Safe Reliable Service at Reasonable Rates.
Knowing your rights as a consumer will ensure that you are protected and will also help you get all the benefits available to you in this new competitive electric market. As changes are made in the electric industry, the Public Utilities Commission will no longer regulate the price of energy supply.

However, the delivery of electricity to your home, including the cost for delivery, will still be regulated by the Commission to ensure safe, reliable service at reasonable rates. In addition, the Commission will require electric distribution companies and energy suppliers to follow rules designed to protect consumers.

The New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission is responsible for ensuring consumer protection and safety. If you believe your rights have been violated, contact the Commission's Consumer Affairs Division at 1-800-852-3793. For more information about your rights, click here.

Protection for Consumers
If a residential or small commercial customer has failed to meet any of the terms of the agreement for service, the energy supplier must notify the customer before ending the provision of energy service. For more information on the notification process, call the Commission's Answer Center at 1-800-528-2070.

In the event your energy service is ended, your lights will not go out. Energy will be provided to you without interruption as a default power service customer. Default power serves as a back-up until you are able to locate a new energy supplier. However, if you do not pay for your default power service, your electricity could be shut off.

Who Do I Call if I Have a Question or Problem?
If you have a question about your choice of an energy supplier or the changes to the electric industry that isn't answered here, you can call the Commission's Answer Center at 1-800-528-2070. The Commission will still be responsible for ensuring consumer protection and safety and reliability of service. You may contact us if you have a problem or concern that you cannot resolve with your energy supplier or electric distribution company.

Telemarketing.
Energy suppliers may only make telemarketing calls between the hours of 8:00 am and 9:00 pm. You have the right to tell them to place your name on a "Do Not Call" list. If you put your name on the list, that supplier is not allowed to contact you with future telemarketing calls.

In order to do business in New Hampshire, energy suppliers must obtain more global do-not-call lists from the Direct Marketing Association's Telephone Preference Service. Once you have made your choice and no longer want to get phone calls from energy suppliers, you could register with the Direct Marketing Association. After you have registered, energy suppliers will not be able to contact you with telemarketing calls. To register with the Direct Marketing Association, you should call (212) 768-7277 or write to them at Direct Marketing Association, Telephone Preference Service, PO Box 9014, Farmingdale, NY 11735-9014.

Transfer of Service.
When selecting a new energy supplier, you have the right to receive certain information. This information must be given to you by the energy supplier before it can accept your request to choose them as your supplier.

• All prices of the services being offered to you, including any penalties or fees
• How long the energy supplier will guarantee its quoted price and terms
• How long you will need to continue purchasing your energy from the energy supplier
• A description of how to settle a problem if you are unhappy with the service
• An explanation of how you will be billed for the energy you use
• The toll-free telephone number of the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission's Consumer Affairs Division
• Work is underway to require energy suppliers to disclose the type of fuel used to produce their electricity (e.g., coal, gas, nuclear, hydro, etc.) and the air pollution levels of those energy sources

When choosing an energy supplier, you only have to notify that new supplier. Before an energy supplier can switch your energy service, it must receive permission from you. This permission can be written, faxed, electronic or verbal. Written authorization must be signed by you, and verbal permission must be verified with you by an independent third party.