As Connecticut retail suppliers face a barrage of criticism, not only from consumer advocates but also some of their larger supplier brethren, it's worth noting that Connecticut Light & Power is alleged to have disconnected service to at least one customer who paid their bill on time, due to a new outsourced billing process, while "hundreds" of more customers who had timely remitted payment are being threatened with shutoff.

In a letter to CL&P's President and CEO William P. Herdegen, III, State Sen. Michael McLachlan said that, "[i]t has come to my attention that hundreds of shut-off notices are being issued to customers from your company."

"Customers who have paid their bill on time are receiving these notices. The reason is due to no fault of their own. They are mailing in their bill on time, but the fact that your payment processing has been moved to Dallas, Texas is the real reason," McLachlan said in the letter.

"It ... takes five plus day in the mail to receive the payment, and your customer service representatives are telling your customers that they must mail in their payment at least two weeks before the due date. This is unacceptable," McLachlan said.

"The customers that are paying their bill on time should not be given shut off notices, because their bill is not being process in a timely manner by your company. It is your company that chose to move your payment processing to Dallas, Texas, and your customers should not be required to mail in their bill two weeks before it is due," McLachlan said

CTWatchdog.com reports that CL&P has admitted to the problem, and also covers CL&P's response to McLachlan's concerns.