Class-action suit alleges fraud by Electricity Maine

A new class-action lawsuit claims that an electric company deceived Maine consumers and shorted them of $35 million.

A lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Portland on Nov. 18 claims that Electricity Maine used fraud and deception to enroll 200,000 Maine households and small businesses with the promise of substantial cost savings.

A representative for Spark Holdco LLC, which owns Electricity Maine, said the company doesn’t comment on pending litigation.

Maine residents Kathleen Veilleux and Jennifer Chon are seeking damages to recover the $35 million. Their attorney, Benjamin Donahue, said he’s received calls from dozens more ratepayers since filing the lawsuit.

The lawsuit claims that Electricity Maine enrolls customers at artificially low rates and then transfers them with little notice to long-term rates that exceed the standard-offer rate.

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