Stephanie Thompson says every month she dreads opening her electricity bill; never knowing what amount she’ll be hit with.
“It started getting like $100 more, then it went up to $400, jumped to $600; then the most we probably had for one month was 700 to 800 dollars,” Thompson said.
Six months ago Thompson switched to a new power supplier who advertised a low rate, but that rate was variable meaning every month it changed, going up and up.
“I don’t know how people are supposed to keep their house when the electric bill is more than the mortgage itself,” she said.
Attorney General Kathleen Kane announced Friday the Bureau of Consumer Protection and the Office of Consumer Advocate filed join complaints against five out-of-state electric generation suppliers.
Those companies are: : Energy Services Providers Inc. d/b/a Pennsylvania Gas & Electric; IDT Energy Inc.; Respond Power LLC; Hiko Energy LLC; and Blue Pilot Energy LLC.
“We contend that they were misleading, deceiving, and confusing consumers about the prices they were going to be paying on their electricity, particularly the variable rates,” said Senior Deputy Attorney General John Abel
The joint complaint has been brought before the Public Utility Commission.
“Each company has 20 days to file an answer to the complaint, and after that it will go to the judge and go to hearings,” said Robin Tilley with the PUC.
“When people don’t follow the law and when they cross the line that we think happened here, then the Attorney General steps in to make those people accountable,” Abel said.