YORK COUNTY, Pa. — Dara Groff never thought a signature could be so important.
A document with her named signed on it prompted a battle for the woman from Fairview Township, but she didn't even know until she got a piece of mail.
"I thought that it was just junk, at first I wasn't even going to open it," said Groff.
She continued, "I received a letter from Indra Energy stating that my request was approved for energy for that supplier and my enrollment was being processed."
But, she never signed up for anything with that company. Groff said that she never even spoke to anyone from Indra.
In Pennsylvania, anyone can shop around for their energy supplier. It doesn't change your electric company, but instead where the electricity comes from. That's the distribution portion of your bill. Groff is a PPL customer and does shop around for her energy supplier, but she didn't shop for this.
She said, "I then called Indra because I wanted to figure out what was going on and I wanted to let them know I did not authorize this, I did not enroll in their company, I've never even heard of them."
She said she eventually talked to an Indra supervisor who told her it all started with a door to door sales agent. Groff said, "Basically she signed my name on a document and all that document had was my name and address, it had a fake phone number and no email listed."
Groff actually got a copy of that signature from Indra and she said it was the proof that someone else signed her name.
Energy Slamming
FOX43 Finds Out this is called slamming. It's when a customer's energy supplier is switched to a new supply contract without their permission and it's illegal.
Groff said, "I didn't click on anything. I didn't answer the phone and give the wrong information. This is just another way people can scam people and it's fraudulent activity and it really is really upsetting."
She was able to cancel the service with Indra, but because of a lag over a weekend, she was actually an Indra customer for a few days. Eventually, she was able to switch back to her original supplier, but she has no idea why she was targeted.
"We looked back at our cameras, no one was canvassing that area this day, so where did this person come from? Are they sitting somewhere and just googled names? Did they just find my address? Did they drive by? I have no idea," said Groff.
Indra Energy Responds
FOX43 Finds Out did reach out to Indra Energy and the company told us they hire third party companies for door to door marketing.
They also sent us a statement that reads, "At Indra Energy, our top priority is always to satisfy our customers and provide reliable, high-quality services. We contract third-party companies for door-to-door marketing who – as well as all Indra Energy staff – are trained to fully comply with federal, state, and local laws and regulations. We are unable to determine how this door-to-door marketer obtained consumer information, however the marketer has been terminated. Indra Energy understands the seriousness of this situation and we are taking active steps to rectify it. The matter has been expedited internally and is currently being investigated."
While Groff is glad to hear that, she still thinks more needs to be done to prevent this in the future. She said, "I really just want to know what the state is going to do about this? I feel like somewhere, somebody needs to be held accountable."
PPL told FOX43 Finds Out "slamming" isn't new. They said "At PPL Electric, reports of supplier slamming have been declining since 2022. While incidents may not be as frequent, customers should still be aware of the warning signs."
What is the state doing about this?
FOX43 Finds Out did reach out to various state agencies.
The PA Attorney General's office tells us there have been other recent, similar complaints about Indra Energy, but couldn't confirm or deny that they're investigating these claims.
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission is investigating Groff's case.
We had several questions for the PUC if they plan on suspending Indra energy, which is actually licensed under PALMCO. Right now, someone can still sign up to have Indra be their energy supplier. A spokesperson told us it would be inappropriate to do an interview about this case because it's under investigation.
FOX43 Finds Out also asked if any energy supplier has been dropped by the PUC recently. A spokesperson sent us this: "There’s an active complaint case involving Planet Energy, d/b/a RiteRate Energy. At this point a settlement has been proposed, but that has not yet been reviewed or approved by the Commissioners. Here’s the recommendation from the Administrative Law Judge who presided over the investigation, which summarizes the allegations and recommends a course of action – but again, this is just a recommendation. The Commissioners can accept, reject or modify that recommendation when they are ready to make a decision. https://www.puc.pa.gov/pcdocs/1846680.pdf
As for other enforcement actions involving energy suppliers, here are some the larger recent cases:
- PUC Approves Settlement with National Gas & Electric LLC Regarding Company’s Sales and Marketing Practices | PA PUC (National Gas & Electric LLC / NG&E)
- PUC Seeks Comments on Proposed Settlement with Great American Power Regarding Company’s Sales and Marketing, Billing Practices | PA PUC (Great American Power LLC)
- PUC Approves Settlements with Retail Energy Suppliers Concerning Sales & Marketing Practices | PA PUC (Green Mountain Energy Company, Greenlight Energy Inc., and Discount Power Inc.)"
How can you spot Energy Slamming?
What is unfortunate about slamming is that it's hard to stop before it happens right now. The PUC said there are some safeguards in place. They listed the follow:
• Disclosure Statements: Suppliers are required to provide customers with a clear and comprehensive disclosure statement, outlining the terms of service.
• Third-Party Verification: Any sales performed by an agent, whether in person or over the phone, must be independently verified by someone other than the sales agent.
• Confirmation Letters: When a supplier requests to switch a customer’s service, the utility sends a confirmation letter to the customer, alerting them to the change and directing them to contact the utility immediately if there is an issue.
• Billing Information: The supplier’s name, contact information, and charges are prominently displayed on the utility bill, making it easier for customers to identify any discrepancies.
To protect against deceptive energy sales, we strongly encourage consumers to follow these tips:
1. Carefully Review Your Utility Bills: Always check your utility bill for any unfamiliar charges or supplier names. If something doesn’t look right, contact your utility immediately.
2. Be Cautious of Unsolicited Offers: If you’re approached by an energy supplier, whether in person or by phone, ask for identification and take the time to verify the offer independently before agreeing to any changes.
3. Understand Your Rights: You have the right to receive a disclosure statement from your energy supplier and to have any sales verified by an independent third party. Don’t hesitate to ask questions or seek clarification on any part of the process.
4. Act Quickly If Something Seems Wrong: If you receive a confirmation letter about a change you didn’t authorize, contact your utility right away to halt the process and investigate further.
The PUC said, "there have been occasional instances of 'rogue' agents or deceptive practices do occur, they are relatively uncommon. Our staff closely monitors all incoming complaints to ensure that any potential issues are promptly addressed and to identify patterns or trends."
If you believe you're a victim of slamming or any other fraud related to your energy supplier, you can file a complaint on the PUC website or call 1-800-692-7380.
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