1. A. This regulation does not apply to the practice of a utility holding company advertising companies within the utility holding company corporate family.

2. B. Services Generally. A utility may not:

   1. (1) Represent to a customer or potential customer that any advantage or superior service will accrue because of the relationship between the utility and a core service affiliate or non-core service affiliate;
   2. (2) Give any preference to a core service affiliate, or non-core service affiliate, or a customer of either in providing regulated utility service;
   3. (3) Condition or tie the provision of regulated utility service to any other product or service;
   4. (4) Except as provided in Regulation .02 of this chapter, engage in promotions, marketing, or advertising with a core or non-core service affiliate;
   5. (5) Except with the informed consent of the customer and in compliance with the Commission's consumer protection regulations, disclose any customer-specific information obtained in connection with the provision of regulated utility service;
   6. (6) Offer discounts, rebates, fee waivers, penalty waivers, or other special provisions for a tariff service to an affiliate or a customer of an affiliate, unless it makes the offer available to all similarly situated persons, and makes the offer in a manner designed to allow all an equal ability to utilize the offering;
   7. (7) Except as provided in Regulation .02 of this chapter, market or promote its standard offer service;
   8. (8) Provide sales leads to its core or non-core service affiliate; or
   9. (9) Circumvent the provisions of this subtitle through the use of an affiliate as a conduit between the utility and its core service affiliate.

3. C. Core Service. A utility may not:

   1. (1) Initiate a joint sales call with its core service affiliate, except when requested by a customer or when the customer has a contractual relationship with the utility and its core service affiliate;
   2. (2) Operate from the same physical location used by a core service affiliate;
   3. (3) Share core service information with a core service affiliate that could provide a competitive advantage in a discriminatory manner;
   4. (4) Unless a utility has sufficient safeguards in place to prevent a core service employee from gaining access to utility information that it is prohibited from sharing under this subtitle, share electronic databases or electronic files with its core service affiliate; or
   5. (5) Speak or appear to speak on behalf of its core service affiliate.

Authority: Public Utilities Article, §§2-113, 2-121, 7-505, 7-604, and 7-606, Annotated Code of Maryland

Effective date: March 13, 2006 (33:5 Md. R. 522)

Regulation .06 amended effective July 8, 2024 (51:13 Md. R. 648)

Regulation .07B amended effective March 18, 2013 (40:5 Md. R. 412)

Regulation .08A amended effective March 18, 2013 (40:5 Md. R. 412)