As the April 27 deadline approaches for Peterborough residents to determine their community power choice, a scam is targeting them and residents of other towns that will be getting their power through the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire.
“I was dismayed, terribly disappointed, angry that people would take advantage of the credibility of others to make money,” Peterborough Community Power Committee co-Chair Joel Huberman said.
According to Huberman, he and fellow co-chair Tony Cassady learned of a scam from Gretchen Rae, business manager for the Department of Public Works, who received a call from a resident who accidentally called 800-603-POWR instead of the correct number for the coalition, which is 866-603-POWR (866-603-7697).
Huberman said the person who picked up the phone answered in a way that indicated “they knew what they were doing,” and Rae said that when the woman called, she told her she had called the number on the informational flyer. However, when Rae checked the flyer and asked if the woman had called the 866 number, she replied that it was actually the 800 number.
“They’re playing the odds and hoping there are a couple folks who dial incorrectly,” she said.
According to Rae, the woman said she had given the scammer her credit card number, but after they tried to sell her car insurance and to get her to accept a $100 gift card if they agreed to send $5.99 for mailing and she started asking questions, she started asking questions and the scammer hung up on her.
“I immediately advised her to call her credit card company,” Rae said.
On the advice of Town Administrator Nicole MacStay, Rae said she called the 866 number to let the coalition know what was happening. Attempts to call the 800 number Thursday and Monday went to a recording saying it was invalid, and Huberman said that in addition to the 866 number, people can enroll through the communitypowernh.gov/peterborough website.
Residents can choose to enroll in the Granite Plus default option, which provides 33 percent renewable energy at a cost of 16.2 cents per killowatt-hour (kWh), or an estimated $97 per month, through July 31.
Granite Basic provides less renewable energy, 23.4 percent, at a cost of 15.8 cents per kWh or an estimated $95 per month. Two tiers provide more renewable energy – Clean 50 with 50 percent renewable at a cost of 16.9 cents per kWh and an estimated $101 per month, and Clean 100 with 100 percent renewables for 19.1 cents per kWh and an estimated $115 per month.
With the exception of customers buying electricity from a third-party supplier, net-metered customers and large general service, backup service and commercial and industrial electric vehicle charging station customers, Peterborough residents who do not choose one of the options or who opt out will automatically be enrolled in Granite Plus.
“They’ll be paying more, but they’ll still be paying less than the current Eversource rate,” Huberman said, which is currently 20.2 cents per kWh, or approximately $121 per month, with 23.4 percent renewable energy.