PSC Denies License to Broker Over Training Material Concerns, Alleged Misrepresentation

The Maryland PSC has denied the applications of Trusted Energy, LLC for electric and natural gas broker licenses.

PSC Staff had opposed granting the licenses, alleging that Trusted Energy's training materials submitted to the PSC included the following language which caused concern:

"[Y]ou will see substantial savings right away especially going into the summer months when you will be using 20-30% more electricity and getting charged anymore [sic] from 2-4 cents more from your electricity company."

"Question: Are you from the utility company? Response: YES! We represent the multi-billion dollar electric companies that service your area and are approved through them."

Staff asked Trusted Energy for a study or other data supporting the 20-30% savings claim. Staff alleged that, "the Company’s response to Staff’s request for a copy of the 'study' was to state that the '[s]tatement has been changed in the enclosed Training Manual.' This leads Staff to question whether the Company was simply making up the fact that it had performed such a study. Moreover, the Company’s response provided no evidence of the claimed 20 to 30% savings."

"Staff does not believe it is in the public interest to grant a license to a company whose first instinct appears to be to use misleading statements to obtain a customer," Staff said.