by Brent Addleman
A settlement has been reached with one public utility company, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said.
The state’s top law enforcement official announced a $1.8 million settlement has been reached with Eversource over the company’s alleged false and deceptive high-pressure tactics that were used to try to and encourage people to convert to natural gas.
“Eversource misled homeowners to get them to switch to natural gas,” Tong said in the release. “These high-pressure tactics are unacceptable coming from any business, much less a regulated utility. Eversource has already paid a $1.8 million civil penalty imposed by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, and now they will pay an additional $1.8 million to settle these serious consumer protection allegations.”
According to the release, Tong said the investigation was opened following a report in the state’s newspaper that had shed light on Eversource telling customers that if they did not convert to natural gas now they would be unable to once roads were paved following completion of work.
According to the release, the notices said that “once your road has been resurfaced, it will be several years before the pavement can be opened again due to the town’s paving moratorium.” The report also said the company would be unable to service gas lines to homes once the initial work had been completed.
Mitchell Gross, spokesman for Eversource, said the company is happy to put the matter to rest.
“We’re pleased to resolve this matter in a cooperative and constructive way by providing help to utility customers through Operation Fuel and the attorney general’s consumer education fund,” Gross wrote in a statement emailed to The Center Square. “We continue to focus on providing assistance to all of our customers who need it.”
According to the release, the Office of Consumer Counsel filed a petition, along with the attorney general’s office, that resulted in Eversource receiving a $1.8 million civil penalty in 2021. At the time the company was accused of failing to disclose whether some gas expansion solicitations were funded by shareholders, ratepayers, or both.
The settlement, according to the release, pertains to allegations the company violated the state’s Unfair Trade Practices Act for an “unfair and deceptive” marketing effort.
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Brent Addleman is an Associate Editor and a veteran journalist with more than 25 years of experience. He has served as editor of newspapers in Pennsylvania and Texas, and has also worked at newspapers in Delaware, Maryland, New York, and Kentucky.
