Pellet Co. leaves MA
homeowners cold

ENFIELD, Conn. (WWLP) - A Connecticut Wood pellet company is leaving homeowners out in the cold-quite literally.

Those wood pellets are in short supply this year, but one company sold inventory they knew wasn't coming. And now the Connecticut attorney general is getting involved holding New England Pellet company's feet to the fire.

David Fisk of Windsor Locks Connecticut was surprised to see the doors locked and windows covered up at New England Pellet Company in Enfield, CT. David Fisk said, "I stopped in last week and got the run around so I came in this week and I found you." Fisk told the 22News I-Team he was planning on filling up his trailer with bags of wood pellets. David Fisk said, "It is a extreme surprise because we heat part of our house with pellet and now I have to do something else."

Connecticut's Attorney General sued the company for accepting consumer payments for thousands of tons of wood pellet orders that it knew were impossible to fulfill. CT Attorney General Richard Blumenthal says back in June New England Pellet knew they would receive about a quarter of the pellets they requested from their wholesaler yet they continued to accept orders.

CT Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said, "It burned the consumer financially but left them out in the cold during the coldest months."

Alessandra Smith of East Longmeadow is another victim. She bought her pellets from the company in July. Alessandra Smith said, "Pre-ordering them we saved money but now we had to go to New Hampshire to buy pellets and ended up paying an extra 60 dollars a ton because it is in the high demand season."

So what was supposed to be a cheaper alternative fuel source turned into an expensive headache for homeowners in Western Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Blumenthal's lawsuit seeks an order prohibiting New England Pellet and its owners from operating. If you are a victim of this company and you live in Massachusetts call the Springfield office for Attorney General Martha Coakley at (413) 784-1240.