commercial end-use customers as required by the PUCO's rules

Failing to provide in or with its advertisements and promotional materials that make an offer for sale a toll-free/local telephone number (or address for printed materials) which the end-use customer may call or write to request detailed information regarding the price, terms, conditions, limitations, restrictions and, if applicable, environmental characteristics of the service offered

Soliciting through telephonic means without first:

Engaging in telephone solicitation of end-use customers who have been placed on the "do not call" list

Engaging in telephone solicitation to residential customers either before 9 a.m. or after 9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time

Engaging in direct solicitation to residential customers where the certified supplier's sales agent fails to wear and display a valid certified supplier photo identification

Advertising or marketing offers that:

Marketing, advertising or claiming that the environmental characteristics of any generation service energy source(s) provides an environmental advantage that does not exist

The End-Use Customer’s Role in the Marketplace

Ohio end-use customers are able to choose their electric suppliers. The selected certified supplier will supply the power while the electric utility company will distribute it to end-use customers through its wires. To be eligible to choose an electric supplier, the end-use customer must:

• Have an active electric service account with Duke Energy Ohio
• Not be a Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) customer.
• Comply with any applicable Duke Energy Ohio requirements for switching to a certified supplier

Participation is voluntary for all end-use customers. An end-use customer may choose to stay with Duke Energy Ohio or choose to obtain a certified supplier pursuant to contractual arrangements for electric supply.

Duke Energy Ohio’s and Certified Supplier’s Roles in End-Use Customer Inquiries and Requests For Information

End-Use Customer Requests for program information and/or usage data:

• End-use customers may contact Duke Energy Ohio in order to request information on our Customer Choice Program.
• Upon request, end-use customers will be mailed a current list of certified suppliers that have registered with Duke Energy Ohio.
• The list of certified suppliers that have registered with Duke Energy Ohio is posted on Duke Energy’s designated website. The list of certified suppliers that have registered with Duke Energy Ohio contains suppliers currently registered to enroll end-use customers in Duke Energy Ohio’s service area. The list of certified suppliers that have registered with Duke Energy Ohio will also designate, if available, which customer classes certified suppliers will be serving.
• End-use customers may contact Duke Energy Ohio by phone, mail or website and request their 12-month historical usage data.

Inquiries concerning billing-related issues:

• End-use customer inquiries concerning Duke Energy Ohio’s charges or services should be directed to Duke Energy Ohio.
• End-use customer inquiries concerning the certified supplier’s charges or services should be directed to the certified supplier.

This chapter summarizes the resources and training program that Duke Energy Ohio will offer to certified suppliers. This will allow for a smooth transition to the electric marketplace and promote an efficient and productive working relationship between Duke Energy Ohio and certified suppliers. In turn, these efforts will also benefit those end-use customers seeking to obtain service from a certified supplier. The certified supplier training program will review the choice rules and the Duke Energy Ohio registration process.

Training (Orientation) Program

In addition to reviewing the information provided in this guidebook, certified suppliers are required to attend training sessions sponsored by Duke Energy Ohio. These training sessions will further explore many of the topics addressed in this guidebook and will be supplemented with additional detailed information on topics of key interest.

Additional Resources for Certified Suppliers

To supplement the certified supplier training program, Duke Energy Ohio provides the following additional resources.

This chapter provides a certified supplier with an overview of the process for registering with Duke Energy Ohio, including associated fees, so that the supplier may provide power and energy services to end-use-customers within Duke Energy Ohio service area. The purpose of registering is to initiate the business relationship between the certified supplier and Duke Energy Ohio. This chapter includes information about:

PUCO Requirements

As stated in the Ohio customer choice legislation, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) is responsible to perform the financial, managerial and technical certification for certified suppliers intending to sell electricity to end-use customers. PUCO certification means that the certified supplier has met PUCO requirements and has received PUCO approval to participate in Ohio’s Customer Choice Program. Detailed information regarding PUCO certification can be obtained by visiting the PUCO website.

Once the certified supplier has met the PUCO requirements, the PUCO will issue the supplier a numbered certificate that specifies the services the supplier is certified to provide.

Summary of Duke Energy Ohio Registration Requirements

Certified suppliers must register with Duke Energy Ohio to be eligible to operate in Duke Energy Ohio's Customer Choice Program. Registration establishes the business relationship between Duke Energy Ohio and the prospective certified supplier. The following is a summary of Duke Energy Ohio's registration requirements:

• Proof of PUCO certification
• A completed registration and credit application
• Submission of the registration fee as defined in the tariff
• Meet Duke Energy Ohio's credit requirements and post any required collateral
• Completed Certified Supplier Service Agreement (mailed original or electronic PDF*)
• Completed EDI Trading Partner Agreement (mailed original or electronic PDF*)
• Completed TSA Designation Agreement (two mailed originals or one electronic PDF*)
• Completed Consent to Electronic Transfer Form containing a unique sub-account for Duke Energy Ohio. A general PJM sub-account cannot be used. (mailed original or electronic PDF*)
• Proof that the EDI communication links have been tested and are operational
• Proof of attendance at Duke Energy Ohio's sponsored training program
• Authorize Duke Energy Ohio Business Services to access the appropriate PJM DEOK subaccount(s)
• Completed Accounts Receivables Purchase Agreement, if applicable (mailed original or electronic PDF)

*If certified supplier accepts electronic signatures, then registration documents can be emailed to csbcreps@duke-energy.com. Exception: Duke Energy Ohio requires a mailed original, fully executed Guaranty or Letter of Credit.

Copies of the required forms and contractual agreements may be found in Appendix E: Registration and Participation Forms of this guidebook. The forms may also be obtained by contacting Duke Energy Ohio’s Certified Supplier Business Center at csbcreps@duke-energy.com. NOTE: If documents are mailed, the certified supplier is required to mark all registration packets, and other documentation, mailed to Duke Energy Ohio as containing "Confidential Information".

Details of Duke Energy Ohio Registration

The following completed forms, contractual agreements and business arrangements must be established with Duke Energy Ohio for all certified suppliers seeking to do business within the Duke Energy Ohio service area:

Proof of PUCO Certification

PUCO certification is the responsibility of each certified supplier. Information regarding PUCO certification can be obtained at the PUCO website at http://www.puc.state.oh.us/. Prospective certified suppliers may begin Duke Energy Ohio's registration process before becoming certified with the PUCO. In this case, the certified supplier must submit documented proof of its PUCO certification to the Duke Energy Ohio Certified Supplier Business Center before the supplier will be registered to participate in Duke Energy Ohio's Customer Choice Program.

Certified Supplier Registration and Credit Application Form

Each certified supplier must submit a registration and credit application form as part of the registration process. This form addresses credit information needed to establish the supplier's credit limit and potential collateral requirement with Duke Energy Ohio. The form also serves to provide contact and other information related to the certified supplier. Types of information include the certified supplier's contact telephone numbers, business hours, email address, key functional contacts, and information to be posted on Duke Energy Ohio's customer choice website. One mailed original or electronic PDF.

Registration Fee

Each certified supplier must submit a registration fee with the registration documents. The registration fee is included in Appendix A: Certified Supplier Tariff of this guidebook.

Meet Credit Requirements

Duke Energy Ohio will conduct a creditworthiness review of each certified supplier prior to activation in Duke Energy Ohio's Customer Choice Program. The credit review may result in a requirement for specific security to be provided as collateral by the certified supplier. For more information regarding security, please refer to Chapter 12: Credit Requirements of this guidebook.

Certified Supplier Service Agreement

This agreement is the cornerstone of the legal relationship between the certified supplier and Duke Energy Ohio and is required prior to a certified supplier operating in the Duke Energy Ohio service area. It establishes the certified supplier as a customer of Duke Energy Ohio under the terms and conditions of the Certified Supplier Tariff, as well as outlining responsibilities of both parties. One mailed original or electronic PDF.

EDI Trading Partner Agreement

This agreement establishes the general responsibilities of the electronic data interchange (EDI) partnership. The EDI Trading Partner Agreement is required for a certified supplier to transact business directly with Duke Energy Ohio using EDI. Each trading partner shall establish a point of contact to resolve daily electronic data interchange issues. One mailed original or electronic PDF.

TSA Designation Agreement

A certified supplier serving end-use customers on Duke Energy Ohio's distribution system will need to arrange for transmission and ancillary services to deliver power and energy through Duke Energy Ohio's transmission system for ultimate delivery to end-use customers. Two mailed originals or one electronic PDF.

Consent to Electronic Transfer Tool

• Role  Account Long Name  Account Short Name Org ID 
• Principal  ABC Electric Company, LLC (Duke Energy OH Load)  ABCDEO  12345 
• John Doe Energy Providers (Duke Energy OH Load)  JDEDUK  56789

Complete EDI Testing

Each certified supplier must successfully complete an operational test with Duke Energy Ohio to demonstrate that the proper EDI communication links are functional. For more information regarding testing, please refer to Appendix C: Detailed EDI Information of this guidebook.

Attend Certified Supplier Training

Each certified supplier is required to attend a training session sponsored by Duke Energy Ohio. Information regarding the certified supplier training program is available from the Duke Energy Ohio's Certified Supplier Business Center at csbcreps@duke-energy.com and from Duke Energy Ohio’s website.

PJM DEOK Subaccount Access

Each certified supplier is required to provide PJM DEOK subaccount(s)access to Duke Energy Ohio's Business Services group.

Accounts Receivable Purchase Agreement

Each certified supplier who wishes to participate in Duke Energy Ohio's Purchase of Accounts Receivable program can use consolidated/rate ready or bill ready billing. In order to participate in the Purchase of Accounts Receivable program, a supplier must sign an Account Receivables Purchase Agreement and abide by all Purchase of Accounts Receivable provisions in the Certified Suppler Tariff. One mailed original or electronic PDF.

Approval Process

The process of approval begins when Duke Energy Ohio receives the following completed registration materials:

• Certified Supplier Registration & Credit Application and appropriate financial documents
• Certified Supplier Service Agreement
• EDI Trading Partner Agreement
• Registration Fee

In addition to the above items, the following must be completed within 30 days after submitting the completed registration materials:

• Submit proof of PUCO certification
• Complete EDI testing
• Attend a Duke Energy Ohio-sponsored training program
• Post the appropriate collateral, if necessary
• TSA Agreement
• Consent to Electronic Transfer Tool
• Account Receivables Purchase

Duke Energy Ohio will acknowledge receipt of registration materials and notify the certified supplier of any incomplete information within 10 calendar days of receipt. Duke Energy Ohio will approve or disapprove the supplier's registration within 30 calendar days of receipt of the above completed registration materials. The 30 day time period may be extended for up to 30 days for good cause, or until such other time as is mutually agreed to by the certified supplier and Duke Energy Ohio.

Beginning End-Use Customer Enrollment

Before beginning end-use customer enrollment, these requirements must be completed:

• A certified supplier must successfully complete Duke Energy Ohio's registration process.
• A certified supplier must provide Duke Energy Ohio a fully executed TSA Designation Agreement which confirms its ability to obtain transmission and ancillary services associated with the transmission of electrical energy, including transmission and distribution losses, to its end-use customers.
• A certified supplier must be an approved Market Participant with PJM, having the ability to arrange for delivery of electrical energy to the Duke Energy Ohio Transmission Zone.
• A certified supplier submitting enrollment transactions requesting consolidated rate ready billing must have the associated rates in production in Duke Energy Ohio's billing system. Transactions will be rejected if the specified billing rate is not in production.

Notes: For further information on end-use customer enrollment, transaction and Duke Energy Ohio’s policies associated with transaction processing, see Chapter 6: End-Use Customer Enrollment and Direct Access Service Requests, of this guidebook. For further information concerning submitting rates for production, see Chapter 8: Billing and Payment Processing, of this guidebook.

• Before enrolling an end-use customer whose monthly demand is greater than or equal to 200 kW, the customer must have an interval meter and proper communications link installed and operable or must submit a work order to install an interval meter.

Voluntary Withdrawal/Abandonment by a Certified Supplier

A certified supplier must notify Duke Energy Ohio and affected end-use customers in writing of its intent to discontinue participation in Duke Energy Ohio's Customer Choice Program (withdrawal) or its intent to discontinue service to a particular customer group within the program (abandonment):

• Notice to Duke Energy Ohio – A certified supplier must notify Duke Energy Ohio in writing at least 90 days prior to withdrawal or abandonment. Each certified supplier will have a secured identification number and password to access a Notice of Withdrawal form or Notice of Abandonment form on Duke Energy Ohio's Customer Choice website. For further information, the certified supplier may contact Duke Energy Ohio's Certified Supplier Business Center by emailing to csbcreps@duke-energy.com or by phone at 513.287.2322.

• Notice to customers – A certified supplier must provide written notice to affected end-use customers at least 90 days prior to withdrawal or abandonment. A notice must also appear on all billing statements to affected customers beginning at least 90 days prior to withdrawal or abandonment and on all subsequent billing statements until the service is ended.

• Noncompliance – A certified supplier that fails to provide at least 90 days written notice of withdrawal or abandonment to Duke Energy Ohio and affected end-use customers will be in default as described in the Certified Supplier Tariff.

Requesting Historical Information

Pre-Enrollment List

Upon request, Duke Energy Ohio will provide to any supplier, certified by the Commission, the most recent end-use customer information list in the form of a compact disc. The supplier must pay Duke Energy Ohio the fee identified in the Certified Supplier Tariff for each list provided to the supplier.

Duke Energy Ohio will offer the pre-enrollment list with updates available monthly. The list is updated the third Sunday of each month. A supplier may only use a pre-enrollment list for three months at which time an updated pre-enrollment list would need to be requested. Suppliers are not required to purchase subsequent lists.

Duke Energy Ohio will provide end-use customers the option to have all the information listed in the section below removed from the pre-enrollment list. At the same time Duke Energy Ohio will also provide end-use customers the option to have all information listed below reinstated on the pre-enrollment list. The end-use customer will be notified of his or her options quarterly.

The following information will be provided on the end-use customer information list for each end-use customer who has not requested that the information be removed:

• End-use customer name
• Service address
• Service city
• Service state and zip code
• Mailing address
• Mailing city
• Mailing state and zip code
• Rate schedule under which service is rendered
• Load profile reference category
• Meter type (will provide information that is readily available)
• Interval meter data indicator (will provide information that is readily available)
• Budget bill/PIPP indicator
• Meter reading cycle
• Most recent 12 months of historical consumption data
• Meter number
• Revenue class
• Special service rate indicator
• Bulk Indicator
• Account number (encrypted)
• Apartment #
• Floor #
• PLC begin date
• PLC end date
• PLC value
• PLC future begin date
• PLC future end date
• PLC future value
• NSPL begin date
• NSPL end date
• NSPL value
• NSPL future begin date
• NSPL future end date
• NSPL future value
• Supplier indicator (currently switched account)
• Smart Grid meter indicator

Duke Energy Ohio will provide the pre-enrollment list via compact disc. The information will be prepared and distributed in a usable format that allows for data sorting.

Website Historical Usage

Duke Energy Ohio will make 12 months of historical usage data available on Duke Energy Ohio’s supplier website. A certified supplier with signed authorization from the end-use customer may obtain 12 months of historical usage data by entering the end-use customer’s Duke Energy Ohio account number and meter number. Twelve months of historical information will appear for viewing and/or downloading.

The historical monthly usage report includes the most recent 12 months of the following information:

• Actual monthly kWh usage
• Actual Demand in kW and billed demand, if applicable
• kVA and power factor, if applicable
• Meter reading dates
• Number of days in the billing cycle
• Indicator if usage based on read or estimate
• Number of unmetered units applicable

PLC & NSPL Information

• PLC – with beginning date and ending date
• NSPL – with beginning date and ending date
• Future PLC – with beginning date and ending date
• Future NSPL – with beginning date and ending

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

A certified supplier may request 12 months historical usage via EDI, and the following information will be returned via EDI:

• Actual monthly kWh usage
• Actual Demand in kW, if applicable
• kVA and power factor, if applicable
• Meter reading dates
• Number of unmetered units applicable
• PLC and NSPL information

Requesting 12-Month Detailed Interval Meter Data

Certified suppliers may request 12-month detailed historical interval meter data via EDI only. For more information, please see Chapter 5: Electronic Data Interchange of this guidebook. The interval meter data will be transferred in a standardized electronic format and will be in 15 minute intervals. The certified supplier will be billed for the incremental costs incurred to prepare and send such data. The charges for these services are listed in the tariff rate schedules. A copy may be found in Appendix A: Certified Supplier Tariff of this guidebook.

Ongoing Usage Data Provided to the Certified Supplier

For each billing cycle that an end-use customer is enrolled with a certified supplier, Duke Energy Ohio will provide to the certified supplier, via EDI, the current month's usage data for each end-use customer account. For monthly consumption data and monthly detailed interval data, Duke Energy Ohio will automatically send data via EDI and charge the supplier accordingly. A supplier who does not want to receive the detailed interval data and the corresponding charge should request summary data only on the enrollment transaction.

For monthly detailed interval data, each certified supplier will be charged the applicable fee identified in the Certified Supplier Tariff. A copy may be found in Appendix A: Certified Supplier Tariff of this guidebook.

Customer Authorization

A certified supplier, acting as the authorized agent of the end-use customer may request history information via EDI or from Duke Energy Ohio’s supplier website. End-use customer signed data release documents must be made available to Duke Energy Ohio within three business days upon request and must be retained by the certified supplier for a period not less than two calendar years after the calendar year in which received.

The PUCO, Ohio utilities and interested stakeholders have adopted Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) as the standard electronic communication method for exchanging data between utilities and certified suppliers. EDI is the standard communication method between the certified supplier and Duke Energy Ohio for end-use customer enrollment, drop, reinstate, change, billing, payment, account maintenance, transfer of usage information and other business transactions.

What Is EDI?

EDI is the electronic exchange of business information in a standard format between certified suppliers and Duke Energy Ohio. For customer choice, certified suppliers and Duke Energy Ohio will communicate through EDI for end-use customer enrollments, drops, billing, payments, account maintenance, transfer of usage information and other business transactions. EDI transactions are designed to automate and streamline the typical repetitive business transactions that occur between Duke Energy Ohio and a certified supplier. EDI has its own set of terms that are specific to EDI. A list of these terms and specific definitions can be found in Appendix C: Detailed EDI Information.

What Is a Trading Partner?

For customer choice, Duke Energy Ohio and certified suppliers are trading partners. Certified suppliers must have a signed Trading Partner Agreement in order to transact business directly with Duke Energy Ohio using EDI. For the EDI Trading Partner Agreement Form, see Appendix E: Registration and Participation Forms.

How Does EDI Work?

EDI passes data from Duke Energy Ohio's systems to the certified supplier's systems via North American Energy Standard Board (NAESB) Electronic Delivery Mechanism (EDM) data transport protocols using transaction sets and EDI translators.

• The EDI translator is software used to translate data to a corporate proprietary format and vice versa.
• A Transaction Set is the EDI term used for a business document. Duke Energy Ohio uses transaction set guidelines established by the Ohio EDI Working Group (OEWG). Members of the OEWG include representatives from the PUCO, Ohio utilities, electric suppliers and the EDI service providers. These guidelines provide a standard methodology for conducting business in an electronic environment in Ohio.

Summary of EDI Transactions Sets

The business transaction sets between Duke Energy Ohio and the certified supplier are:

• Ohio814E Enrollment/Historical Usage Request
  
  An enrollment request is used for Duke Energy Ohio to process an end-use customer’s request for electric service from a specific certified supplier. A certified supplier may also request historical usage separate from the enrollment process. A request for historical usage notification (Ohio814E for history) is used.

• Ohio814C Change Request
  
  The change request is used for Duke Energy Ohio to notify a certified supplier of a change in end-use customer information. The change request is also used by a certified supplier to notify Duke Energy Ohio of a change in certain end-use customer information.

• Ohio814D Drop Request
  
  The drop request is used by a certified supplier to notify Duke Energy Ohio that it is discontinuing supply services to an end-use customer. In this case, Duke Energy Ohio will return the end-use customer to standard service offer, provided there have been no enrollment requests received from other suppliers. The drop request is also used by Duke Energy Ohio to process an end-use customer’s request to return to a previous supplier or to standard service offer. When Duke Energy Ohio receives an enrollment from a new supplier, Duke Energy Ohio will send a drop request to the existing supplier. Duke Energy Ohio will also use a drop request when it disconnects service to an end-use customer served by a certified supplier. If the end-use customer wishes to select another certified supplier, they must contact that certified supplier.

• Ohio814R Reinstate Request
  
  Duke Energy Ohio will use this transaction to reinstate an end-use customer with a previous certified supplier. This scenario assumes that Duke Energy Ohio has received an enrollment notification from a certified supplier for an end-use customer and that the end-use customer has requested that Duke Energy Ohio rescind the request. The Ohio814R is also used for reinstating an active supplier from a pending drop that was sent in error to Duke Energy Ohio by the certified supplier. The certified supplier who originally sent the 814D may submit an 814R to rescind the 814D.

• Ohio814 Response
  
  An Ohio814 Response is used to notify a certified supplier of Duke Energy Ohio's acceptance or rejection of an enrollment request, which includes notice of effective date, plus code of reason for rejection.

• Ohio867 Meter Data
  
  When historical usage data is requested, it will be sent by Duke Energy Ohio using the historical usage transaction. The Ohio867 transaction is used to transmit end-use customer usage information as captured from the meter for 12-month non-interval history, 12-month interval history and for ongoing monthly metered data for both interval and non-interval meters. It is also used to transmit unmetered usage for non-metered accounts.

• Ohio997 Functional Acknowledgement
  
  This notice will be sent to the certified supplier confirming acceptance or rejection by Duke Energy Ohio's EDI translator. The EDI translator automatically reviews the EDI Transaction for valid syntax and Trading Partner ID number.

• Ohio810 End-Use Customer Invoice
  
  The transaction is used to ensure the proper sharing of billing and consumption information. The Ohio810 transaction is used to transmit monthly usage and the amount that Duke Energy Ohio billed end-use customer on behalf of the supplier under rate ready billing. The certified supplier sends the Ohio810 to Duke Energy Ohio under bill-ready billing.

• Ohio820 Payment Order / Remittance Advice
  
  The Ohio820 is used to remit end-use customer payments received by Duke Energy Ohio on the supplier's behalf or for Duke Energy Ohio to remit payments to a certified supplier in a purchase of receivables arrangement. Payment is made consistent with the current trading partner banking arrangements. Upon receipt of end-use customer payment, Duke Energy Ohio sends the certified supplier its portion of the payment.

• Ohio824 Application Advice
  
  This is used to notify the certified supplier of errors in the Ohio810, Ohio820, and Ohio867

• Ohio248 Account Assignment/Inquiry and Service/Status (write-off)
  
  This is used to provide notification to the certified supplier (nonbilling party) from Duke Energy Ohio (billing party) that Duke Energy Ohio will no longer pursue remittance for the certified supplier's charges.

Detailed information on Ohio guidelines and transaction sets can be found in Appendix C: Detailed EDI Information or obtained by emailing to csbcreps@duke-energy.com or calling the Duke Energy Ohio Certified Supplier Business Center at 513.287.2322.

Establishing EDI Communication With Duke Energy

The certified supplier should begin to establish EDI capability with Duke Energy Ohio by contacting the Duke Energy Ohio Certified Supplier Business center at csbcreps@duke-energy.com or calling 1.513.287.2322. The Duke Energy Certified Supplier Business Center will provide assistance with:

• Understanding the requirements associated with establishing EDI communications with Duke Energy Ohio.
• Completing the EDI Trading Partner Agreement included in this guidebook's Appendix E: Registration and Participation Forms.
• Compiling the required electronic data interchange control information for EDI testing and processing.

A certified supplier currently without EDI capability must designate an EDI service provider by:

• Requesting set-up to become an EDI Trading Partner with Duke Energy Ohio.
• Outsourcing EDI capability through a third-party service provider.

Testing Electronic Communications

Duke Energy Ohio will conduct a broad array of connectivity and compatibility tests with each certified supplier in advance of the production use of the EDI transactions to ensure the functionality of the electronic infrastructure as well as to confirm the communication channels. The scope of these tests includes the EDI business transactions that the certified supplier and Duke Energy Ohio anticipate using. Certified suppliers are encouraged to contact Duke Energy Ohio as soon as possible to arrange for testing as scheduling demands and conflicts may result in delays. Prior to contacting Duke Energy Ohio to initiate testing, the certified supplier should thoroughly review this guidebook to understand the EDI requirements. Duke Energy Ohio expects the certified supplier to use this information to establish its EDI capability and data conformity before testing begins.

In order to assist the certified supplier, Duke Energy Ohio has developed testing transactions and procedures. The testing transactions and procedures are included in Appendix C: Detailed EDI Information.

How to Initiate EDI Capability Testing

Prior to initiating testing, the certified supplier must submit a complete registration packet and registration fee to Duke Energy Ohio. To initiate testing, contact the Duke Energy Ohio Certified Supplier Business Center at csbcreps@duke-energy.com.

Duke Energy/State of Ohio Differences in Standards

Listed below are items that represent differences between Duke Energy Ohio's processes and Ohio state standards:

• The state standard to validate EDI Transactions requires two validation points, end-use customer account number and the first four characters of the customer's last name or business name. Duke Energy Ohio will utilize only one validation point – end-use customer's account number
• The Ohio814 enrollment transaction has a field for the certified supplier to indicate a budget billing dollar amount for the supplier's portion of the bill. Duke Energy Ohio does not support a supplier requested budget billing amount. When customers request budget billing from Duke Energy, the asking amount on Duke Energy bill incorporates a budget billing amount for the certified supplier's portion of the bill.
• Duke Energy Ohio limits the number of rates a certified supplier may assign to an account to one, no matter how many meters the account may have. If a supplier submits multiple rates for the same enrollment or change request, Duke Energy Ohio will select the last rate on the request and use it for the entire account. This will be reflected in the EDI response document sent back to the supplier.
• Duke Energy Ohio will charge certified suppliers a fee for ongoing detailed monthly interval meter data and 12-month detailed data. A supplier who does not want to receive the ongoing detailed interval data and the corresponding charge should request summary data only on the original enrollment transaction or after enrollment via a change transaction.

This chapter discusses the process and policies used for end-use customer switching, including specific end-use customer switching situations and the timeframes within which they must take place. Duke Energy Ohio requires that transactions relating to end-use customer switching be performed via Electronic Data Interchange (EDI).

What Is a DASR?

The DASR (Direct Access Service Request) is an electronic form of communication that is used to exchange business transactions between Duke Energy Ohio and a certified supplier. These transactions become the electronic record to provide the detailed information for a given end-use customer who chooses to participate in Duke Energy Ohio's Customer Choice Program. All DASRs must be submitted through EDI which is discussed in Chapter 5: Electronic Data Interchange of this guidebook.

Certified Supplier Prerequisites for Submitting a DASR

• A certified supplier must be certified by the PUCO and registered by Duke Energy Ohio in order to submit a DASR.
• Prior to submitting an enrollment DASR, a certified supplier must provide Duke Energy Ohio with an executed TSA Designation Agreement that confirms its ability to obtain transmission services.
• A certified supplier who chooses consolidated rate-ready billing must have its rates in Duke Energy Ohio's production billing system before submitting an Enrollment DASR.
• A certified supplier may only submit a DASR for an end-use customer who has an active electric service account assigned by Duke Energy Ohio. If the end-use customer is new or moving to a different physical location within Duke Energy Ohio's service area, then the end-use customer must first call to establish service with Duke Energy Ohio and receive an account number.

DASR Submission Guidelines

• A DASR may only be submitted by a certified supplier.
• All DASRs must be received 12 or more days prior to the next meter reading date to be processed effective on that meter reading date.
• All DASRs will be processed on normal business days. Please view Duke Energy Ohio's holiday schedule, Appendix G: Duke Energy Holiday Schedule.
• A DASR will be effective according to the following schedule:

If a DASR is submitted 12 or more calendar days prior to the next scheduled meter reading date and no other DASR is currently pending for the same account, the DASR will be effective on the next scheduled meter reading date.

If a DASR is submitted less than 12 calendar days prior to the next scheduled meter reading date and no other DASR is currently pending for the same account, the DASR will be effective on the second scheduled meter reading date after the DASR is submitted.

If a DASR is submitted 12 or more calendar days prior to the next scheduled meter reading date and another DASR is currently pending for the same account, the first DASR will be effective on the next scheduled meter reading date and the second DASR will be rejected due to the pending DASR.

If a DASR is submitted 12 or more calendar days prior to the next scheduled meter reading date and another DASR for the same account is received less than 12 calendar days prior to the next scheduled meter reading date, the first DASR will be effective on the next scheduled meter reading date and the second DASR will be rejected due to the pending DASR.

Note: The switch is effective at 12:01 a.m. on the appropriate scheduled meter reading date.

• Each certified supplier must submit one DASR for each end-use customer Choice Service ID.
• Duke Energy Ohio will process a valid enrollment or drop DASR and send the end-use customer confirmation of the change within two business days.
• Simultaneous with sending written notice to the end-use customer, Duke Energy Ohio will electronically advise the certified supplier that the enrollment or drop has been accepted.
• Duke Energy Ohio will provide a seven-day rescission period for residential and non-mercantile customers. If the end-use customer rescinds, Duke Energy Ohio shall send a drop notice to the certified supplier.

NOTE: Duke Energy Ohio limits the number of rates a certified supplier may assign to an account to one, no matter how many meters the account may have. If a supplier submits multiple rates for the same enrollment or change request, Duke Energy Ohio will select the last rate on the request and use it for the entire customer Choice Service ID. This will be reflected in the EDI response document sent back to the supplier.

Typical Types of DASRs Used for Switching

The certified supplier must submit a DASR to Duke Energy Ohio to enroll, drop or reinstate an end-use customer.

Enrollment DASR

The enrollment DASR starts the process of enrolling an end-use customer with a new certified supplier. The enrollment DASR is used for switching the end-use customer from the utility to a certified supplier or from one certified supplier to another.

Special procedures for an enrollment DASR:

• One enrollment DASR must be submitted for each end-use customer Choice Service ID. All electric service (metered and non-metered services) associated with the account number will be enrolled with the certified supplier.
• An enrollment DASR will be processed on a "first in" priority basis according to the received date. If an enrollment DASR is received from two separate certified suppliers for the same end-use customer on the same day, the customer will be enrolled with the supplier whose DASR contains the earlier contract date. If both DASRs have the same contract date, the customer will be enrolled with the supplier whose DASR was first received by Duke Energy Ohio.
• Duke Energy Ohio will send an accept/reject DASR noting the effective date to the certified supplier. Additionally, Duke Energy Ohio will mail notice to the end-use customer noting the new supplier and the effective date of the change.
• Duke Energy Ohio will charge the certified supplier an enrollment fee for each enrollment DASR that is received and accepted. The charge for an enrollment fee is specified in Appendix A: Certified Supplier Tariff.

Drop DASR

A drop DASR is used to provide notice that the supplier intends to stop providing service to an end-use customer. A certified supplier does not need to submit a drop DASR if the end-use customer switches to a new certified supplier. The new certified supplier will submit an enrollment DASR to Duke Energy Ohio.

Special guidelines relating to drop DASRs:

• A certified supplier may "drop" its active end-use customer by submitting a DASR. The drop DASR will terminate service that has already commenced.
• Duke Energy Ohio will send a drop DASR to the current and pending certified supplier for any end-use customer being disconnected and final billed.
• Duke Energy Ohio will send a drop DASR to the certified supplier if the end-use customer requests a return to standard service offer or when a new supplier submits an enrollment for an end-use customer.
• Duke Energy Ohio will send a drop DASR to the certified supplier if the end-use customer requests to rescind an enrollment within seven days of the rescind letter being sent to the end-use customer.
• Duke Energy Ohio will notify the certified supplier whether the drop DASR is accepted or rejected. If the DASR is accepted, Duke Energy Ohio will notify both the certified supplier and the end-use customer of the effective date of the change.

Reinstate DASR

A reinstate DASR will be used by Duke Energy Ohio to process an end-use customer's rescind request. In this scenario, Duke Energy Ohio has received an enrollment DASR from a certified supplier for an end-use customer and the end-use customer has requested that Duke Energy Ohio rescind the request. If there is a current active certified supplier, Duke Energy Ohio sends a reinstatement DASR to the currently active certified supplier and will send a drop DASR to the new certified supplier.

A reinstate DASR may only be used by a certified supplier to reinstate an end-use customer that was dropped in error.

Acknowledgment, Validation, Acceptance and Rejection of DASRs

DASR Acknowledgement

Duke Energy Ohio will electronically receive DASRs in EDI format at its EDI translator. The translator automatically reviews the DASR for valid syntax and Trading Partner ID number. An acknowledgment notice will be transmitted, confirming that the DASR has been transmitted successfully. DASRs failing the basic accuracy validation will be rejected and notice will be sent to the certified supplier.

DASR Validation

Prior to DASR acceptance, each DASR type is reviewed (validated) to determine that all validation criteria have been met. Listed below are the validation criteria for all DASRs types:

• The certified supplier submitting the DASR is an "active supplier", registered to participate in Duke Energy Ohio's Customer Choice Program.
• The DASR includes the end-use customer's account number that matches an active account number in Duke Energy Ohio's Customer Management System. Please enter your customer's full 22-character Choice Service ID for the appropriate service, excluding dashes and spaces (include all leading zeros).

Example: Duke Energy Ohio

Additional information on validation criteria may be found in Appendix C: Detailed EDI Information.

DASR Acceptance

DASR acceptance will be provided via an Ohio EDI transaction and will note the effective date of the DASR. The date represents Duke Energy Ohio's next scheduled meter reading that is greater than 11 calendar days from the date the DASR is received by Duke Energy Ohio. The transaction will be effective at 12:01 AM at the beginning of the day on the end-use customer's scheduled meter reading date.

An EDI notice of the effective start date will be sent concurrently with the acceptance. The notice of acceptance of a DASR and the effective start date will be sent within one business day and is the only notice the certified supplier will receive.

DASR Rejection

A rejection notice provides specific information on why a given DASR was rejected. Duke Energy Ohio will provide a rejection notice within one business day, if possible, but in no event later than four calendar days of receipt of a DASR. Duke Energy Ohio will communicate the reasons for rejecting a DASR using rejection codes. These rejection codes, along with the definitions, may be found in Appendix C: Detailed EDI Information.

Rescission Rules

Rescission period refers to a seven-day timeframe that a residential or nonmercantile end-use customer has to cancel an enrollment. The seven-day period begins from the postmark date of Duke Energy Ohio's notice to the end-use customer that states the effective date of the switch.

There is no Rescission period for mercantile customers (annual energy consumption greater than or equal to 700,000 kWh or part of a national account).

This chapter describes Duke Energy Ohio’s metering obligations for a certified supplier, meter installation procedures and associated metering charges. These topics are included:

Meter Ownership and Maintenance

Duke Energy Ohio owns, furnishes, installs, programs, calibrates, tests and maintains all meters and all associated equipment used for retail billing and settlement purposes in the Duke Energy Ohio service area.

Regularly Scheduled Meter Reads:

Duke Energy Ohio reads all meters in its service territory in accordance with the regularly scheduled meter reading dates and whenever Duke Energy Ohio deems a read necessary. End-use customers must provide access to the meters for Duke Energy Ohio to obtain meter readings. For a schedule of Duke Energy Ohio's meter reading dates, see Appendix D: Meter Reading Schedule of this guidebook. The meter reading schedule is updated in December of each year.

Estimated Reads:

Duke Energy Ohio will continue to estimate the usage if metered data is lost due to failure of or damage to the metering equipment. Reads may also be estimated in the case of inclement weather, inaccessibility, etc.

Special Meter Reads:

Duke Energy Ohio will provide special meter reads as requested by certified suppliers. Duke Energy Ohio reads meters on regularly scheduled meter reading dates. A request to read the meter at a different time than the normal meter reading date constitutes a special read. The charges for these meter reads are specified in Appendix A: Certified Supplier Tariff of this guidebook.

Each certified supplier has a secured identification number and password to access a special meter reading request form located on Duke Energy Ohio's Customer Choice website. A certified supplier may also contact Duke Energy Ohio’s Certified Supplier Business Center by email: csbcreps@duke-energy.com, by phone at 513.287.2322, or by fax at 513.287.2718.

Note: Special meter reads will not be used to create an off-cycle bill or to switch an end-use customer.

Meter Testing:

Duke Energy Ohio will provide meter testing as requested by certified suppliers. A meter test order form is located in the secured section of Duke Energy Ohio's Customer Choice Web site. The certified supplier may contact Duke Energy Ohio’s Certified Supplier Business Center by email to csbcreps@duke-energy.com, phone 513.287.2322 or by fax 513.287.2718. The charges for meter testing are specified in Appendix A: Certified Supplier Tariff of this guidebook.

Metering Requirements

Interval meters are required for end-use customers who choose a certified supplier and have a maximum peak demand greater than or equal to 200 kW for the most recent 12-month period. Interval meters are also required for those end-use customers that have an interruptible load contract with their certified supplier.

End-use customers who are required to have an interval meter to participate in the Duke Energy Ohio Customer Choice Program may begin service prior to having an interval meter installed, assuming the end-use customer has executed an interval meter request work order approving the interval meter installation. After the interval meter request work order has been executed and submitted and prior to the meter's installation, Duke Energy Ohio will use a company load profile and consumption meter reads for settlement. Duke Energy Ohio will also use consumption meter reads for billing.

End-use customers are responsible for the incremental costs of the interval meters and the incremental costs associated with the installation of required interval metering.

Duke Energy Ohio may require interval metering for other end-use customers based on a review of the end-use customer’s rate schedule, billing history and class load profile information. If installed, the interval meter will be used for end-use customer billing and settlement purposes.

The most expedient method to successfully enroll an end-use customer that requires an interval meter is for the certified supplier, on behalf of the end-use customer, to send an electronic pdf to csbcreps@duke-energy.com or to fax to 513.287.2718 the end-use customer-signed work order to the Duke Energy Ohio Certified Supplier Business Center. The enrollment may be delayed if interaction is necessary for Duke Energy Ohio to coordinate obtaining the signed work order directly from the end-use customer.

Requests for Interval Metering

A Duke Energy Ohio Interval Meter Request Work Order can be obtained in the following ways:

Certified Suppliers

• Duke Energy Ohio's website at Interval Meter Request Work Order (PDF)
• Email to csbcreps@duke-energy.com
• Telephone call to Duke Energy Ohio's Certified Supplier Business Center at 513.287.2322

End-Use Customers

• Duke Energy Ohio's website at Interval Meter Request Work Order (PDF)
• Telephone call to Duke Energy's Customer Account Services at 800.774.1202

PLEASE NOTE: A certified supplier, on behalf of the end-use customer, or an end-use customer, may request that an interval meter be installed where one is not mandated (below the interval meter threshold). The requested interval meter will be used for end-use customer billing and settlement purposes. The end-use customer is responsible for the incremental costs of the meter and the incremental costs associated with the installation of the meter.

Interval Meter Charges and Installation Schedule Charges:

The end-use customer will be billed for the incremental costs of upgrading the present meter and the incremental costs associated with the installation of required or requested interval metering. The charge for an interval meter is a tariffed rate and may be paid as a lump sum or in 24 monthly installments. The ownership of the interval meter will remain with Duke Energy Ohio. The charges for these services are specified in the Retail Electric Service Tariff; Rate MSC-Meter Service Charges(PDF).

Installation Schedule:

Duke Energy Ohio’s meter installation schedule is based on the existing capacity to install meters along with other metering work, such as meter maintenance and testing. Interval metering installation requests will normally be processed according to the date received. Meter workload is prioritized to address safety, new meter sets, maintenance and operational efficiency.

Pulse Equipment

Duke Energy Ohio has meters with pulse outputs available to the end-use customer. The pulses provide real-time information about the various metered quantities. End-use customers can use the meter output pulses as an input to load monitoring and load control equipment. The output pulses are dry contact and are dependent on the meter type. The available outputs and associated input requirements are as follows:

• kWh pulse – 3 wire form C contact, mercury wetted, rated at 500 VDC or 350 VAC, 2 amps break, 5 amps carry. The maximum rating of the contacts is 100 VA. Factory fused at 1/2 amp. Available on 15-minute interval and non-interval demand meters.
• kvarh (lagging) pulse – 3 wire form C contact, mercury wetted, rated at 500 VDC or 350 VAC, 2 amps break, 5 amps carry. The maximum rating of the contacts is 100 VA. Factory fused at 1/2 amp. Available on 15-minute interval meters.
• 15 minute time pulse – 2 wire form A contact, mercury wetted, rated at 500 VDC or 350 VAC, 2 amps break, 5 amps carry. The maximum rating of the contacts is 100 VA. Factory fused at 1/2 amp. Available on 15-minute interval and non-interval demand meters.
• Rate change pulse – 2 wire form A contact, mercury wetted, rated at 500 VDC or 350 VAC, 2 amps break, 5 amps carry. The maximum rating of the contacts is 100 VA. Factory fused at 1/2 amp. Available on 15-minute TOU meters.

All contacts have a 12 to 14 milliohm contact resistance with a 50 milliohm maximum contact resistance. The contacts typically operate and release in 1 to 2 milliseconds.

All customer-owned equipment connected to Duke Energy Ohio equipment is required to meet the above specifications outlined in each option.

All installations must meet the approval of the local inspection bureau.

The charges are outlined in the Retail Electric Service Tariff; Rate MSC - Meter Service Charges (PDF).

A Duke Energy Pulse Equipment Work Order request form can be obtained in the following ways:

Certified Suppliers

• Duke Energy Ohio's website at Pulse Equipment Request Work Order (PDF)
• Email to csbcreps@duke-energy.com
• Telephone call to Duke Energy Ohio 's Certified Supplier Business Center at 513.287.2322

End-Use Customers

• Duke Energy's website at Pulse Equipment Request Work Order (PDF)
• Telephone call to Duke Energy's Customer Account Services at 800.774.1202

This chapter reviews the customer choice billing policies and practices used by Duke Energy Ohio.

Certified Supplier End-Use Customer Billing Options

A certified supplier must select one of the following billing options for each of its end-use customers and indicate its choice when submitting the enrollment DASR to Duke Energy Ohio:

• Consolidated rate-ready billing
• Consolidated bill-ready billing
• Dual billing

Each of the above billing options is described below.

Duke Energy Ohio Consolidated Rate-Ready Billing Option

Under the consolidated rate-ready billing option, the certified supplier will send its rate schedules to Duke Energy Ohio. During each billing cycle, Duke Energy Ohio will compute the certified supplier charges based upon the certified supplier's current rate schedules and end-use customer meter data. Duke Energy Ohio will then forward a consolidated invoice to the end-use customer.

Certified suppliers that choose the consolidated rate-ready billing option must furnish specific rate information to Duke Energy Ohio by submitting the certified supplier rate submission form. Each certified supplier will have a secured identification number and password to access a rate submission form located on Duke Energy Ohio's Customer Choice website. A certified supplier may also contact Duke Energy Ohio’s Certified Supplier Business Center by email at csbcreps@duke-energy.com, by phone at 513.287.2322 or by fax at 513.287.2718.

Standard Rate Types for Rate-Ready Billing:

Duke Energy Ohio defines a standard rate as falling into one of four rate types:

1. Non-volumetric Rate – a flat charge to the end-use customer regardless of the amount of consumption for a given period of time.

   Example:
   $100.00 per billing cycle no matter how many kWh or kW are consumed

2. Flat Rate – a flat charge per kWh and/or kW

   Example:
   $ 0.08 per kWh
   $10.00 per kW

3. Multi-tiered Rate – a rate where each group (tier) of units of consumption (kWh or kW) is priced at a certain rate while other groups of units of consumption are priced at a different rate.

   Example:
   1 - 1000 kWh @ $0.08
   1001 - 5000 kWh @ $0.07
   5001 - 6000 kWh @ $0.06

4. Time-of-Use Rate – a rate where the amount charged per unit (kWh or kW) varies according to the time of day it was consumed. This reflects the difference in "on-peak" and "off-peak" demands and the costs to provide service at those times.

   Example:
   $10.00 per kW used during "on-peak" period
   - and -
   $ 5.00 per kW used during "off-peak" period

For time-of-use rates, Duke Energy Ohio defines "on-peak" and "off-peak" times as follows:

Summer Season (Monday through Friday)

• On-peak: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Off-peak: 8 p.m. to 11 a.m.

Summer season is defined as May meter reading date through September meter reading date for interval meters.
Summer season is defined as June 1 through September 30 for non-interval meters.

Winter Season (Monday through Friday)

• On-peak: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Off-peak: 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• On-peak: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• Off-peak: 9 p.m. to 9 a.m.

The following are off-peak times:

Saturday
Sunday
Holidays:

• New Year's Day
• President's Day
• Good Friday
• Memorial Day
• Fourth of July
• Labor Day
• Columbus Day
• Veteran's Day
• Thanksgiving
• Christmas

Note: If a holiday is on Sunday, the following Monday is programmed for off-peak hours. Please view Appendix G:Duke Energy Holiday Schedule.

Duke Energy Ohio's Role in Implementing Consolidated Rate-Ready Billing:

• Duke Energy Ohio will supply a rate submission form for the above standard rates for the certified supplier to use for submitting rates. The rate submission form will be located in the secured section of the Duke Energy Ohio customer choice website.
• Duke Energy Ohio will send the certified supplier the test results via e-mail after the rate is entered into the billing system and tested.
• Duke Energy Ohio will have five calendar days to set up and system test standard rates before sending the tested rates back to the certified supplier for approval.
• Duke Energy Ohio will put rates into production no more than three business days following approval by the certified supplier
• Duke Energy Ohio will reject all transactions that request a rate that is not in production.
• If Duke Energy Ohio inaccurately applies the usage information to the rate approved by the certified supplier, the certified supplier must notify Duke Energy Ohio immediately and Duke Energy Ohio will make a correction in a succeeding billing period.
• If Duke Energy Ohio makes an error, such as a switched meter or misread meter, under the consolidated billing option, Duke Energy Ohio will correct the error and send revised usage.
• Duke Energy Ohio will provide the certified supplier with usage information and charges via EDI.
• Duke Energy Ohio will handle certified suppliers' requests for non-standard rates on a case-by-case basis.Duke Energy Ohio will charge the certified supplier a tariffed hourly rate to institute program modifications associated with implementation of non-standard rates. The charge for this service is described in Appendix A: Certified Supplier Tariff of this guidebook. In general, nonstandard rates are implemented in association with major Duke Energy Ohio information system upgrades that occur no more than twice per year. A minimum of six months is required to implement a non-standard supplier rate. Suppliers should give as much advanced notice as possible when requesting non-standard rates.
• Duke Energy Ohio will provide a budget billing option to end-use customers (see Budget Billing Option in this chapter for further information).

The Certified Supplier's Role in Implementing Consolidated Rate-Ready Billing:

• Complete the rate submission form and send it to Duke Energy Ohio.
• Review the test results after the rate is entered into Duke Energy Ohio's billing system and tested.
• Authorize Duke Energy Ohio to begin billing, using the new rates, before enrolling any end-use customers.
• Assume responsibility for all erroneous bills when the rates do not reflect the desired pricing of the certified supplier if the rates have been approved by the certified supplier. The certified supplier is responsible for all adjustments with their end-use customers;Duke Energy Ohio will not cancel and rebill due to certified supplier errors.
• Resolve all end-use customer/certified supplier rate disputes.

NOTE: Duke Energy Ohio limits the number of rates a certified supplier may assign to an account to one, no matter how many meters the account may have. If a supplier submits multiple rates for the same enrollment or change request, Duke Energy Ohio will select the last rate on the request and use it for the entire account. This will be reflected in the EDI response document sent back to the supplier.

Duke Energy Ohio Consolidated Bill-Ready Billing Option

Bill Ready Billing is a billing option where the supplier calculates their charges and sends them to Duke Energy Ohio via an EDI transaction for presentation on Duke Energy Ohio's electric bill. To participate in Bill-Ready Billing a supplier must abide by all Bill-Ready billing provisions in the Certified Supplier Tariff, Section X, page 3 of 4.

Purchase of Accounts Receivable (PAR)

A consolidated billing option where Duke Energy Ohio pays the supplier for their charges on the Duke Energy consolidated invoice at 100%. In order to participate in the PAR program, a supplier must sign an Accounts Receivable Purchase Agreement with Duke Energy Ohio and abide by all PAR provisions in the Certified Supplier Tariff.

Dual Billing Option

With the dual billing option, Duke Energy Ohio and the certified supplier provide separate bills to end-use customers for their respective charges. Each billing party is responsible for calculating its respective charges, preparing and sending its own bill to the end-use customer (including any applicable taxes), receiving and processing the end-use customer’s payment and remitting taxes to the appropriate taxing authorities.

Duke Energy Ohio will transmit the necessary meter reading information to the appropriate supplier electronically via electronic data interchange (EDI). Duke Energy Ohio and the certified supplier will use the same meter reading information to bill the end-use customer for the regulated Duke Energy Ohio distribution charges and the unregulated certified supplier commodity charges.

Duke Energy Ohio will calculate its charges using PUCO-approved tariff schedules.

The billing method and accuracy of the charges are the responsibilities of each billing party. In the event that Duke Energy Ohio revises or corrects the usage information used in billing the end-use customer, Duke Energy Ohio will inform the certified supplier of the change in usage information via EDI.

Budget Billing Option

Duke Energy Ohio can provide end-use customers who have selected a certified supplier with a budget billing option. Budget billing is available to end-use customers billed by either consolidated rate-ready billing, consolidated bill-ready billing,or dual billing. There are two separate budget billing plans available:

1. The Quarterly Plan, in which the budget billed amount is adjusted four times each year
2. The Annual Plan, which estimates the average annual energy usage and divides the amount by 11. Adjustments are made in the 6th and 12th months, with the 12th month being the settle-up month where the end-use customer has a zero balance when the asking amount is paid.

Payment Priorities and Budget Billing:

When end-use customer payments are received under the consolidated billing options, it has been established by the PUCO that the regulated services are paid first. Because of this, the budget billing payment will be applied to the actual regulated charges first. In those months where the regulated charges are more than the payment received, the certified supplier will not receive a payment. However, the certified supplier will be made whole for their charges by the settle up month.

Switching Certified Suppliers and Budget Billing:

When an end-use customer who is on budget billing switches from one certified supplier to another and the budget billing plan is not in the settle-up month, the account will continue in the budget billing cycle without interruption. The prior certified supplier would continue to receive payments over the next one to 11 months (worst case) as the payment application priority allows until the certified supplier is made whole.

Billing Cycle

Duke Energy Ohio's current practice is to render bills regularly at monthly intervals, but bills may be rendered more or less frequently at Duke Energy Ohio’s option. A copy of Duke Energy Ohio's current meter reading schedule is in Appendix D: Meter Reading Schedule of this guidebook. The meter reading schedule is revised in December of each year.

Bill Format and Messages

Duke Energy Ohio's revised bill format conforms to the requirements of Customer Choice legislation. The bill contains a full disclosure of unbundled costs. Customer charges for distribution are listed separately from certified supplier charges.

Certified suppliers are responsible for providing a Generation Resource Mix statement to their own end-use customers in accordance with PUCO requirements.

Certified suppliers will be able to add bill messages to the Duke Energy Ohio customer bills for changes to rates, terms and conditions, and for notices of abandonment.

Abandonment Bill Message

The PUCO mandates that a certified supplier must provide notice of abandonment on each billing statement rendered to its end-use customers beginning at least 90 days prior to the effective date of the abandonment. The certified supplier must continue to provide the notice on all subsequent billing statements until the service is abandoned.

Where Duke Energy Ohio is performing billing services for a certified supplier, Duke Energy Ohio will provide this notice on the billing statement. Duke Energy Ohio does not offer bill memo services for certified suppliers in any other instance. The certified supplier should contact Duke Energy Ohio at csbcreps@duke-energy.com or call 513.287.2322 to arrange for the abandonment bill message. Certified suppliers will pay a tariff-based fee for this bill message. Please see Appendix A: Certified Supplier Tariff in this guidebook for charges.

Requesting a Duplicate Bill

A certified supplier serving an end-use customer may request that a duplicate copy of the customer's electric bill be sent to the end-use customer. Certified suppliers will pay a tariff-based fee for the duplicate bill.

Instructions for requesting a duplicate bill can be found in the secured section of the certified supplier web page.

End-Use Customer Payments/Remittance

End-use customer bill payments are due on the date described on the bill as the last day to pay the net amount. The due date is 21 calendar days after the mailing of the bill unless amended by Duke Energy and approved by the PUCO.

Payment of consolidated bills or Duke Energy Ohio’s bill may be made at any commercial office of Duke Energy or at any Duke Energy authorized payment agency.

Duke Energy may require that an end-use customer who is not creditworthy tender payment by means of a certified or cashier's check, electronic funds transfer, cash or other immediately available funds.

End-Use Customer Payment Processing/Remittance

The end-use customer is responsible for payment in full to Duke Energy Ohio for all of the Duke Energy Ohio and certified supplier charges when Duke Energy Ohio performs consolidated billing.

Duke Energy Ohio will remit payments received to the appropriate certified supplier for certified supplier charges when a payment is received on Duke Energy Ohio’ s consolidated bill. Duke Energy Ohio will use its best efforts to remit payments via Automated Clearing House (ACH) to the certified supplier within four business days after the funds are received by Duke Energy Ohio.

All end-use customer charges are grouped into categories and a payment priority is established for each. If a partial payment is received, Duke Energy Ohio will apply a payment priority classification. Payments will be applied in the following order:

1. Prior distribution, standard offer generation, transmission and regulated gas charges
2. Current electric distribution and regulated gas charges
3. Prior certified supplier charges
4. Current certified supplier charges
5. Other prior and current non-regulated charges

End-Use Customers In Arrears

End-use customers who fail to pay gas and electric regulated utility charges to Duke Energy Ohio will be subject to Duke Energy Ohio’s late payment charge policy and the rules and regulations governing the current credit, collection and disconnection procedures in accordance with Sections 4901:1-10, 4901:1-17 and 4901:1-18 of the Ohio Administrative Code.

End-use customers who fail to pay for Duke Energy Ohio's non-regulated products and services will be subject to Duke Energy Ohio's current collection procedure which can include a series of letters, retrieval of the product, and discontinuance of the service that is being provided to the end-use customer.

End-use customers who fail to pay for certified supplier's charges are in arrears to the certified supplier. The certified supplier is ultimately responsible for the collection of such unpaid nonregulated charges, except in the situation where Duke Energy Ohio is purchasing the certified supplier's receivables.

Duke Energy Ohio Billing/Payment Processing for Certified Suppliers

Duke Energy Ohio will submit an invoice to the certified supplier for all tariff-based services during the preceding calendar month, as well as any unpaid charges from prior month invoices. The Certified Supplier Tariff requires the certified supplier to pay Duke Energy Ohio's invoices within 10 calendar days of receipt. All payments must be made in immediately available funds, payable to Duke Energy Ohio.

Late Payment Charges

Interest on unpaid amounts will be an amount equal to 1.5% of the unpaid balance at the due date, calculated monthly.

Netting of End-Use Customer Payments and Certified Supplier Charges

If the certified supplier defaults and Duke Energy Ohio is performing consolidated billing for the certified supplier, Duke Energy Ohio reserves the right to retain payments collected from the end-use customers and apply the payments to Duke Energy Ohio's charge.

This chapter reviews the necessary procedures and requirements for the reservation of transmission service and ancillary services and the scheduling of energy pursuant to the applicable Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT) and current business practices.

A certified supplier serving end-use customers on Duke Energy Ohio’s distribution system will need to arrange for transmission and ancillary services to deliver power and energy through Duke Energy Ohio's transmission system for ultimate delivery to end-use customers.

The certified supplier must either arrange for these services under the applicable OATT as the transmission customer or make arrangements with a transmission scheduling agent (TSA) to contract with the transmission provider for transmission services. The TSA is ultimately responsible for all transmission and ancillary services provided on behalf of a certified supplier. In this chapter, the Transmission Customer is referred to as the TSA.

Reservation and scheduling of capacity and energy will be governed by the applicable OATT and rules established by industry groups such as the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) and East Central Area Reliability Council (ECAR), as well as regulatory agencies such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for transmission reservations, tagging, energy scheduling, ancillary services, loss compensation and emergency operation. Energy will be scheduled in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable OATT. The current OATT is posted on the PJM Open Access Same-time Information System (OASIS). PJM's current commercial business practices related to transmission reservation and energy scheduling are also posted on the PJM OASIS site and defined in the applicable tariff.

This chapter reviews the following topics:

• Certified Supplier Generation Capacity Obligations for Serving Firm Load
• Transmission Service
• Ancillary Services
• Loss Compensation
• Load Scheduling
• Load Forecasting

Certified Supplier Generation Capacity Obligations for Serving Firm Load

The certified supplier undertaking the obligation to serve firm end-use customer load on the Duke Energy Ohio system must have sufficient electric generation capacity and/or energy resources, either owned or under contract, to meet the firm requirements of its end-use customers for the duration of its service obligation. The certified supplier must be knowledgeable of and in compliance with the reliability practices, policies and guides of NERC and ECAR.

Included in these reliability practices, policies, and guides is the requirement to maintain adequate planning and operating reserve for firm load obligation. Consistent with this requirement and as necessary to receive service under the applicable OATT, the certified supplier shall own or have under contract generation capacity resources equivalent to 100% of the firm load (plus losses) it is planning to serve for the term of the service. The certified supplier must communicate these arrangements to its TSA. The TSA must reserve network transmission service with the transmission provider to serve its firm load from its generation capacity resources. Generation capacity resources that are not located in the PJM footprint must also have reserved a firm transmission path for delivery to the PJM border. The TSA must provide verification of its generation capacity resources and firm transmission service arrangements to the transmission provider. The transmission provider may confirm these arrangements via communications with the source and other transmitting RTO's or balancing authorities.

In addition, to meet operating reserve obligations each day, the TSA must make arrangements to have adequate generation capacity resources on-line to meet its expected daily load. The TSA must also have appropriate arrangements for spinning, supplemental, and regulating reserves. The TSA must provide verification of these daily arrangements to the transmission provider.

Generation capacity resources may only be counted toward planning and/or operating reserve requirements for the TSA if the supplying balancing authority treats its capacity obligation to the TSA as a deduction to the capacity it has available to meet its own reserve requirements.

Transmission Service

Transmission service is high-voltage, bulk transport of power and energy from generators to load recipients. The arrangements for and use of transmission service on the Duke Energy Ohio system is governed by the applicable OATT. The OATT defines the rates terms and conditions associated with network transmission service. The TSA must first sign a transmission service agreement with the transmission provider to initiate service under the OATT. The standard forms of these agreements are included as attachments to the OATT and are also available from the transmission provider's OASIS home page.

In order to serve end-use customers on Duke Energy Ohio’s system, a TSA must sign an OATT service agreement and request service on the transmission provider's OASIS for network transmission service. The TSA must reserve firm transmission service (network) from its generating capacity source, which it owns or has under contract, in order to list the designated resources for Network Service. The TSA must also make arrangements for ancillary services when it signs the service agreement.

Transmission Scheduling Agent (TSA)

If a certified supplier is not eligible to be a transmission customer or chooses not to interact directly with the transmission provider for scheduling purposes, the certified supplier shall enter into a business arrangement with another party that will act as a transmission scheduling agent (TSA) for that certified supplier. All actions of the TSA that relate to one of its certified suppliers are binding on, and attributable to, the certified supplier.

Designation or Change of a Transmission Scheduling Agent

To designate or change a TSA, a certified supplier must provide to Duke Energy Ohio a completed TSA Designation Agreement fully executed by the certified supplier and the TSA.

TSA Scheduling and Settlement

Whole Megawatts (MWs): For any hour when the entity acting as a TSA supplies electric energy to its end-use customer, it must submit a schedule. Scheduling shall be done in whole MW amounts. Scheduling of ones and zeros will be permitted for loads of less than one MW.

Certified Suppliers using a TSA cannot submit schedules or propose schedule changes. The TSA is responsible for submitting all schedules and changes to the transmission provider. The TSA will be the sole point of contact with the transmission provider in regards to all scheduling and settlement activities.

Termination of the Certified Supplier/TSA Relationship

If notice is provided to Duke Energy Ohio that the certified supplier/TSA relationship is terminated, Duke Energy Ohio shall be the back-up supplier of energy. The certified supplier shall either designate another TSA or assume the TSA function itself (if eligible) within five business days of such occurrence. The new entity acting as the TSA shall begin scheduling power within 10 business days after designation by the certified supplier.

The certified supplier shall pay Duke Energy Ohio the charges defined in the Back-up Generation (Rate BUG) in the Certified Supplier Tariff until the new TSA's services are active. The certified supplier's failure to comply with these requirements shall render it in default as described in Section XX of the Certified Supplier Tariff.

Termination of a Certified Supplier

In the event Duke Energy Ohio terminates a certified supplier as described in Section XX of the Certified Supplier Tariff, the certified supplier's end-use customers shall be returned to Duke Energy Ohio's standard service offer, effective on each end-use customer's next scheduled meter reading date after the date of termination.

During the period of time between the certified supplier's termination and the next meter reading dates for each of its end-use customers, Duke Energy Ohio shall serve the certified supplier's end-use customers and shall charge the certified supplier Duke Energy Ohio's out-of-pocket cost paid for electric energy during that period, including transmission, distribution, and all other applicable charges. Section XX of the Certified Supplier Tariff provides a complete description regarding default, suspension and termination of a certified supplier.

Network Integration Transmission Service

Network Integration Transmission Service (NITS) is used to deliver capacity and energy from designated network resources to serve network loads. NITS is equivalent to firm transmission service.

Transmission Reservations

Once the TSA has completed the transmission provider registration requirements and has signed one or more transmission service agreements, the TSA may begin requesting transmission service reservations on the transmission provider's OASIS node. The transmission provider will review each service request and evaluate it to determine whether or not there is available transmission capacity to approve the request. The transmission provider may charge a fee to pay for system studies or assessments. The transmission provider may also indicate that transmission system enhancements are needed to provide the requested service.

Ancillary Services

Ancillary Services Overview

Ancillary Services are those services necessary to support the transmission of capacity and energy from resources to load while maintaining reliable operation of the transmission system. There are six ancillary services defined and available under the applicable tariff. These are listed below by Service Schedule number and name:

• Schedule 1 – Scheduling, System Control and Dispatch Service
• Schedule 2 – Reactive Supply and Voltage Control
• Schedule 3 – Regulation and Frequency Response
• Schedule 5 – Spinning Reserve
• Schedule 6 – Supplemental Reserve

The following must be purchased from the transmission provider:

• Schedule 1 (Scheduling, System Control and Dispatch Service)
• Schedule 2 (Reactive Supply and Voltage Control)

The TSA must make arrangements with the transmission provider to supply or purchase the following ancillary services:

• Schedule 3 (Regulation and Frequency Response)
• Schedule 5 (Spinning Reserve)
• Schedule 6 (Supplemental Reserve)

If the TSA can demonstrate it has acquired the necessary ancillary services from another source, the TSA does not have to purchase them from the transmission provider. Telemetry and communication equipment may be required to make this demonstration. The TSA must list in its OATT service agreement which ancillary services it will purchase from the transmission provider.

The rates, terms and conditions of the ancillary services are described in the applicable tariff. The five ancillary services are also described below:

Schedule 1 – Scheduling, System Control, and Dispatch

This service is required to schedule the movement of power through, out of, within or into a Balancing Authority and to maintain the balance of scheduled and actual interchanges.

Schedule 2 – Reactive Supply and Voltage Control

This service is required in order to maintain transmission voltages on the transmission system facilities within acceptable limits. Generation facilities in Duke Energy Ohio’s Control Area are operated to produce (or absorb) reactive power.

Schedule 3 – Regulation and Frequency Response

Regulation and frequency response service is necessary to provide for the continuous balancing of resources (generation and interchange) with load and for maintaining scheduled interconnection frequency at 60 cycles per second (60 Hz). Regulation and frequency response service is accomplished by committing on-line generation whose output is raised or lowered (predominantly through the use of automatic generating control equipment) as necessary to follow the moment-by-moment changes in load.

Schedule 5 – Spinning Reserve

Spinning reserve service is that part of operating reserve which is on-line and available to serve load immediately in the event of a system contingency, such as a loss of a generating unit or loss of a transmission path. Spinning reserve service may be provided by generating units that are on-line and loaded at less than maximum output.

Schedule 6 – Supplemental Reserve

Supplemental Reserve Service is that part of operating reserve needed to serve load in the event of a system contingency; but may not be available immediately to serve load, but rather within a short period of time. Supplemental reserve service may be provided by generating units that are on-line but unloaded, by quick-start generation or by interruptible load.

Loss Compensation

Capacity and energy losses occur when electricity is delivered through the transmission system. The transmission customer is required to supply capacity and energy to compensate the transmission provider for losses. The certified supplier’s end-use customers’ meter readings are adjusted by applying distribution loss factors to account for transmission distribution system losses. The transmission system loss factors can be referenced on the PJM OASIS loss matrix. The loss matrix is available on the PJM OASIS homepage at http://www.pjm.com/markets-and-operations/etools/oasis.aspx.

Load Scheduling

Once transmission service is reserved, the TSA is responsible for providing schedules of energy and NERC tags to the transmission provider or the tag authority to deliver power and energy to the certified supplier end-use customers.

Certified Suppliers Using a TSA

The entity acting as TSA is required to submit daily schedules as described below in Submission of Schedules.

Transmission and Distribution Losses

The hourly schedule must include transmission and distribution losses.

Accumulation to Whole Megawatts (MWs)

Scheduling must be done in whole megawatt (MW) amounts. For any hour when the entity acting as a TSA supplies electric energy to its end-use customer, it must submit a schedule. Scheduling shall be done in whole MW amounts. Scheduling of ones and zeros is permitted for loads of less than one MW.

Submission of Schedules

The entity acting as TSA shall submit daily schedules one business day before the delivery of power by the time specified in the PJM OATT. All schedules must be submitted in compliance with NERC tagging guidelines. Schedules may also be communicated via a dynamic schedule. Arrangements for dynamic scheduling must be made under a separate agreement with the transmission provider.

Schedule Changes

Schedule changes may occur as described in business practices posted to OASIS, the OATT, and NERC policy.

Load Forecasting

The certified supplier or its designated TSA is responsible for preparing its own hourly load forecast.

The TSA must first forecast the hour-by-hour load of its end-use customers for a given day. The forecast should be adjusted to reflect the transmission and distribution loss factors so that the load forecast represents load at the transmission voltage level. The certified supplier may acquire historical data on customer usage to assist in forecasting, as described in Chapter 4: Obtaining End-Use Customer Historical Usage of this guidebook.

Certified Supplier Daily Forecasting Process

For real-time load following, including end-use customers having interruptible contracts with their certified suppliers, a certified supplier or its designated TSA will have special obligations with respect to the transmission operator that must be addressed on an end-use customer by end-use customer basis to ensure operational integrity. A certified supplier or its designated TSA, and the transmission operator will work cooperatively to address the technical and operational issues posed by real-time load following as the need arises. The loads of end-use customers using real-time load will not be incorporated into a certified supplier’s hourly load forecasts except as required for transmission purposes. A certified supplier or its designated TSA must supply specific information regarding the generation resources committed to following the certified supplier’s load. The certified supplier or its designated TSA must arrange for the cooperative involvement of any other parties necessary to institute such dynamic scheduling.

This chapter describes the load profiling, imbalance and settlement process used to bill the transmission scheduling agent (TSA) for transmission and ancillary services and other services. The certified supplier (or TSA) should review the applicable tariff’s for details concerning the major components of the settlement process.

Topics in this chapter include:

• Load Profiling Process
• Settlement
• Billing Items

Load Profiling Process

Weather Response Functions for Forecasting

Duke Energy Ohio will prepare in advance and post on Duke Energy Ohio's website, weather response functions representative of each profile class and day type (weekday or weekend) for each month of the year.

Weather Response Function Updates

Duke Energy Ohio will periodically review these weather response functions for accuracy to ensure they are statistically representative of the segment class and updated as more recent data is collected, processed and analyzed. The weather response functions will be updated at a minimum on an annual basis.

Use of Dynamic Modeling for Settlement

Each end-use customer of a certified supplier with a non-interval meter has a segment designation corresponding to the profile template used for settlement. Dynamic models are created using weather response functions (WRFs as posted on the Duke Energy Ohio Certified Supplier website) and actual weather data collected for the settlement month. Applying the certified supplier customer's monthly consumption to the appropriate class/segment dynamic model for the same period results in an hourly usage profile for the customer. When creating the individual customer profiles, the settlement system ensures the certified supplier that the sum of the hourly measurements equals the actual usage for that calendar month.

These end-use customer usage profiles, as well as the certified supplier interval meter customer usage, are summed across all the certified supplier customers for the hours of the settlement month. In this manner, an hour-by-hour certified supplier usage profile is created for settlement.

Settlement

Duke Energy Ohio and/or the transmission provider will settle with TSAs for transmission, ancillary, and other services described in Chapter 9: Transmission Reservation and Energy Scheduling of this guidebook. Settlement involves the collection of all information on transmission and ancillary service reservations, schedules, hourly prices, end-use customer usage data, hourly metering data, and tariffed prices required to calculate applicable charges for settlement.

The certified supplier-to-TSA relationship is important for calculating settlement charges as the TSA is the entity contracting for transmission and ancillary services under the applicable tariff. Duke Energy Ohio and/or the transmission provider will bill the TSA for transmission service, ancillary services, and other transmission related services and charges based on the usage of the end-use customers who are enrolled to the certified supplier and covered under the TSA Network Transmission Service Agreement.

Billing Items

Transmission Reservations

Duke Energy Ohio and/or the transmission provider will calculate charges for transmission service and ancillary services for each network integration service agreement. Charges are calculated pursuant to the terms of the transmission reservation and in accordance with the applicable tariff.

Schedules

TSAs will schedule energy to their load in accordance with the rules set forth by the Midwest ISO.

Real Time Balancing Service

Load balancing service will be procured from the Midwest Market, which is administered by the Midwest ISO.

Energy Imbalances Calculation

For each entity acting as TSA, the aggregated hourly profiled load is added to the hourly interval metered loads and both are adjusted for losses. Hourly profiled load is adjusted for unaccounted for energy. These adjusted load values are supplied to the Midwest ISO for Energy Market Settlements, which includes balancing services. Actual calculation algorithms and related information must be obtained from the Midwest ISO.

Real Time Balancing Service Charges

The charges for energy balancing services are described in the applicable Midwest ISO tariff.

Billing and Payments

Duke Energy Ohio and/or the transmission provider will submit an invoice to the TSA for all services rendered during a calendar month. All payments must be made in immediately available funds, payable to Duke Energy Ohio or the transmission provider in accordance with the applicable tariff.

Late Payment Charges

Interest on delinquent amounts will be calculated monthly in accordance with the applicable tariff.

If any dispute arises between an end-use customer or certified supplier and Duke Energy Ohio regarding distribution services, the end-use customer or certified supplier may file an informal or formal complaint with the PUCO according to PUCO procedures.

The dispute resolution mechanism is intended to be a voluntary alternative to the informal or formal complaint process at the PUCO. It is Duke Energy Ohio’s hope that disputes arising from the distribution services tariffs or related to the provision of distribution services can be settled through voluntary dispute resolution rather than through formal, litigated proceedings.

If a dispute arises between the certified supplier and Duke Energy Ohio relating to the Certified Supplier Tariff, the parties may agree to use the PUCO voluntary mediation or arbitration procedures.

Registration and Credit Application

All certified suppliers must complete and sign a registration and credit application to be considered for participation in Duke Energy Ohio’s Customer Choice Program. A copy of the registration and credit application may be found in Appendix E: Registration and Participation Forms of this guidebook.

Determination of Creditworthiness

Duke Energy Ohio will apply, on a nondiscriminatory and consistent basis, reasonable financial standards to assess and examine a certified supplier’s creditworthiness. These standards will take into consideration the scope of operations of each certified supplier and the level of risk to Duke Energy Ohio. This determination will be aided by appropriate data concerning the certified supplier, including load data or reasonable estimates thereof, where applicable.
A supplier shall satisfy its creditworthiness by demonstrating that it has and maintains investment-grade bond or issuer ratings from the following agencies:

If a certified supplier has an investment grade rating by the agencies mentioned above, it will be granted an unsecured credit limit determined by Duke Energy Ohio through fundamental analysis of the certified supplier's financial and operational conditions.

The certified supplier will provide Duke Energy Ohio with its or its parent’s most recent independently audited financial statements, (if applicable) and, its or its parent's most recent Form 10-K and Form 10-Q (if applicable).

Duke Energy Ohio shall make reasonable alternative credit arrangements with a certified supplier that is unable to meet the aforementioned criteria or who causes Duke Energy Ohio's exposure to rise above the certified supplier's unsecured credit limit.

Absent special circumstances based on the financial risk presented by the supplier, Duke Energy Ohio will calculate the amount of the supplier's collateral requirement by multiplying thirty (30) days of Duke Energy Ohio's estimate of the summer usage of the suppliers' end-use customers by a price set at the next July forward index price as established by a generally accepted industry price index for wholesale power delivered to Duke Energy Ohio’s load zone.

If Duke Energy Ohio is purchasing the supplier's receivables and holds a first secured interest in the receivable, Duke Energy Ohio will reduce the collateral it requires from the supplier by an amount equal to fifteen (15) days of the estimate of the summer kilowatt-hours used by the supplier's customers, multiplied by a supplier's specific price per kWh, multiplied by the remainder of one minus a percentage representing Duke Energy Ohio's current experience with uncollectible accounts. The fifteen (15) days of summer kilowatt-hours will be calculated by dividing the thirty (30) days of usage in the collateral formula by two.

A supplier may appeal Duke Energy Ohio's determination of credit requirement to the Commission or seek staff mediation as to any dispute.

Credit Arrangements and Collateral Options

View the Certified Supplier Tariff.

Duke Energy Home Page
http://www.duke-energy.com/

Public Utilities Commission Of Ohio (PUCO)
http://www.puco.ohio.gov/puco.cfm

PJM Settlement, Inc.
http://www.pjm.com/markets-and-operations/etools/oasis.aspx

Reliability First Corporation Council (RFC)
http://www.rfirst.org/

North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC)
http://www.nerc.com/

Ohio EDI Working Group (OEWG)
http://www.puco.ohio.gov/puco/index.cfm/industry-information/industry-topics/ohio-edi-working-group/

Data Interchange Standards Association (DISA)
http://www.disa.org/

Duke Energy Ohio uses EDI Transaction guidelines established by the working group for the state of Ohio. The OSPO Electronic Data Exchange Working Group provides a standard methodology for conducting business in an EDI environment with modifications specifically tailored for use in Ohio. EDI data is passed from Duke Energy Ohio's systems to the certified supplier's systems via North American Energy Standard Board (NAESB) Electronic Delivery Mechanism (EDM) data transport protocol version 1.6 internet platform, using transaction sets and EDI translators. Please review the glossary of EDI Terms, Transaction Scenario Diagrams, EDI Testing Information and OSPO EDI Implementation Guidelines.

View the Meter Reading Schedule.

• Certified Supplier Registration and Credit Application Form
• Certified Supplier Service Agreement Form
• EDI Trading Partner Agreement Form
• TSA Designation Agreement Form
• Consent to Electronic Transfer Tool
• Instructions for Consent to Electronic Transfer Tool
• Purchase of Receivables Agreement Form
• Letter of Credit - Electric Form
• Certified Supplier Electric Parental Guarantee Form

To Print Forms:

• Download
• Select Print from the Files Menu

Please sign agreements and return to Duke Energy Ohio. If the supplier will accept a scanned copy of the fully executed agreements the documents can be emailed to csbcreps@duke-energy.com. If a fully executed original is needed, please mail to the address below. (Mark the registration packet as containing "Confidential Information"):

Mail to:

Duke Energy Ohio
Certified Supplier Business Center
139 E 4th St.
Mail Location: EY575
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202