Press Releases

HARRISBURG, Pa. — About 800 former customers of an electricity supplier that served Pennsylvanians over the Internet before going out of business will receive refunds, the state’s consumer advocate said Thursday. 

The company, Utility.com, will refund approximately $50,000 to the former customers, said Irwin Popowsky, the consumer advocate. 

Other refunds totaling about $70,000 were sent to nearly 1,000 former customers in May. 

The Emeryville, Calif.-based company was licensed to provide electric generation services in Pennsylvania, but informed its 30,000 customers in the state that it was going out of business in March. 

Popowsky filed a complaint with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission seeking the refunds, noting that many former customers had overpaid for services. 

Customers qualifying for refunds include those who had signed up for “budget billing” programs with the online supplier, and had equal amounts of money deducted directly from bank accounts or credit cards each month. 

Utility.com customers were notified by e-mail that the company would no longer provide service, in part because of rising costs for wholesale electricity. 

Pennsylvania customers located in the PPL Corp., GPU Energy, Duquesne Light Co. and Allegheny Power service territories were automatically returned to their local utility, unless they selected another power company under the state’s electric choice program. 

——— 

On the Net: 

Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate: http://www.oca.state.pa.us