Complaints about fixed-rate gas rising

COLUMBUS (AP) — A newspaper analysis of records has found a 33 percent increase in complaints from customers who signed fixed-rate natural gas contracts.

The Columbus Dispatch reported Sunday that fixed-rate customers are increasingly filing complaints saying the plans are costing more than advertised.

Complaints filed with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio say that fixed-rate marketers are posing as representatives of rate- regulated utilities. They also say that marketers gloss over cancellation charges and fees.

The 169 complaints in 2008, up 33 percent from 2007, reflect a fraction of 1 percent of customers on fixed-rate plans.