UCAN was key to the California State Senate Investigation into the consumer protection practices of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Consumer Affairs Branch, known as CAB.  UCAN proved that the CPUC failed to assist consumers with their complaints by sending them right back to the companies that had refused to help remedy their complaints. Read the attached news article and the Senate Report so you will get angry enough to be part of the solution in pressuring the Senate and Governor to appoint consumer-friendly PUC Commissioners.

What did UCAN do?  Thanks to a retired whistleblower who contacted UCAN, we began tracking every complaint sent to the CPUC for investigation. UCAN continues to set itself apart from other consumer advocate utility non-profits because it takes complaints by phone and email, analyzes bills and correspondence to validate complaints, and tracks and reports the most prevalent complaint issues.  A most prevalent complaint issue clearly is that the PUC seems more interested in the company's opinion than that of the consumers it's paid to protect.  UCAN worked closely with the Senate Investigators and provided specific consumer case evidence of the failure of the CPUC to log and investigate complaints.

The "hands-on" approach shifted from consumer protection to telco industry protection to continue to promote more "deregulation" that will definitely end up raising prices for consumers.  Market competition turned out to be a joke.  There are areas in San Diego County where people can only get AT&T, other areas where Time Warner is the only game in town and others where you get Cox. 

What can you do and why should you do anything?  You can email or send individual notes or postcards to your state legislators and the Govenor.  Let it be known "en masse" that you are paying for consumer protection and therefore, you want commissioners at the helm of the CPUC who care more about doing their jobs than about collecting a cushy industry appointment or board appointment after leaving the commission. We the people don't have the lobby money of big industry.  We have a more powerful tool------the power of numbers are votes!

Call 619-696-6966 or file a UCAN online complaint form and attach a copy of your CPUC online complaint.