Attorney General Kwame Raoul is taking a Florida-based company to court, accusing Southeast Energy Consultants LLC (SEC) of swindling Illinois consumers through deceptive practices. In a legal move made public in a Cook County Circuit Court filing, Raoul charges that SEC, a third-party vendor for various alternative retail electric suppliers, pulled a fast one on customers by falsely promising reduced energy costs if they abandoned their public utility services.
With the suit, Raoul aims to bring an end to what he describes as SEC's sham savings, which instead led customers to fork over more cash on their energy bills than they would have if they had remained with their local utilities. The lawsuit contends, according to the Illinois Attorney General's office, that the SEC was in the business of peddling more expensive contracts on behalf of the ARES, masking as a thrifty choice.
"My office is committed to protecting Illinois consumers from deceptive practices utilized by alternative retail electric suppliers and their vendors, and preventing consumers from overpaying for the energy they need," Raoul stated, exposing the reality that purported savings were, in fact, a costly switch. The lawsuit also alleges SEC's representatives misled consumers with the false assertion they were affiliated with public utility companies and were enrolling clients in a non-existent state-backed saving program.
In pursuit of justice, Raoul is seeking remedies to halt SEC's illegal conduct while clawing back the unjustified costs burdened on Illinois residents. The suit calls for the recovery of hundreds of thousands of dollars paid in excessive rates by customers and demands stiff penalties for the vendor's infractions, especially those affecting older citizens, pushing for $50,000 per statutory breach perpetrated against an older Illinois resident.
This legal action by Attorney General Raoul stands in consistent line with his previous endeavors to keep citizens safe from predatory ARES. His office has a history of combat with dubious energy suppliers, including the preceding year's lawsuit against Residents Energy LLC for using sly tactics to switch consumers to pricier contracts. The Illinois Attorney General's office is no stranger to these battles, having taken to court and settled several cases with multiple fraudulent energy companies, while further investigations into other ARES are ongoing.
Backed by the Home Energy Affordability and Transparency (HEAT) Act, which took effect at the beginning of 2020, Raoul's office is well-equipped to crack down on these manipulative energy suppliers and offer restitution to those who fell victim to deceitful schemes. The case against SEC is overseen by Consumer Protection Division Chief Susan Ellis, Assistant Chief Deputy Attorney General Thomas Verticchio, and Public Interest Counsel Darren Kinkead. They are assisted by reputable Illinois legal firms in their ongoing quest to safeguard consumers against exploitation.
