Gary Winfield

Senator Winfield Leads Passage of Bipartisan Bill Protecting Electric Consumers from Being Locked into Contracts Following Rate Spikes

Senator Gary Winfield (D-New Haven) today led passage of Senate Bill 900, legislation granting electric customers more time to cancel a renewed contract with a retail electric supplier without paying a fee.

Current law prohibits suppliers from charging a fee if a customer cancels a renewed contract within seven days after receiving the contract’s first billing statement. The bill instead prohibits fees if the customer cancels within the renewed contract’s first two billing cycles.

“This change will eliminate customer confusion and give both customers and suppliers a clear beginning and end date of the cancellation period,” said Energy and Technology Committee Chair Senator Gary Winfield (D-New Haven). “It also provides better protections for customers who might miss a contract renewal notification or don’t fully understand the provisions of their renewal. By having more time, customers have the ability to notice the renewal in their first two billing cycles and allow cancellation where they may not have intended a renewal.”

The bill received bipartisan support in the Energy and Technology Committee and from the Office of Consumer Counsel, Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, AARP Connecticut, and Levco Energy.