Attorney General William Tong has announced a $1.8 million settlement with Eversource over alleged false and deceptive high-pressure tactics seeking to entice consumers to convert to natural gas.
Tong”™s office started an investigation into Eversource after a Hartford Courant news report found Eversource warned homeowner customers they would be unable to connect to natural gas once their road had been resurfaced due to a “paving moratorium.”
Eversource sent the homeowners notices that said, “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. We will not be able to provide a gas service line to your home during the moratorium. If your current heating equipment fails, or if you decide to install natural gas for any other reason after this deadline, you will not be able to connect to natural gas.”
Tong and the Office of Consumer Counsel filed a petition with PURA seeking an investigation into Eversource, resulting in PURA imposing a $1.8 million civil penalty in 2021 for Eversource”™s alleged failure to disclose whether certain gas expansion solicitations were funded by shareholders, ratepayers or both. Tong”™s office conducted its own investigation into whether Eversource”™s claims were false and misleading, identifying multiple towns where no paving moratoria existed.
Through the $1.8 million settlement with Tong”™s office, Eversource must pay $1.6 million to Operation Fuel to assist low-income ratepayers and $200,000 to the Attorney General for consumer education and enforcement purposes. Between PURA”™s prior penalty and today”™s additional $1.8 million settlement, Eversource must now pay a total of $3.6 million regarding these solicitations.
“Eversource misled homeowners to get them to switch to natural gas,” Tong said. “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 (PURA), and now they will pay an additional $1.8 million to settle these serious consumer protection allegations.”
