They've all but told me they work for PPL.

Worse, if there's a billing issue, the most the PUC generally will do is say work it out with the 3rd party supplier, such as setting up a payment plan. And to switch to another 3rd party supplier or switch back to one's utility in the meantime.

From a consumer protection aspect, one is safest with their utility as default supplier. Soon as one switches away, they lose various protections. Suppliers have much leeway in what they can get away with. Buyer beware!

Door-to-door salespeople, which in my view, are mostly scammers, can get away with shady tactics since the written contract controls. PUC will essentially reiterate this. Likewise for buying other products and services, such as solar panel systems.

Way off on a tangent, but it's disturbing how something so basic has been made so complicated and full of pitfalls. Electric choice makes sense for businesses, but not most residential consumers. Should have never been a thing.

As Texas illustrates though, don't expect much change. PUC likely won't do much beyond remind people to be careful who they talk with and read the contract before agreeing.

PUC should do more, but as many have mentioned, they're presumably bought and controlled by the utilities. Maybe that's not so, but sure seems that way.

Yeah that’s not a PUC issue. The legislature and governor Corbett deregulated energy providers and the hellscape of shady energy providers now is the legacy of that, enshrined in statute. The PUC can’t regulate that market beyond what their mandate is, which at this point is basically nonexistent.