CONSUMER'S DICTIONARY

Affiliate
A company that is controlled by another or that has the same owner as another company.

Base Load
The minimum energy level a company must provide to its customers on a constant basis.

Basic Service
The four charges for generation, transmission, distribution and transition that all customers must pay in order to retain electric service.

Broker
A firm, licensed by the commission, that acts as an agent or "middle man.” in the sale and purchases of electricity but never owns the electricity and typically does not own generating facilities.

Bulk Power Market
Wholesale purchases and sales of electricity.

Commission
The Delaware Public Service Commission

Conservation
Reducing a customer's electricity use to decrease the need to generate electricity.

Daily Peak
The maximum amount of energy or service demanded in one day from a company or utility service.

Demand
A measure of customer or system load requirements over a measured period of time.

Deregulation
Removal or relaxation of regulations or controls governing a business or service operation such as utilities.

Distribution
The flow of electricity (generally at lower voltages from transmission facilities) to the end consumer --usually businesses and homes. A distribution company uses electrical wires to deliver power to customers.

Distribution Line
The local part of an electric system that delivers electricity to most customers.

Electric Distribution Company (EDC)
The company that owns the power lines and equipment necessary to deliver purchased electricity to the customer.

Energy Conservation
To reduce or manage energy consumption in a cost-effective manner.

Energy Services Company (ESCO)
A company offering specialized or customized services for efficiency or financial savings to customers.

Fixed Price
A price which remains the same, usually for a set time period.

Flat Rate
A fixed charge for goods and services that does not vary with changes in the amount used, volume consumed, or units purchased.

Formal Complaint
A written dispute or disagreement about a utility problem filed by a consumer with the Public Service Commission.

Generation
The act of producing electricity by changing other forms of energy -- such as fossil fuels, nuclear or renewable energy. Generation also is sometimes used as a noun to refer to electricity that has been produced.

Green Power
Demand side management and other non-polluting sources of energy generation.

Informal Complaint
A dispute or disagreement about a utility problem filed by a consumer with the Public Service Commission's office

Interruptible Rate
A special utility rate given to those who agree to have their service reduced or temporarily stopped as part of an agreement with the utility company. Circumstances for service interruptions can be periods of high demand or high cost periods of short supply for the utility and/or system emergencies.

Investor-owned Utility
A utility company owned and operated by private investors.

Kilowatt (kW)
(1) A measure of demand for power during a preset time--minutes, hours, days, months;
(2) 1,000 wafts--Ten 100 watt light bulbs have a demand of one kW.

Load
The amount of electricity being used at one time by a customer, circuit or system. Also, the total demand for service on a utility system at any gven time.

Load Management
Shifting use of electricity from periods of high demand to periods of lower demand, when the cost of electricity usually is lower.

Non Basic Service
Any category of service not related to basic services (generation, transmission, distribution and transition charges).

Off-Peak/On-Peak
Blocks of time when energy demand and price is low (off-peak) or high (on-peak).

Price Cap
Situation where a price has been detennined and fixed.

Public Service Commission (PSC)
The state regulatory agency with jurisdiction over electric public utilities.

Real-time Pricing
Rates that reflect the actual cost of providing service at a given time creating fluctuating pnces.

Regulation
A rule or law established by the federal or state government which sets procedures that a utility must follow.

Renewables
Includes technologies such as solar photovoltaic energy, solar thermal energy, wind power, low head hydro power, geothermal energy, landfill and mine based methane gas, energy from waste and sustainable biomass energy.

Restructuring
The reorganization of traditional monopoly electric service to allow operations and charges to be separated or "unbundled" into generation, transmission, distribution and other services.

Rural Electric Cooperative
Customer-owned electric utility that distributes electricity to members and that receives lower-cost financing through the federal government.

Standard Offer Service “SOS”
Third party electric suppliers can compete for customers within the Delmarva Power service territory in Delaware. Those Delmarva Power customers who do not choose an alternative electric supplier will default to Standard Offer Service (SOS), which is the result of a competitive bidding process.

Supplier (Electricity Supplier)
An authorized person or corporation, generator, broker, marketer, aggregator or any other entity; that has a contractual relationship to sell electricity to customers, using the transmission or distribution facilities of an electric distribution company (EDC).

Transition Charge
A charge on every customer's bill designed to recover an electric utility's transition or stranded costs as determined by the Public Service Commission.

Transmission
The flow of electricity over high voltage wires from power plants to local distribution lines.

Transmission Charges
Part of the basic service charges on every customer's bill for transporting electricity from the source of supply to the electric distribution company. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission regulates retail transmission prices and services. This charge will vary with your source of supply.

Utility Competition
Two or more electric suppliers providing the same or similar goods or services in the same market place and for the same customers.

Variable Price
A price which can change, by the hour, day, month etc.

Weatherization
Modifying a home or structure to conserve energy. Methods include: sealing window and door frames with caulking or gaskets, installing storm doors and windows, and adding or increasing the insulation.

Wholesale Competition
A market structure where municipal and other utilities can exercise choice in electricity suppliers in order to meet customer needs.