Washington, DC – The Retail Energy Supply Association (RESA) and the Pennsylvania Energy Marketers Coalition (PEMC) today joined Attorney General Kathleen Kane, Public Utility Commission (PUC) Chairman Robert Powelson and Acting Consumer Advocate Tanya McClosky in urging Pennsylvania consumers to shop wisely for competitive retail electricity offers, particularly if door-to-door marketing is involved.
“There are an increasingly diverse array of products and services available from competitive retail energy providers, and consumers should take the time to become informed before entering into an agreement to purchase electricity, just as they do for cell phone packages and Internet and cable services,” said Ron Cerniglia, RESA’s Pennsylvania state chair for electricity issues.
“Consumers should take the time to understand offers being presented to them for consideration, whether on-line, over the phone, via the mail or by a salesman at their door. They should not feel pressured to sign an agreement, and they should be especially careful in sharing personal information, such as their utility bill,” said Frank Caliva III, spokesman for PEMC.
RESA and PEMC members adhere to principles outlining marketing practices designed to protect consumers. To further ensure consumers have a rewarding experience shopping for electricity and natural gas, RESA has prepared a Consumer Education Guide to help educate consumers about competitive energy suppliers, what it means for consumers to shop for their individual energy needs, and what questions they should ask before they enter into a contract. A Spanish-language version is also available.
As the leading trade associations for competitive retail energy suppliers in Pennsylvania, RESA and PEMC want to help consumers obtain the information they need to become better informed as they shop for competitive electricity and natural gas products.
“It is important to our rapidly growing industry that consumers have a positive experience when shopping for competitive energy products and services and to have at their fingertips the information they need,” Cerniglia said.
“An informed consumer can shop with confidence in considering the many energy choices available to them,” said Caliva.
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About RESA
RESA represents competitive energy suppliers dedicated to creating and sustaining vibrantly competitive electricity and natural gas markets for the benefit of consumers. RESA’s members include: Champion Energy Services, LLC; ConEdison Solutions; Constellation NewEnergy, Inc.; Direct Energy Services, LLC; GDF SUEZ Energy Resources NA, Inc.; Hess Corporation; Homefield Energy; Integrys Energy Services, Inc.; Just Energy; Liberty Power; MC Squared Energy Services, LLC; Mint Energy, LLC; NextEra Energy Services; Noble Americas Energy Solutions LLC; NRG, Inc.; PPL EnergyPlus, LLC; Stream Energy; TransCanada Power Marketing Ltd. and TriEagle Energy, L.P. For more information about RESA please contact Tracy McCormick, Executive Director, at (717) 566-5405, or visit www.resausa.org.
About PEMC
The Pennsylvania Energy Marketers Coalition is a group of energy suppliers that work collaboratively on non-competitive, regulatory issues to advance competitive markets and consumer choice. PEMC members include Agway Energy Services, LLC; Interstate Gas Supply, Inc. d/b/a IGS Energy; NRG, Inc.; and Pennsylvania Gas & Electric. These members supply electricity, natural gas, and various other energy services to residential and commercial customers across a large number of utility markets throughout several states. For more information, please visit www.paenergycoalition.com.
