The PSEG HomeServe masquerade has escalated and is evidently running rampant with other utilities.

The premise is to affiliate with electric utilities dressing up the HomeServe trucks to appear as if they are the local electric utility, foregoing the red truck branding of Home Serve. This is an obvious attempt to fool the consumer, who are most comfortable with their electric
utility, which they pay monthly for electric use.

In our Metro NY case, the Trojan Horse Van is outfitted in white and has the sunburst logo of PSEG and the PSEG letters with the words “Worry Free” on it. Then, below in small print the words “operated by HomeServe.”

Sixteen other utilities have allowed HomeServe to create LLC corporations and allowed HomeServe to fool the consumers into believing they are working with the utility.

New backlash has come about from independent HVAC contractors and plumbers as this is obvious unfair competition. The crosssubsidization part of this was the utility is providing HomeServe with addresses and names of the ratepayer according to the article provided to me by Mark Harrington of Newsday. I reached out to Mark Harrington of Newsday and we have had extensive conversations and interviews of the situation at hand in the Long Island/NY Metro area.

It is imperative for contractors to band together to make our voice heard as this is an all-out assault on small independent contractors and plumbers.
The bombardment of mailings received by our customer base region is extensive and is being funded by someone or an
entity that has “deep pockets.”

Many of my clients have called and asked about this and wanted to know if this is the utility providing service similar to what LILCO did in the past. We endured this manipulation once before when Keyspan Home Energy Services embarked on a campaign to assault independent contractors.

This is a master plan that is being unfolded at the expense of your HVAC business.

Please contact your local politicians and write letters to the Public Service Commission demanding they take action. Other states’ regulatory oversight bureaus have looked into this. Some have imposed mandates to stop transferring information.

In my opinion, they should be forced out of this masquerade as it is misleading and unfair.

Stay tuned and be sure to attend our next program meeting.

- Anthony N. Carbone

Click here for the Newsday Article!