The Town of Amherst Community Participation Officers will host a presentation made by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey’s office regarding Competitive Electric Suppliers. The presentation will go over what a competitive supplier is, tips for residential consumers and explain how to file a complaint regarding these suppliers.
The session will take place on Tuesday, September 24th at 6:30 PM at the Crocker Farm Elementary School Cafeteria and is expected to last under one hour. This event is free and open to all community members, including those from surrounding towns.
“This is a pocketbook issue for many in our town. By organizing this educational forum, the Community Participation Team hopes to provide information, resources and assistance to community members who might be vulnerable to this practice” said Brianna Sunryd, one of the Amherst Community Participation Officers, along with Angela Mills and Jennifer Moyston.
“Competitive electric suppliers promise big energy savings but are actually burdening customers with hundreds of dollars in extra costs,” said AG Healey. “In two years, Massachusetts residents lost over $176 million to these predatory companies. I’m calling for an end to this industry because that’s the best way to protect our seniors, low-income residents, and minority communities from these persistent scams” continued Healey.
According to the AG’s report, nearly 500,000 residents in the state receive their electricity from a competitive supplier, but certain communities are particularly hard hit. The report found that 36 percent of low-income households received their electricity from a competitive supplier, double the rate among other customers. The report also found that the average low-income customer enrolled with a competitive supplier paid $231 more than if the customer was receiving their electricity from their utility company. The report found some low-income households lost more than $541 by switching to a competitive supplier.
If you have questions or accommodation requests please contact the Amherst Community Participation Team at getinvolved@amherstma.gov or via phone at (413) 259-3002.
A Brief Guide to Residential Competitive Electric Supply in Massachusetts (PDF-Eng)
A Brief Guide to Residential Competitive Electric Supply in Massachusetts (PDF-Spanish)
