The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio barred a Connecticut-based energy company from operating in Ohio.
The PUCO ruled last month that Realgy Energy sold in energy choice markets in Ohio, manipulated customer records and lied to consumers.
The PUCO found the electricity and natural gas supplier violated numerous regulations and manipulated sales calls to make make it seem like a customer signed up for service, when they didn't.
Investigators found recorded sales calls that were edited by the company, because voices from numerous customers were in the same calls.
Officials say the company also promised a 35% savings, but customers were actually charged more than available competitive rates.
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio fined the company $355,000. Victims will get back twice the amount of money they lost to bad rates.
"This multiplier is merely exemplary and could increase dramatically depending on the nature of any future aberrant behavior in which any competitive supplier may choose to engage," said PUCO Commissioner Lawrence Friedman.
Daniel Conway, another PUCO commissioner, said the company's behavior was unacceptable.
"The allegations and the findings that underlie the settlement that we all reached in this case and that we're approving today were particularly egregious and frankly, for me, were beyond startling (and were) just beyond the pale," Conway said.
