PGE Tax Refund Coming to Customers
Posted on May 4, 2006 by oregoncub
Tags, Utility Regulation
A four-page notice has gone out to Multnomah County customers of Portland General Electric, saying that the class action lawsuit on their behalf has been settled. The case was regarding money PGE collected for the Multnomah County Business Income Tax (“Tax”), but “that were above what PGE or its parent company ended up owing and paying in Tax to Multnomah County.” The settlement states that PGE will pay $10 million, most of the money going to those people who purchased electricity service from PGE between 1999 and 2005, and who were therefore paying the Tax on their PGE bills.
The notice says, “Current customers of PGE (as of January 18, 2006) may be eligible for a credit on their electric bills, and they do not need to submit claims.” So, if you are currently a PGE customer and were a PGE customer throughout some or all of the time period in question (1999-2005) you don’t need to do a thing. Your credit will show up automatically on your bill, in an amount between a few dollars or up to about $17, depending on the length of time you have been a customer of PGE.
If you no longer live in the PGE service territory, but did at some time between 1999 and 2005, and would like to receive a refund, you can fill out the Former PGE Customer Claim Form that is attached to the back of your notice, or you can call 888-279-4337.
If you wish to opt out of the settlement, in hopes of going after PGE yourself in court, you may do that by sending a notice to PGE Class Action Processing, PO Box 3775, Portland, OR 97208-3775. The deadline for all objections and exclusions from the class is June 28, 2006, exactly one month before the date of the final hearing in this case, which will be held on July 28, 2006.
This lawsuit was filed by the Utility Reform Project and among the plaintiffs named as representing the class of customers was Sid Lezak, former U.S. Attorney for Oregon. His participation in this case was one of his final projects in a long and impressive life of activism on a number of fronts. He died April 24th at the age of 81.
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03/10/17 | 0 Comments | PGE Tax Refund Coming to Customers