This article is a press release by Pennsylvania's Public Utility Commission following recent investigations into misleading marketing outlets on the part of Pennsylvania energy suppliers. Following the investigations, NG&E will have to pay civil penalties and contribute to hardship funds in the state. Similar sanctions are being taken against Eligo, another energy supplier engaging in misleading marketing practices. The press release also invites anyone who believes they may have been mislead to file a complaint with the PUC and provides a docket number.
The PUC's actions are notable in that they have taken proactive and protective actions in favor of Pennsylvania's utility users. One side-effect of energy suppliers and their misleading actions is the trust customers place or will place in utilities. As public perception of utilities is already low, particularly as demonstrated by the testimonies brought forward during the Philadelphia PWD's water rate increase case, we should question what impacts such a scenario will have on public trust in utility providers.
David Hixson, "PUC Seeks Comment on Proposed Settlements with Retail Energy SuppliersConcerning Sales & Marketing Practices", contributed by Alison Kenner and Briana Leone, The Energy Rights Project, Platform for Experimental Collaborative Ethnography, last modified 6 July 2022, accessed 23 April 2024. https://energyrights.info/content/puc-seeks-comment-proposed-settlements-retail-energy-suppliersconcerning-sales-marketing
Critical Commentary
This article is a press release by Pennsylvania's Public Utility Commission following recent investigations into misleading marketing outlets on the part of Pennsylvania energy suppliers. Following the investigations, NG&E will have to pay civil penalties and contribute to hardship funds in the state. Similar sanctions are being taken against Eligo, another energy supplier engaging in misleading marketing practices. The press release also invites anyone who believes they may have been mislead to file a complaint with the PUC and provides a docket number.
The PUC's actions are notable in that they have taken proactive and protective actions in favor of Pennsylvania's utility users. One side-effect of energy suppliers and their misleading actions is the trust customers place or will place in utilities. As public perception of utilities is already low, particularly as demonstrated by the testimonies brought forward during the Philadelphia PWD's water rate increase case, we should question what impacts such a scenario will have on public trust in utility providers.