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CT AG Settles with EnergyBillCruncher for $20K Over Misleading Solar Ads

EnergyBillCruncher.comOctober 17, 2024Connecticut Attorney General

Penalty Amount

$20,000

Consumers Affected

1,456

Summary

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a $20,000 settlement with EnergyBillCruncher.com for misleading solar marketing tactics, including false claims about government coverage, misuse of the state seal, and false urgency in social media ads. The company must cease these practices and notify its solar installer partners.

Remedy

EnergyBillCruncher must pay $20,000, immediately stop all misleading marketing (including false deadlines and state seal misuse), and inform each solar company it contracts with about the settlement terms.

Monetary PenaltyInjunctionCorrective Notice

Contract Impact

In-house legal teams should review all vendor and referral agreements with lead generation or marketing services like EnergyBillCruncher. Specifically scrutinize clauses governing marketing representations, data/lead sharing, intellectual property/trademark usage (especially state seals), and termination provisions. Required changes include adding explicit prohibitions against false government endorsement claims, misuse of official seals, and fabricated urgency deadlines; mandating compliance with state consumer protection laws; and incorporating audit rights and partner notification obligations to ensure downstream compliance with installer partners.

Contract Search Terms

referral agreementmarketing representationslead sharing agreementdata sharing provisionsgovernment endorsement prohibitionintellectual property licensetrademark usage clausesales practices representationpartner notification requirementindemnification clause

Violation Types

Entity Details

Entity

EnergyBillCruncher.com

Also known as: EnergyBillCruncher

Industry

Advertising

Official Sources

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Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced an investigation into EnergyBillCruncher for making false claims that the government would cover solar installation costs, misusing the state seal, and creating false urgency. The investigation seeks information on the company's ownership, consumer interactions, and partnerships. This is part of broader actions against deceptive solar sales tactics.

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