In response to complaints, CMP 'powers on' with ad campaign, new hire

File Photo Central Maine Power Co. is launching a new ad campaign in response to customer criticism of its service.

Write a Comment

By Staff

Central Maine Power Co., which recently ranked last among 87 electric utilities nationwide in a business customer satisfaction poll, is hoping a new ad campaign will deliver a jolt to the company’s poor public image.

The radio and TV ads, which broke Wednesday, depict Mainers using electricity in their day-to-day activities, and remind audiences of the efforts CMP workers make to provide reliable service. The campaign was created by Portland marketing agency Garrand Moehlenkamp.

The advertising is part of a larger initiative by CMP in response to ongoing customer complaints about a billing system it introduced in October 2017. Since then, the system has led to “numerous complaints from CMP customers related to high bills and possible billing errors,” according to the Maine Public Utilities Commission.

The company has also drawn criticism over its response to a windstorm that caused lengthy power outages around the time of the system’s launch. More recently, CMP’s parent company, Avangrid Inc. (NYSE: AGR), was fined $450,000 after CMP and other subsidiaries violated federal reliability standards for electricity transmission.

In response to the string of bad publicity, CMP President and CEO Doug Herling introduced the company’s new initiative, dubbed Power On, in a Facebook video Tuesday afternoon.

“We understand that we need to do a better job for you, our customers, and Power On is our road map to do just that,” he said.

Power On includes the hiring of Dawn Hill, a former state legislator from York, as a “customer champion” tasked with making sure CMP addresses concerns and operational problems.

“We take this initiative seriously,” Herling said. “Power On signifies that CMP is charting a new course for the future.”