State utility regulators say they will consider Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen’s opposition to a settlement reached between them and Middlebury energy marketer Positive Energy for failing to provide cheaper rates in a timely manner.
The state attorney general’s office alleged last year that Positive Energy delayed processing its contracts with customers for months, which resulted in those customers paying more for their electricity.
Phil Dukes, spokesman for the Department of Public Utility Control, said the agency will weigh Jepsen’s request and issue a ruling accordingly. Dukes did not give a timeline for the ruling.
The attorney general, who at the time was Richard Blumenthal, also alleged that Positive Energy President and CEO did not disclose on his electric aggregator application that he owed a $100,000 fine to the state Department of Banking.
Positive Energy and the DPUC resolved the dispute in March. The company set up a $20,000 fund to reimburse 3,210 customers for what they overpaid during the delay in processing the applications.
Positive Energy also withdrew its aggregator license, taking away its ability to group customers together and shop around for the best electricity rates. The company can still market for electric suppliers, which it does for ResCom Energy LLC.
On March 31, Jepsen filed an objection to this settlement, saying it doesn’t cover all the customers that might have been affected. His filing also says customers might not get reimbursed for all their losses, as they might not know there exact electricity usage during the months in question.
Positive Energy responded to Jepsen’s objections, saying the attorney general didn’t provide solid reasoning for rescinding the consent order.
“We agree with the consent order entered by the DPUC and intend to comply with it in all respects,” Ventura said. “Customer relations have always been a top priority for us at Positive Energy, and we plan to make this right.”
