PUCO issues compliance related to retail energy suppliers and gas pipeline safety violations

Columbus, OH – The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) issued three separate compliance orders Wednesday related to retail energy providers, and gas pipeline safety violations.

The compliance actions will result in customer refunds and more than $530,000 in forfeitures.

Retail energy suppliers SFE Energy and Statewise Energy will pay a $174,000 civil forfeiture to the state of Ohio. Additionally, the companies will credit customers that enrolled with the suppliers from November 2019 through June 26, 2020 the difference in price had the customer been charged their utility’s default energy supply rate.

SFE Energy and Statewise Energy are accused of misleading and deceptive practices while marketing and enrolling customers, including making false and misleading statements while soliciting customers during door-to-door sales.

Major Energy Services LLC and Major Energy Electric Services LLC will pay a $115,000 civil forfeiture to the state of Ohio. Additionally, the suppliers will return customers enrolled via door-to-door sales between January 2019 through January 2020 to their utility’s default energy supply rate and credit them the difference in price. Total credits are approximately $200,000.

Major Energy is accused of enrolling new customers without their consent.

Columbia Gas of Ohio will pay a $250,000 civil forfeiture to the state of Ohio. Additionally, Columbia Gas will conduct internal reviews of its management controls and training programs and provide reports to PUCO within 90-180 days.

According to PUCO, on October 1, 2020, an equipment failure at Columbia Gas’s Kitts Hill Road Compressor Station led to over-pressurization and ultimately forced the utility to shut off service to approximately 105 customers in Lawrence County.

An investigation alleges that Columbia failed to follow its own safety procedures, resulting in an otherwise preventable over-pressurization and loss of service.