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The Ohio commission adopts staff and inspire energy holdings joint stipulation addressing marketing, solicitation, and customer enrollment issues. 

OCC’s and RESA’s motions to intervene were denied. 

As reported previously, the joint stipulation stated that (1) the Signatory Parties acknowledge that Inspire Energy is no longer marketing or enrolling Ohio consumers in any monthly subscription rate plans with low introductory trial rates; (2) Inspire Energy will include pre-approved statements in each consumer’s initial contract renewal notice beginning 15 days after 12/13/23; (3) within 30 days, Inspire Energy must also provide a separate pre-approved notice to former customers who enrolled in its subscription trial product and paid a customized price while enrolled on this product; (4) on at least a quarterly basis, Inspire Energy must update the CRES and CRNGS mailboxes of door-to-door locations and in-store marketing locations for one year after the PUCO approves this stipulation; (5) Inspire Energy must report to Staff any material amendments to the aforementioned procedures, within 60 days of any amendments; and (6) Inspire Energy agrees that a civil forfeiture in the amount of $160,000 should be assessed against it. 

As background, On 9/822, Staff issued a notice of probable non-compliance to Inspire Energy Holdings alleging that the supplier has been “providing misleading or deceptive statements to customers and charging unconscionably high rates.” Staff said that it “reviewed customer complaints for Inspire along with third party verification (‘TPV’) recordings provided in response to the investigations. Staff has found that customers are being told misleading or deceptive information. For example, customers are informed of an introductory price by Inspire’s door-to-door or in-store sales agents and that a specialized price will be sent to the customers via email; however, the factors that would impact the future energy charge amounts were not provided. After enrollment, the customer is notified via email/mail of the unconscionably high subscription rate for the remainder of the enrollment period. Additionally, Inspire also notified Staff of instances where Inspire sales representatives fraudulently enrolled customers. Other concerns include, Inspire sales agents using misleading statements such as savings, discounts and representing themselves as city officials.”

Order  (12/23/2023)
23-720-GE-UNC   (09/05/2023)

(Joint Stipulation of Inspire Energy Holdings, LLC and Staff Addressing Marketing and Customer Enrollment Issues)