Direct Energy controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
Back to profile4 entries
2014
Class action over late-payment penalties
An Alberta court certified a class action alleging that Direct Energy's late-payment penalties amounted to an unlawfully high effective interest rate. The provided material does not establish the final disposition.
2012
Scrutiny of water-heater rental contracts
The Competition Bureau examined alleged anti-competitive features in water-heater rental contracts, including long terms, exit fees, and buyout charges. The Direct Energy division involved was later sold and rebranded as Enercare.
2009
Misleading or unclear explanations of unregulated rates
Some sales representatives did not clearly tell Alberta customers that they were enrolling in unregulated energy rates. Direct Energy worked with Service Alberta on training and controls and incurred more than C$5,000 in penalties.
2004
Forged energy contracts by sales agents
Investigators found that 25 sales agents had forged contracts that placed Ontario and United States residents into long-term energy agreements. Direct Energy was fined C$157,500 in relation to the conduct and said it took corrective measures.