Duquesne Light Warns Customers of Door-to-Door Solicitors, Telemarketers

Warning: If a salesperson comes to your door representing Duquesne Light, do not let them in or give them any account information. moon

That person is a fraud.

Also, if you get a telemarketing phone call from someone claiming to work for Duquesne Light, consider that a fraud too.

Duquesne Light spokesman Joey Vallarian issued a statement Monday morning in which he notes "numerous customer concerns on the recent increase of door-to-door and telemarketing calls."

Here is what Vallarian said in his email:

* Duquesne Light does not do any form of telemarketing

* Duquesne Light does not engage in door-to-door sales

* Duquesne Light does not release customer phone numbers

* Residential electricity suppliers are totally independent from Duquesne Light, and not in any way affiliated with the company

* All Duquesne Light employees have company issued IDs, which they will gladly show.  Company field representatives will almost always be wearing attire with the Duquesne Light logo.

Pittsburgh police also are warning area residents to be careful when opening their doors to solicitors, even if those people are wearing official-looking clothing or logos.

In her post on the Pittsburgh Police Community Safety website last week, Officer Janine Davis said she received an email from a Lawrenceville resident stating that people from a company called Just Energy were going door to door, asking to see residents' Duquesne Light electric bills.

Residents were told that their home address and Duquesne Light account number were needed to ensure that they received a rebate from the Duquesne Light company, according to the report on the community safety website.

She indicated in her post that similar incidents could be happening in other local neighborhoods. Residents in  and Mt. Lebanon also have complained of the issue.

Should a Duquesne Light employee be called to a customer's home, all Duquesne Light employees carry photo identification issued by the company, Vallarian said.

Columbia Gas is also warning its customers of a nationwide "Obama Energy Credit" scam . Callers attempt to elicit personal information and account numbers through a bogus offer, but the company says there is no such “energy credit” available and customers are advised to be wary of anyone claiming to represent a utility company asking for personal information and account numbers.

Pittsburgh police posted the following tips on the community safety website for dealing with door-to-door solicitors:

• Do not open your door for unsolicited services.
• If a person at your door looks official, ask for identification.
• Do not allow them into your home for any reason.
• If you have any concerns call 911.

Duquesne Light's Vallarian offered these tips:

Complaints against a telemarketer in violation of Pennsylvania's Do Not Call law should be filed with the Office of the Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection by calling the toll-free hotline at 1-800-441-2555, or by filing a Do Not Call complaint online at www.attorneygeneral.gov/ .

Complaints against a telemarketer in violation of the national Do Not Call Registry can be made online at www.donotcall.gov .

Finally, if customers are interested in shopping for electricity suppliers, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission website, at papowerswitch.com, is a great resource that provides an unbiased comparison of all of the offers available.  

And remember that if you choose another electric generation supplier, Duquesne Light still will continue to safely and reliably deliver your electricity, provide repairs and maintenance, respond to outages, and handle any questions you may have about your monthly bill.

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