Eliminate third-party electricity suppliers, officials urge
Customers of third-party electric paid $200 million more, official says
FEBRUARY 4, 2019
Consumer advocates have a way to protect members of the public from those bait-and-switch marketing pitches from third-party electric suppliers: Pass a law that puts them out of business.
State Consumer Counsel Elin Swanson Katz on Monday joined U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, members of the local AARP and the Connecticut Citizen Action Group in urging the state to reverse its deregulated energy system. Currently, consumers can choose between their region’s major utility, usually Eversource or United Illuminating, or from a long list of third-party electricity suppliers.
“After millions and millions of taxpayer and ratepayer dollars spent trying to police this market, we have failed,” Katz said. “We continue to see widespread and persistent marketing abuses by suppliers — abuses such as pretending to be from Eversource or United Illuminating and telling consumers they have to switch, lying about the cost of the utility standard offer rate, and consumers who don’t consent being slammed and switched.”
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