A Green Mountain Power electric meter is seen on a building in Montpelier, Vt., in this Nov. 8, 2004 file photo. COLUMBUS, Ohio – The state Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit challenging a regulatory ruling that leaves submetering companies – middlemen between utilities and renters who have been accused of price gouging – unregulated.American Electric Power, a utility serving 1.
American Electric Power and the Consumers’ Counsel argued that NEP is effectively indistinguishable from a utility in its operations but can jack up prices on captive customers while providing no added value. Its customers are without legal protections afforded to traditional utility customers. “This decision was strictly process and makes no changes to the PUCO mandated consumer protection requirements for landlords who submeter,” said NEP spokeswoman Teresa Ringenbach in response to the court’s ruling. “We will continue to support and comply with those requirements.”
“We are disappointed with the Ohio Supreme Court’s ruling. We will continue to explore other steps we can take to help Ohio’s submetering consumers,”Consumers’ Counsel Maureen Willis said in a statement.The decision is a win for the submetering industry, which is active in some of Ohio’s major cities. The companies strike deals with landlords and distribute power from an apartment’s “master meter” to individual tenants.