Utility middlemen accused of price gouging won’t face PUCO scrutiny

A May 23, 2012 file photo shows construction on a commercial building west of downtown Cleveland May 23, 2012. COLUMBUS, Ohio – A ruling from state utility regulators leaves renters in Ohio exposed to middlemen on the electricity supply chain, who for years have been accused of price gouging captive customers while providing little in return.from American Electric Power, which serves about 1.

In the case of AEP, the PUCO regulates what it can charge customers because it is a public utility. NEP is bound by no such limits. Its invoices physically resemble AEP’s. It charges customers for the electricity they use. Its marketing hews closely to that of a utility. But according to the PUCO’s ruling, NEP functions as an “agent of the landlord” and not a public utility. Under this framework, the landlord is the “customer” of the utility, not the residents who pay for the power.

FirstEnergy Corp., which operates three Cleveland-area utilities, has been approached by submetering companies about servicing apartments in the area. But company spokeswoman Lauren Siburkis declined to comment on the potential impact. Oates Energy, a Florida submetering company, says on its website that it operates in the Cleveland area as well, but a spokesman didn’t return a phone call.

“Customers are often not told they are signing a lease in a submetered complex,” he said. “The rates charged for services aren’t clearly spelled out. Customers can’t ask the PUCO’s help in resolving service disputes. And customers lack access to programs that can help them if they have trouble paying their bills.”

“It’s an industry that doesn’t add value,” he said. “It’s just a way to scrape some money off the top.” The PUCO “shares many of the concerns” raised by AEP regarding consumer protections that submetered customers lose regarding late bills, disconnections, energy choice, and payment plans, according to the commission’s order.

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