Nordic Energy customers have something to celebrate. Together, the staff of the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC), Attorney General Lisa Madigan and CUB negotiated a $310,800 settlement with the alternative electric supplier to resolve complaints that the company engaged in misleading marketing and unfair sales practices.
The settlement requires Nordic to establish a $310,800 fund to refund all potentially affected former and current customers. The company must also enact specific consumer protections, including recording telemarketing calls and establishing a multi-step door-to-door sales verification process.
The ICC began its investigation into Nordic’s sales activity last summer after allegations surfaced that the company was using misleading sales scripts to market variable rate plans. (Variable rate plans charge a different rate from month-to-month and can be more of a gamble than a fixed-rate plan, which stays the same throughout the duration of the contract.)
Customers are eligible for a refund if they were solicited by a Nordic telemarketing script between March 2013 and February 2014 and believe they were misled, uninformed or confused during their enrollment. All customers will receive word from the company if they have the right to file a claim and will have 12 months from the date of the letter to file. They can also contact Nordic at 888-339-6178 or direct questions to the ICC’s Consumer Services Division at 800-524-0795 or through the “file a complaint” link at www.icc.illinois.gov. (Individual refunds will vary by customer.)
Earlier this year, the ICC, CUB and Major Energy reached a settlement for similar allegations, and now we can say that we have helped secure more than $570,000 in refunds for Illinois customers this year. If you’d like to join our fight against misleading marketing and bad deals in the electric market, please consider becoming a CUB member today!
