Misleading Mercury fined

Friday 8th November 2002

Mighty River Power, trading as Mercury Energy, was fined $14,000 in the Auckland District Court this week after pleading guilty to two charges of breaching the Fair Trading Act.

The Commerce Commission launched an investigation into the company following a customer complaint over a television promotion promising consumers' electricity meters would be read monthly.

The investigation revealed that of Mercury Energy's two supply areas, Vector and UnitedNetworks Waitemata, only Vector customers had their meters read monthly at the time of the advertising.

After the first block of advertising had aired, Mercury Energy took no action to alter or remove the second block of advertising. The court said the company should have taken action to prevent the commercials going to air. Duncan Bridgeman

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