Cracking down on Pa. electric-suppliers' claims

After customers complained, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission is cracking down on competitive electrical suppliers who play fast and loose with the language in their marketing efforts.

The PUC on Thursday issued new definitions to reduce misleading sales pitches. For instance, some suppliers marketed "fixed-rate" offers, but explained in the fine print that the prices were locked in for only one month, which meant they were really variable rates. The PUC will now define a fixed-rate offer as one whose price is locked in for "at least three billing cycles."

The PUC is seeking public comment on the proposed changes. More information is available here: http://bit.ly/1890olj. About 37 percent of the state's 5.7 million electric customers have switched to alternative suppliers.