Energy company forged signatures, posed as competitor, Ohio commission finds – By Bailey Gallion (Columbus Dispatch) / Oct 19, 2023
An Ohio regulatory board ordered an electricity and natural gas company to pay a $1.44 million fine and cease business operations after it discovered salespeople violated consumer protection rules, in some cases forging customer signatures or posing as competitors.
Public Utilities Commission of Ohio ordered RPA Energy, also known as Green Choice Energy, to refund affected customers the difference between their rates and the local utility’s default rates.
In its order, the commission describes “a concerning pattern of misleading and deceptive practices by both door-to-door and telephonic sales agents” in which RPA sales agents used misleading and deceptive information and spoofed competitor Duke Energy’s number, making it appear marketing calls were coming from the other company.
