A landmark victory by Connecticut contractors against utilities is cause for joy, but remember the gunslinger's credo.
News came out of Connecticut in September that should bring joy to everyone who wishes our industry well, which most certainly includes this writer. The Connecticut PHCC and Connecticut MCA, allied with contractor associations from other trades, settled under favorable terms a landmark class action lawsuit against three gas utilities - Southern Connecticut Gas Co., Connecticut Natural Gas, and Yankee Gas Services. The suit was filed in 1995 under the state's Unfair Trade Practices law, and ended with more than a half-million dollar payment to the contracting community and other nonfinancial provisions that promote the use of independent contractors. The contractor coalition contended that the utilities' use of unlicensed personnel to do residential service and repair work constituted an unfair trade practice.
Although the utilities admitted no wrongdoing, they agreed to a settlement of $542,500 to the coalition groups. Most of this money went to pay legal fees, I'm told. The agreement also requires the utilities to promote the use of professional contractors in utility mailings for the next five years, prohibits them from placing utility advertising on residential equipment, prohibits the use of utility employees for installing certain equipment, and requires them to help develop a contractor referral system.