Latest News - 2022

The Connecticut Office of Consumer Counsel (OCC) is a proud and active member of the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates (NASUCA). With OCC’s support, NASUCA recently passed two significant resolutions concerning equity issues for both broadband and electric, gas and water utility consumers.

Consumer Counsel Claire E. Coleman released the following statement in response to the Notice of Violation and Assessment of Civil Penalty (NOV) and Proposed Final Decision issued by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) resulting from the Office of Consumer Counsel’s (OCC’s) investigation of Connecticut utility companies’ collection practices during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Consumer Counsel Claire E. Coleman announced today that the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) has approved a settlement agreement between the Office of Consumer Counsel (OCC), PURA’s Office of Education, Outreach, and Enforcement (EOE), and third-party electric supplier Verde Energy.

Consumer Counsel Claire Coleman issued the following statement regarding United Illuminating (UI’s) notice filed today with the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority indicating its intent to seek a three-year rate increase, including an increase of over twenty-eight percent in the first year.

Attorney General William Tong and Consumer Counsel Claire Coleman today announced a $3 million settlement with third-party electric supplier Public Power. The settlement resolves allegations that the company failed to publish “next cycle rate” information as required, denying consumers the chance to switch to another supplier to avoid a rate increase.

The Office of Consumer Counsel (OCC) and its Office of State Broadband (OSB) participated in a Notice of Inquiry issued by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) concerning the Congressional mandate to eliminate “digital discrimination” in providing access to internet services.

Consumer Counsel Claire Coleman issued the following statement regarding Aquarion Water’s notice filed today with the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority indicating its intent to seek a rate increase.

Interim Consumer Counsel Claire E. Coleman announced today that she has filed a Petition with the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) requesting an investigation of Connecticut’s two largest public utility companies, Eversource Energy (Eversource, Yankee Gas Services, Aquarion Water Company of Connecticut) and Avangrid, Inc. (The United Illuminating Company, Connecticut Natural Gas, Southern Connecticut Gas).