2013 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 16a - Planning and Energy Policy
Chapter 296 - Operation of Fuel Supply Business
Section 16a-22k - *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.) Unfair trade practices in the business of selling fuel oil.

(a) No person, firm or corporation or any officers, agents or employees thereof, shall condition the availability of fuel oil burner maintenance or repair service upon the agreement of any purchaser or potential purchaser to purchase fuel oil from such person, firm or corporation, provided, any person, firm or corporation may give priority for service to any person who has an oil delivery contract with such person, firm or corporation.

(b) Any person, firm or corporation who sells at retail fuel oil or propane gas to be used for residential space heating and who has established a schedule of payments plan with a retail customer, shall, upon notice of termination of future oil deliveries, return to such customer, within ten days of receiving any such notice, any moneys collected in excess of the retail price for fuel actually delivered, provided, this subsection shall not apply to a schedule of payment plan in which a specific product unit price is agreed upon for the length of the plan.

(c) Each person, firm or corporation who sells under a trade name at retail fuel oil or propane gas to be used for residential space heating or who provides service for fuel oil or propane burners shall disclose to any customer or potential customer on any communication and invoice and in any advertising, the name of the person or entity which has filed a certificate to use such a trade name, as required by and pursuant to section 35-1.

(d) Any violation of subsections (a) to (c), inclusive, of this section shall be deemed an unfair or deceptive trade practice under section 42-110b.

(P.A. 90-304, S. 3; P.A. 07-217, S. 67.)

*Note: On and after July 1, 2013, this section, as amended by section 4 of public act 12-76, is to read as follows:

“Sec. 16a-22k. Unfair trade practices in the business of selling heating fuel. Fines. (a) No heating fuel dealer shall condition the availability of burner maintenance or repair service upon the agreement of any consumer to purchase heating fuel from such dealer, provided, any dealer may give priority for service to any consumer who has a heating fuel delivery contract with such dealer.

(b) Any dealer who sells heating fuel and who has established a schedule of payments plan with a consumer shall, upon notice of termination of future heating fuel deliveries, return to such consumer, within ten days of receiving such notice, any moneys collected in excess of the retail price for heating fuel actually delivered, provided this subsection shall not apply to a schedule of payment plan in which a specific product unit price is agreed upon for the length of the plan.

(c) Each heating fuel dealer who sells under a trade name heating fuel or who provides service for heating fuel burners shall disclose to any consumer or potential consumer on any communication and invoice and in any advertising, the name of the person or entity which has filed a certificate to use such a trade name, as required by and pursuant to section 35-1.

(d) Any violation of subsections (a) to (c), inclusive, of this section shall be deemed an unfair or deceptive trade practice under section 42-110b.

(e) Any heating fuel dealer who violates the provisions of this section shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars for the first offense, not more than seven hundred fifty dollars for a second offense occurring not more than three years after a prior offense and not more than one thousand five hundred dollars for a third or subsequent offense occurring not more than three years after a prior offense.”

(P.A. 90-304, S. 3; P.A. 07-217, S. 67; P.A. 12-76, S. 4.)

History: P.A. 07-217 made a technical change in Subsec. (d), effective July 12, 2007; P.A. 12-76 made existing provisions applicable to heating fuel dealers and consumers and added Subsec. (e) re fines, effective July 1, 2013.