PURA imposes new standards on electric suppliers

ESSEX — State Sen. Norm Needleman, D-Essex, this week cheered the announcement by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority that it will institute comprehensive marketing standards that will be applied to all third-party electric suppliers doing business in Connecticut.

This is the culmination of more than half a decade originating with orders from the General Assembly in 2014, according to a press release. As Senate chair of the Energy and Technology Committee, Needleman supported the push for these standards and recognizes their importance.

The Office of Consumer Council announced the decision last week.

“When third-party suppliers cut corners and engage in unfair marketing practices that harm consumers, our entire state struggles, especially consumers who can be led into signing contracts that financially harm them,” Needleman said in a prepared statement. “These new marketing standards will help fight back against deceptive actions and provide a new source of protection for the public.”

In recent years, PURA and the General Assembly worked to fight deceptive, unfair marketing practices from third-party suppliers offering electric services through telemarketing and door-to-door sales, the release added.

The new decision’s marketing standards apply the following rules to thirdparty electric suppliers, who must:

⏩ Monitor and self-report marketing violations

⏩ Record all door-to-door and telesales transactions, retaining records for three years

⏩ Outfit all sales agents traveling door-to-door with GPS tracking

⏩ Display accurate caller and area code information on all telesales calls

⏩ Provide sufficient notice to PURA in advance of assigning customers to other suppliers

⏩ Directly train all thirdparty sales agents marketing on behalf of third-party suppliers

⏩ Abide by increased verification standards and disclose current and pending utility standard service rates

⏩ Follow consumer disclosures, including that third-party suppliers are not affiliated with electric distribution companies, state programs, that consumers should not obtain bills at outsets of transactions, telesales and doorto-door interactions are for marketing, and that customers may cancel contracts with third-party suppliers at will

⏩ Respond to all customer complaints within three days

⏩ Standards must be in place with third-party suppliers by Aug. 6

Contributed photo Sen. Norm Needleman