Energy Choice
                            

Matters

N.Y. ESCO Suspends Residential Marketing in Response To Show Cause Order

October 26, 2015

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Copyright 2010-15 EnergyChoiceMatters.com
Reporting by Paul Ring • ring@energychoicematters.com

Astral Energy, LLC informed the New York PSC that it has voluntarily suspended all marketing and enrollment of residential customers in response to a show cause order concerning the ESCO's marketing, which was first reported by EnergyChoiceMatters.com

Specifically, Astral agreed to suspended all marketing and enrollment of residential customers in New York for a period of 60 days or 10 days after the conclusion of the first month when the level of QRS complaints filed with the Commission are equal to or below the level achieved in May 2015, whichever is greater.

Additional remedial measures being undertaken by Astral include:

• Astral will allow all residential customers filing QRS complaints and complaints directly with ConEdison in August, September and October 2015 that were served by Astral to return to the utility and provide payment for any difference between the rate of Astral and that of the utility for the applicable period.

• Astral will try to identify all customers who migrated to Astral from Bluco and allow them to return to utility and/or Bluco and provide payment for any difference between the rate of Astral and that of the utility for the applicable period.

• Astral will only use its revised Sales Agreement form that clearly delineates fixed pricing and those products which have a fixed and non-fixed component.

Astral disputed an assertion in the PSC's show cause order that it failed to provide refunds to customers to which it said it would provide such refund. "Approximately 17 of the 45 customers were never billed for service by Astral and thus no refunds were actually applicable. For 3 customers the Astral rate was lower than the comparable utility rate. On September 8, 2015 Astral issued 30 refund checks reflecting the 25 customers who were entitled to a refund and 5 residential customers who were provided with a courtesy payment even though they were never served by Astral. Thus, Astral fulfilled its representation" Astral said.

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