Do You Have a Complaint?
The Maine Public Utilities Commission (Commission) regulates electric, telephone, water, and natural gas utilities in Maine, as well as ferry boat services in Casco Bay.
The Commission does NOT regulate:
- Cable TV Companies
- Cellular or Wireless Phone Companies (except for some aspects of Unicel's service)
- Propane Gas Distributors
- Sewer Districts
- Fuel Oil and Fuel Oil Delivery
For problems with these services, please contact your municipality or other consumer assistance services.
My Problem Is with a Utility Regulated by the Commission
You must first contact the utility and attempt to resolve your complaint prior to contacting the Commission's Consumer Assistance Division (CAD). However, if your complaint involves an unauthorized change of your telephone service ("slamming") or unauthorized charges on your telephone bill ("cramming"), you may skip this step and contact the Commission immediately to file a complaint.
If you've contacted the utility and are unable to resolve your complaint, you can file a complaint with the CAD and a staff person will assist you by investigating your complaint. To learn more about filing a complaint with CAD, call the CAD's Consumer Assistance Hotline at 1-800-452-4699.
The Complaint Procedure
You can file a complaint with the Commission by telephone, letter, fax, or by using the on-line complaint form. The Consumer Assistance Division (CAD) of the Commission has specially trained staff to assist customers with resolving their complaints with utilities. The CAD investigates complaints involving quality of service, billing disputes, appropriate application of rates, costs to extend utility lines, disconnection of utility service and deposits.
The CAD will investigate your complaint and will notify you in writing or by telephone of its decision, the rationale behind the decision, and your options for further action. While your billing complaint is being addressed by the CAD, you must pay (or enter into a payment arrangement to pay) the undisputed portions of your utility bills.
You can enter your complaint online by visiting the consumer complaint form.
For more immediate assistance regarding the termination of your utility service, call our Consumer Assistance Hotline at 1-800-452-4699, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Maine Public Utilities Commission
Consumer Assistance Division
18 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0018