National Grid is America’s one of the biggest investor-owned energy companies as per the company website. It provides natural gas, electricity, and clean energy to more than 20 million residents of Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New York. However, National Grid violated the terms of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) by using pre-recorded phone calls and this caused the affected customers to file a class-action lawsuit against the company. National Grid has not admitted to any wrongdoing but has agreed to resolve all claims filed against them by paying $38.5 million. As per the lawsuit, National Grid didn’t seek the consent of consumers before placing the automatic calls which were related to bill payment, a disconnect notice, an “important matter” about a National Grid bill, and other topics. These calls are known to have been made using an automatic dialing system and/or artificial or pre-recorded voice messages.
TCPA is a federal law that safeguards consumers from unlawful telemarketing schemes. Plaintiffs in the class-action lawsuit claimed that National Grid went against the regulations of TCPA which makes it mandatory for businesses to seek prior customer approval before placing automated phone calls. Not following the same can make businesses run the risk of paying penalties ranging up to $1500 for each violation. As per the terms of this class action settlement, claimants are eligible to collect cash payments from the multimillion-dollar settlement fund. The payment will depend on the number of claims filed by Class Members and is estimated to range between $50 and $150 per claimant. Over and above the cash payments, National Grid has also agreed to make changes in its calling policy for aligning it with the requirements of TCPA. The company will not use artificial or pre-recorded voice calls for contacting customers without their consent. The last date for objecting to or excluding oneself from the class action settlement is 12th May 2022.
Eligibility for Making Claim: Individuals who received a call or pre-recorded call using an artificial voice between 9th March 2011 and 29th October 2021 from the National Grid are eligible for the settlement benefits. National Grid functions under the following entities:
- KeySpan Gas East Corp. (New York)
- The Brooklyn Union Gas Co. (New York)
- Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. (New York)
- Boston Gas Co. (Massachusetts)
- Colonial Gas Co. (Massachusetts; now part of Boston Gas)
- Massachusetts Electric Co. (Massachusetts)
- Nantucket Electric Co. (Massachusetts)
- The Narragansett Electric Co. (Rhode Island)
Proof Of Purchase: Not applicable
Potential Claim Amount: Estimated to range between $50 and $150.
Claim Form: Submit Claim
Deadline For Submitting Claim: 12th May 2022
Final Hearing Date: 10th June 2022
Settlement Pool: $38.5 million
Settlement Website: NationalGridTCPASettlement.com
