Illinois Choice

Residential Customer Handbook

Introduction
The Electric Service Customer Choice and Rate Relief Law became effective in late 1997. This law, through a phased-in process, offers customers a choice of energy providers—with residential customers becoming eligible for full choice on May 1, 2002. The combined services traditionally provided by the local electric utility have been divided into parts. Your regulated electric utility continues to deliver your power over the wires using their transmission and distribution facilities. This is referred to as delivery services. The power running through those wires will be sold to you by the company of your choice – your utility, or companies known as Retail Electric Suppliers (RES). You can choose to continue to purchase your power from Ameren, or you can buy your power from a RES.

Ameren will continue to provide all metering services to residential customers. If you buy electricity from a RES, we will send meter reading information to that RES each month. Ameren will use these same reads to calculate your bill for delivery services.

Note that if you buy electricity from a RES, you should still contact Ameren about power quality problems, power outages and downed power lines – just as you do today.

The toll-free numbers to call are:

AmerenCILCO:	888.672.5252
AmerenCIPS:	888.789.2477
AmerenIP:	800.755.5000

This handbook is designed to answer questions about delivering energy, switching to a RES, paying your bills and other matters. It explains your rights and responsibilities – no matter who generates or sells you the power you use. We, at Ameren, are always available to answer your questions or help solve your service problems.

Energy Choices
In Ameren’s Illinois service territories, customers have several energy options from which to choose. The following is an explanation of each.

	Basic Generation Service (BGS) The default option that represents the energy price obtained by Ameren Illinois utilities through the independently managed and state-monitored (Illinois Commerce Commission) auction. More about the BGS energy supply option:
		-	Energy is provided to the customer at a fixed price by an Ameren Illinois utility.
		-	BGS is the default service for residential customers that do not choose a Retail Electric Supplier (RES).
		-	Service includes summer and non-summer charges.
	Real Time Pricing (RTP) An option that allows customers (except DS-5 lighting customers) to pay fluctuating hourly market price for electricity. More about the RTP energy supply option:
		-	Energy is priced at actual hourly MISO Locational Marginal Prices (LMP) and provided by an Ameren Illinois utility.
		-	Customers are required to have interval metering before this option can be selected.
		-	The RTP energy option allows unlimited switching to and from a Retail Electric Supplier (RES) – subject to switching rules.
	Retail Electric Supplier (RES) An option that allows the customer to be billed for delivery services charges from Ameren and for energy from a RES. More about the RES energy supply option:
		-	Some RES offer the Single Billing Option (SBO) – in which case the RES would not only bill the customer for energy, but would also bill the customer for the delivery services charges on behalf of Ameren.
		-	Ameren only recognizes one RES per account.
		-	A customer may choose to purchase power from both Ameren (via the RTP option) and a RES. When this happens, the customer must designate the portion of the load being purchased from Ameren. Ameren allows load to be split by percentages, by first-through-the-meter, and by separate metering.

Working with a Retail Electric Supplier (RES)
RES will contact you, or, if you prefer a certain supplier, you can contact the RES. Contact information for RES registered to serve residential accounts is available through Ameren’s RES Registered page. Once you choose a RES, the RES must present you with a Letter of Agency (LOA). The RES must have the LOA signed by the customer before the switching process can begin. The LOA has required elements that are listed here for your convenience.

• Date of the agreement
• Customer of record
• Service address
• Mailing address
• Daytime and evening telephone numbers
• Account number of the delivery services company
• Meter number
• Name of delivery services company (Ameren)
• The rate charged by the RES and the statement that the rate is for supply only, not delivery services
• Customer signature authorizing the RES to receive historical and on-going usage data from Ameren
• The charge assessed by the RES for switching the customer
• Additional charges that may apply (e.g., Ameren switching fees)
• The customer must sign the LOA

This letter should be carefully reviewed because it also authorizes the utility to release a range of customer data, including your historic and ongoing usage data.

		Certified RES All RES serving customers in Illinois are certified by the Illinois Commerce Commission. To view a list of RES registered with Ameren to supply residential customers, see Ameren’s RES Registered page. Customer Information If you have signed a Letter of Agency (LOA) with the RES, then the RES may request and receive historical usage from Ameren. Once your switch to a RES is effective, the RES will begin receiving ongoing monthly usage data. You may also request, or the RES may request per separate written authorization from you, billing data including revenues and payment history. With proper authorization Ameren will send this information to the RES. You, as the customer, will always have the right to block the release of all data. Be aware that your account number and your meter number are the validation criteria to switch to a RES. This means that the RES must have these two numbers correct to process the switch. Please keep these numbers confidential. Do not give them to anyone unless you are seriously considering switching to a RES. Ameren will not update the RES with changes in personal information on your account (i.e. name change, address change, or new telephone numbers). Ameren will also not accept personal information changes to your account from a RES, unless you have signed an Agency Agreement with the RES. If you have not signed an Agency Agreement with the RES, then you will need to contact both Ameren and the RES with changes in personal information. Effective Date of Switch A standard switch will take place on your next scheduled meter reading date and in accordance with the terms of your contract with your RES. If you desire to switch on a date other than a scheduled meter reading date, then you must request an off-cycle switch. The fee for an off-cycle switch is $50 per meter switched. The customer will be billed this fee on their monthly delivery services bill. Ameren will honor the first switch request received from a RES. If Ameren receives a second request from another RES before the first switch request is activated, then the second request will be rejected. When the RES submits a switch request, Ameren will send out a letter notifying you of the impending switch. If the switching information on this notification letter is incorrect, then you must notify Ameren as soon as possible. Ameren can stop the pending switch if notified at least two days prior to the scheduled switch date. Loss of Service Ameren has no responsibility for claims, damages or losses resulting from your relationship with the RES regarding delivery or non-delivery of energy or energy services. If the Illinois Commerce Commission decertifies a supplier or the supplier materially defaults in its service agreement, we will notify you as quickly as possible of the change and of your service options. If a RES stops doing business, you will be placed on BGS (Basic Generation Service) supply. Switching to a Retail Electric Supplier If you choose to switch to a RES, then you must complete a Letter of Agency (LOA) - which will be supplied by the RES that you select. As noted above, the LOA includes information like your account number and meter number – which are needed for a RES to switch your account. Ameren will rely on the RES to submit a switch request at least seven calendar days before but no more than 45 calendar days before the effective date of the switch.
Payment Provisions
	Delivery Services Fees and Charges Each customer with an account enrolled on RES supply pays a fee for delivery services based on Ameren’s costs for providing service and the customer’s own usage. The prices are stated in tariffs approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission. Billing Delivery services bills from Ameren include detailed information such as itemized listings for delivery services charges. You may have two billing options if you switch to a RES: Single Billing - Your RES will consolidate its bill and Ameren’s bill so that you continue to receive one bill for energy and delivery services charges. If you accept this offer, you may remain responsible for paying delivery services charges that your RES may have collected from you but failed to pass on to Ameren. Dual Billing - You will receive Ameren’s delivery services bill as well as a separate bill from the RES for the energy used during the billing period.. Regardless of the billing option chosen, Ameren’s bill due dates, late pay charges and collection activities will not change. Payment A customer who switches to RES service will have the same payment options available for the delivery services portion of his/her bill as were available before making the switch. Payments can be made via CheckFree, DirectPay, SpeedPay, or by “traditional” mail-in check. Keep in mind, however, that payments received by Ameren will only be applied against Ameren’s charges. RES charges will need to be paid to the RES. Also, if the RES is providing a single bill to present both Ameren’s and the RES’ charges, then CheckFree and DirectPay through Ameren will not be available payment options to pay the electric delivery services charges. If you switch to a RES, then the rules for payment due dates for Ameren’s charges will not change. However, payment due dates for RES charges will be dictated by the contract terms of the agreement you signed with the RES. If the RES is presenting a single bill to a customer for both Ameren’s and the RES’ charges, then the law states that partial payments from the customer will first be applied to the delivery services (Ameren’s) charges. If you have a problem with your delivery services fees or in paying your delivery services payment in full, then contact Ameren to request a deferred payment agreement. If you have a payment issue with the RES’ charges, then you must work that problem out with the RES.

Disputes/Complaints
If you have a problem with Ameren or your RES, you may contact the ICC at 800.524.0795 or the Illinois Attorney General at 312.814.3000 (Northern Illinois) and 217.782.1090 (central and southern Illinois). By calling the ICC, you can also request the state’s customer handbook, "A Consumer’s Guide to Electric Service Restructuring."