Press Release

PUC Approves Settlement with Astral Energy LLC

Published on 6/13/2019

Filed under: Electric

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today approved a settlement with Astral Energy LLC (Astral) following an informal investigation into the company’s customer enrollment practices as a licensed electric generation supplier (EGS) in Pennsylvania.

The Commission voted 5-0 to approve the settlement between Astral and the PUC’s independent Bureau of Investigation & Enforcement (I&E).  According to the terms of the settlement, Astral will pay a civil penalty of $6,000 and continue implementing revisions to its operating procedures to safeguard against the transmission of erroneous or otherwise improper EGS enrollment data to an electric distribution company (EDC).

I&E initiated an informal investigation of Astral after the Commission’s Office of Competitive Market Oversight referred six “slamming” allegations against the company, and the PUC’s Bureau of Consumer Services (BCS) received an informal complaint also alleging slamming against Astral.  Slamming involves the switching of a customer’s account without their permission.  In this case, the slamming allegations stem from the mistaken enrollment of several customers by Astral’s third-party vendors during a period of electronic data interchange testing between the supplier and EDCs.

In addition to the civil penalty, Astral has agreed to:

• Designate one staff member to be solely responsible for electronic data interchange testing with EDCs;
• Establish a Quality Control Department to follow-up with new and prospective customers and monitor all marketing activity;
• Establish a Customer Complaint System;
• Designate its compliance manager as the single point of contact for PUC staff regrading consumer inquiries and/or complaints; and
• Ensure that its employees, agents and vendors are reminded of the Commission’s consumer protection regulations, with an emphasis on those regulations prohibiting slamming. 

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission balances the needs of consumers and utilities; ensures safe and reliable utility service at reasonable rates; protects the public interest; educates consumers to make independent and informed utility choices; furthers economic development; and fosters new technologies and competitive markets in an environmentally sound manner.

For recent news releases and video of select Commission proceedings or more information about the PUC, visit our website at www.puc.pa.gov. Follow the PUC on Twitter – @PA_PUC for all things utility. “Like” PAPowerSwitch on Facebook for easy access to information on electric shopping.

# # #

Docket No.:   M-2018-2529738

Contact:

• David Hixson
  Deputy Press Secretary
  717-772-2766
  dhixson@pa.gov