S.B. No. 95 Summary

• All charges paid to public utilities that are later found unreasonable, unlawful, imprudent, or improper must be promptly refunded to customers, with refunds allocated to customer classes in proportion to original charges collected.

• Establishes Public Utilities Commission authority to regulate utility resellers (entities charging residential consumers for utility service through submeters) including certification requirements, service standards, and consumer protections.

• Resellers must obtain a certificate to operate within 90 days of application and adhere to utility service standards at least as stringent as public utility standards; resellers cannot charge more than allowable residential rates without consumer choice options.

• Violations by resellers subject to civil liability of treble damages plus attorney's fees recoverable by residential consumers or the Office of Consumers' Counsel, plus separate forfeiture penalties of $1,000-$10,000 per violation assessed by the Commission.

• Requires Commission to submit reports to the General Assembly at 18 months and 30 months after enactment evaluating whether reseller-provided utility service protects consumer interests regarding price and quality compared to public utility service.