The downward trend in the cost of electricity supply in Maine has led most home customers to stay on the state’s standard offer service, rather than shopping around to try to find a better deal from competitive power providers.
The percentage of home customers in Central Maine Power Co.’s service area receiving electricity from competitive providers peaked at 40 percent in 2012, but more recently has fallen to below 20 percent.
Contributing to the trend may be some unflattering publicity, driven by customers who saw their rates rise above the standard offer or were confused by the contracts they signed.
In 2013, the Press Herald reported that the PUC had begun a probe into possible false or misleading advertising at Electricity Maine, the state’s largest competitive power provider. The company later agreed to notify some customers that they might be paying more than the standard offer.
This month, some residents filed a class-action lawsuit against the company, charging that they were deceived about saving money. They are seeking $35 million in damages.
– Staff Writer Tux Turkel
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