Section 550.20  Non-Discrimination

a)         Gas utilities shall not provide affiliated interests or customers of affiliated interests preferential treatment or advantages relative to unaffiliated entities or their customers in connection with services provided under tariffs on file with the Illinois Commerce Commission (Commission), including contracts filed under tariffs filed pursuant to Section 9-102.1 of the Act [220 ILCS 5/9-102.1]. This provision applies broadly to all aspects of service, including, but not limited to, responsiveness to requests for service, the availability of firm versus interruptible services, the imposition of special metering requirements, and all terms and conditions and charges specified in the tariff.

b)         Except for corporate support transactions, transactions between a gas utility and one or more of its affiliated interests in competition with ARGS that are not governed by tariff sheets on file with the Commission shall not discriminate in relation to unafilliated ARGS.

c)         Gas utilities and affiliated interests shall not notify potential or actual customers, either directly or indirectly, advertise to the public, or otherwise communicate that the gas utility provides any advantages relating to the scheduling, transportation or distribution of gas to affiliated interests or their customers relative to unaffiliated entities and their customers.

d)         A utility shall process requests for similar services provided by the utility in the same manner and within the same time period for its affiliated interests or their customers as for unaffiliated entities.

e)         If discretion is permitted in application of a tariff provision, gas utilities shall maintain a log detailing each instance in which it exercised discretion, as required in Section 550.140(c).

f)         If a gas utility offers affiliated interests or customers of affiliated interests a discount, rebate, fee waiver or waivers of its ordinary terms and conditions for services provided under tariffs on file with the Commission, it shall contemporaneously offer the same discount, rebate, fee waiver or waivers of its ordinary terms and conditions to all unaffiliated entities and customers of unaffiliated entities, to the extent consistent with the tariffs. Gas utilities shall maintain a log of these instances, as required in Section 550.140(c).

g)         When providing services as a component of any bundled service, a gas utility shall not offer affiliated interests or the customers of affiliated interests a discount, rebate, fee waiver or waivers unless the gas utility contemporaneously offers the same discount, rebate, fee waiver or waivers to all unaffiliated entities and customers of unaffiliated entities.

(Source:  Expedited correction at 25 Ill. Reg. 15014, effective September 21, 2001)