Mayor warns of energy company scammers

Athens residents should be aware of energy scams from door to door surveyors, according to Mayor Paul Wiehl, who addressed city council Monday night.

The company is called Just Energy and claims it is doing a survey for the city in regards to energy consumption and spending. The city is doing nothing of the sort at this time and they want residents to be on watch for the surveyors.

“Right now the company is in the gray area around the rules,” Wiehl said.

What the company is doing is not illegal, according to Wiehl. Just Energy is not soliciting, but they may be getting to that stage. The city is currently looking into whether or not they are breaking any ordinances.

As election season approaches there are rumors of an energy bill being on the ballot, but it is still too soon to tell if it will go through. This may be why the company is asking for information about energy consumption and spending.

The mayor’s office is still gathering more information to make sure the company is legitimate. A quick Google search of the company does yield a website, but only a further investigation will yield results.

On its website, Just Energy identifies itself as a company wanting “to develop leading energy solutions for customers through continuous innovation and superior customer experiences.”

Mayor Wiehl is mostly concerned because this is the second time he has heard about this in a short period of time. He has even had someone come to his door in the past.

“This is important for our students that rent and to be aware of scams,” Third Ward Rep. Michele Papai said.

Students living off campus are the main concern of this situation. During the meeting city council members brought up that it is easy to trust someone who comes to your door, claiming to be a service you know nothing about, asking for your money.

As students start to look into off campus housing for next year it is also something to be aware of. Rental companies and websites offering extremely cheap rental payments may be scams as well. Council members stressed how important it is for students and residents to be aware of people on the Internet and as well as those knocking on doors.

The council plans to talk more about this survey gathering at its separate committee meetings this week.