Pepco

Smart meters read a home every 15 minutes and, per the Seventh Circuit, that data reveals when the house is empty, when people sleep and eat, and which appliances are present (the plaintiffs also alleged it exposes EV-charging travel routines, a point the court did not separately analyze) - enough that the court held collecting it IS a Fourth Amendment search. It allowed the practice only because the utility collected for non-prosecutorial purposes, and expressly warned the analysis would change with shorter intervals, law-enforcement involvement, or easier access by officials outside the utility. Pepco is an Exelon subsidiary alongside BGE and Delmarva, so one parent's decisions about collection frequency, retention and law enforcement response govern electricity customers across DC, Maryland and Delaware at once. Naperville is Seventh Circuit law and does not bind Maryland, Virginia or DC.

• Severity
• Evidence tierUnassigned
• Claims confirmed
• Last verified2026-08-04

Case status. Private litigation; no sources are on file yet, so no legal tier is assigned.

Primary source. None recorded — Unverified - heuristic first draft.

Arbitration

Not independently confirmed this pass — recommend direct follow-up on Pepco's actual Terms of Use.

Data sharing

Not independently confirmed this pass with a specific named privacy lawsuit. MAJOR UPDATE (2025-2026): DC's Attorney General issued a consumer alert (June 12, 2025) warning about deceptive sales tactics specifically targeting Pepco/Washington Gas customers — deceptive THIRD-PARTY ENERGY SUPPLIERS pressure or trick DC residents into switching suppliers, often without their knowledge, then charge dramatically higher rates. The alert also warns that a cheap introductory rate can be followed by a much higher variable rate. Scammers impersonate Pepco/Washington Gas/DC government representatives, ask to see the resident's actual bill (to enable the unauthorized switch), and send 'urgent'-labeled mailers designed to resemble official utility communications. Residents can contact DC's Office of the People's Counsel for help cancelling such contracts.

Contacts

Privacy contact. Not recorded.

Legal notice. Not verified this pass. If publicly traded: SEC Form 10-K cover page gives the official corporate address; the Secretary of State business-entity search in the state of incorporation gives the registered agent, which must accept service. If private: the state registered agent is usually the only reliable route.

Mailing address. Not recorded.