9-1-1: An abbreviated dialing code that directs emergency calls to police, fire, and emergency services.
2-1-1: An abbreviated dialing code that directs callers to health and human services information and referral providers.
3-1-1: An abbreviated dialing code that directs non-emergency telephone calls to police, fire, and emergency services.
Aggregation: A practice that allows marketers and local governments to pool the electric or natural gas consumption of multiple customers, or residents as in the case of local governments, in order to purchase the electricity or natural gas at a bulk rate.
Apples-to-Apples charts: The PUCO’s electric and natural gas rate comparison charts; the only comparisons in the state for which suppliers are required to provide accurate and up-to-date information about their latest offers.
Area code overlay: A new area code “overlaid” into a pre-existing area code, most often serving the identical geographic area. The benefit of an overlay is that existing customers retain their existing area codes. The “overlay” area code is used for new customers and lines. An overlay requires all customers, including those with telephone numbers in the pre-existing area code, to dial area codes for all calls, local and long distance.
Broadband: A term that refers to the ability to transmit data at high rates of speed (45Mb/s and above). Usually associated with the transmission of data, multimedia audio and video (such as high-speed Internet access), it may also be part of private networks.
Ccf: One hundred cubic feet; a unit used to measure natural gas usage.
Competitive retail electric service standards (CRESS) and electric service and safety standards (ESSS): PUCO rules that provide consumer protections pertaining to issues including quality of electric plant, slamming, contract information, and meter readings.
Competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC): A local telephone company that competes with the incumbent local exchange carrier (or ILEC, see below) for the local telephone business of customers.
Compliance review: A review conducted by the PUCO to evaluate a motor carrier company’s compliance with regulations. Records such as driver qualification files, records of duty status, vehicle maintenance records, and hazardous materials employee training files are reviewed for compliance with regulations.
Crossbucks: The standard “X” signage seen at highway-rail grade crossings across Ohio.
Distribution system improvement charge (DSIC): A charge assessed to water customers’ bills as a means to raise capital to replace aging infrastructure.
Docketing Information System (DIS): The PUCO’s online case filing system.
Electric choice: A program that allows consumers to choose the company that supplies their electricity. Under electric choice, the local electric utility continues to deliver the electricity to consumers’ homes and businesses.
Energy forecasting: The practice of interpreting current energy market trends and using that data to anticipate future supply and demand trends.
Expected Gas Cost (EGC): A component of the GCR rate, the EGC is the price the local utility expects to pay for natural gas in the upcoming GCR rate period. For example, if the GCR rate is filed on a monthly basis, the local utility will calculate the EGC for the following month. Gas costs recoverable through the EGC include the cost of purchasing the gas itself as well as the cost of transporting the gas from the producing region to the local utility’s service territory through the interstate pipeline system.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC): An independent U.S. government agency charged with regulating interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable.
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC): An independent U.S. government agency that regulates the interstate transmission of natural gas, oil, and electricity.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA): A separate administration within the U.S. Department of Transportation whose mission it is to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving motor carriers.
Flashing lights and roadway gates: Active warning devices found at many highway-rail grade crossings across Ohio.
Gas Cost Recovery (GCR) Rate: A mechanism that provides a dollar-for-dollar recovery of costs incurred by a local utility to purchase and deliver natural gas to its system. The GCR rate enables the local utility to correct any over or under collections of natural gas costs in previous periods.
Hazardous Materials Training and Planning Grants: Grants awarded by the PUCO to political subdivisions, educational institutions, and other state agencies for the training of public safety and emergency services personnel in the proper techniques for the management of hazardous materials spills and releases that occur during transportation.
Highway-Rail Grade Crossing: The general area where a highway and a railroad cross at the same level, within which are located the railroad, roadway and roadside facilities for traffic traversing that area. Also known as a “Highway-rail Intersection” and “Railroad Crossing.”
Highway route controlled shipment: Some shipments of radioactive waste with a high radioactivity level (e.g., spent nuclear fuel) are identified as highway route controlled quantity (HRCQ) shipments. Carriers of HRCQ shipments are required to use “preferred routing” which restricts transport to certain interstate highways and alternative routes.
Incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC): The “traditional” local telephone company in a geographic region.
Local number portability (LNP): A procedure that allows consumers to keep their telephone number when they switch local service from one telephone carrier to another.
Market-based standard service offer: Senate Bill 3 (SB 3) requires that each electric distribution utility provide customers within its certified territory a market-based standard service offer to maintain essential electric service following the end of the market development period.
Market development period (MDP): The time period that allows a competitive retail electric market to develop under electric choice.
Mcf: One thousand cubic feet; a unit used to measure natural gas usage.
Minimum Telephone Service Standards (MTSS): PUCO rules that assure that telephone companies provide all consumers with adequate service and treat consumers fairly.
The Monitor: The PUCO’s quarterly newsletter.
National “do-not-call” registry: A list maintained by the FCC that allows consumers to have their telephone number removed from databases used by telemarketers. Consumers can register for the national do-not-call registry either online or at www.donotcall.gov or by calling toll-free (888) 382-1222.
Natural gas choice: A program that allows consumers to choose the company that supplies their natural gas. Under natural gas choice, the local natural gas utility continues to deliver the gas to consumers’ homes and businesses.
North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC): An independent organization that works to ensure that the bulk electric system in North America is reliable, adequate, and secure.
Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC): An independent state commission within the Ohio Department of Transportation that plans, promotes, and implements the improved movement of goods and people o’s rail transportation network.
Ohio Rail Hotline: (866) 814-RAIL (7245). The Ohio Rail Hotline provides Ohioans with a toll-free resource answering all their railroad crossing questions.
Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN): The traditional, centrally-switched telephone network.
PUCO Automated Information Line: (800) 299-7271.
PUCO Consumer Hotline: (800) 686-PUCO (7826).
Rate stabilization plan: A plan filed to help ensure that electric consumers do not face “sticker shock” over electric rates once an electric distribution utility’s market development period ends.
Roadcheck: An international transportation safety and security event held annually across North America.
Security sensitivity visit (SSV): Reviews conducted by the PUCO to ensure that motor carriers throughout the state have a security plan in place and that employees know how and where to contact appropriate officials for suspicious activities.
Telecommunications Act of 1996: Federal legislation that, among other things, permitted former Bell operating companies to enter the long distance telephone business.
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP): The use of the Internet Protocol (a data transmission protocol) to transmit and switch (or “route”) voice messages which have been converted to data. VoIP may include the use of the Internet, private networks, and/or the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN, see above) to carry or complete calls. VoIP is sometimes referred to as IP Telephony.
Winter reconnect order: A PUCO decision that ensures that Ohioans who have had their natural gas or electric service disconnected, or face potential disconnection, can keep their heat on during the winter heating season.
Wireless local number portability (WLNP): Local Number Portability (LNP, see above) applied to and between wireless carriers and between wireless and traditional or competitive telephone carriers.
www.PUCO.ohio.gov: The PUCO Web site address and your online source for utility- and transportation-related information.