NJ Electric Companies Could Be Included In Telemarketing Ban

The full New Jersey Assembly has approved a bill designed to protect consumers from being slammed by calls from electric power suppliers making false and misleading claims. The bill measure bans electric power suppliers from making false and misleading claims to potential residential customers.

It also limits suppliers' calls to customers to once per year where no business relationship exists.

“We’ve seen growing problem of consumers getting slammed by these calls, many of which appear to include false and misleading claims,” says bill co-sponsor, Assemblyman Dan Benson. “New Jersey has taken strong steps to protect consumers from aggravating telemarketing calls. This area should be no different.”

The bill would require the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to adopt advertising and marketing standards for electric power suppliers which would prohibit suppliers from making false or misleading advertising claims to a potential customer; or initiating contact with a potential customer via telephone more than once per calendar year for the purpose of making an unsolicited advertisement if the electric power supplier does not have an existing business relationship with said customer.

“Consumers deserve to know they can stop unwanted phone calls, especially those that spread questionable information,” says Assemblywoman Marlene Caride, another sponsor of the measure. “We’ve had enough with false claims, and with getting barraged with calls from companies with which we have no business relationship.”

The legislation would provide that any electric power supplier that violates the above provisions and, in doing so, collects charges for electric power supply services from a customer, shall be liable to the customer in an amount equal to all charges paid by the customer after such violation in accordance with any procedures as the BPU may prescribe.

“Residents deserve the peace and quiet of their homes, not one call after another from companies that they have no business relationship with,” says co-sponsor, Assemblyman Angel Fuentes. “This is a reasonable and common sense bill to protect consumers.”

Any electric power supplier that violates the provisions shall be liable for a civil penalty of not more than $10,000 for the first offense, and not more than $25,000 for the second and each subsequent offense, for each day that the violation continues. Any civil penalty which may be imposed may be compromised by the BPU.

“Nobody likes being bombarded with solicitation calls at home, especially after a long day at work,” says co-sponsor, Assemblyman Reed Gusciora. “New Jersey consumers should not have to worry about companies they have never dealt with trying to get their business under false pretenses.”

The bill was approved 77-0-1 by the Assembly and now awaits further consideration by the Senate.