A group of Maine residents organized around fighting high electric bills from Central Maine Power is seeking customers to join a planned class action lawsuit against the company.

CMP Ratepayers Unite said late Monday that two Maine-based attorneys involved with the matter have retained a New York firm to take the lead, on behalf of utility customers who believe they have been overcharged. It said that Sumner H. Lipman and James Belleau have retained Napoli Schkolnik PLLC, to prepare a class action on behalf of these customers.

“We have been working very hard to hold CMP accountable for their actions,” the group said in a news release. “Today, I am happy to announce that our voices have been heard! Spread the word to other ratepayers who are outraged and want ACTION!”

A class action lawsuit involves a group of people with the same or similar injuries or complaints, caused by the same product or action. They join together to sue a defendant as a group.

CMP Ratepayers Unite didn’t say when the suit would be filed.

The planned suit has been hinted at for weeks. It’s the latest development in ongoing efforts to learn why some CMP customers have received — and continue to receive — bills that seem out of scale with the amount of power they’ve used.

Earlier this month, CMP Ratepayers Unite sent a letter to state officials demanding a more thorough investigation into customer complaints of inflated CMP electric bills. The group, which has more than 3,300 members, said it sent the letter because the Maine Public Utilities Commission’s ongoing fact-finding probe into the matter has raised more questions than it has answered. The group also said Maine officials need to provide “immediate relief” to CMP customers who believe they have been overcharged, while the PUC probe continues.

The PUC responded by saying its investigation will be comprehensive, and that it already has taken steps to offer relief and protection to affected CMP customers. CMP has said it’s working internally and with the PUC to understand the causes.

Further details about the planned suit are on the group’s Facebook page.

Customers also can contact Patrick Milligan by email at milliganpm@gmail.com.

(Amber Waterman/Sun Journal)