CenterPoint Energy drops its credit reporting plan

Last October, I posted about CenterPoint Energy’s plan to report delinquent accounts to the credit reporting bureaus. Last Friday, CenterPoint announced a change of plan, saying it will hold off on reporting indefinitely. Consumer groups and advocates for low-income families apparently made the difference:

They said it would damage credit records — now used for everything from employment background checks to mortgages to car insurance rates — of Minnesotans who don’t pay their bills because they don’t have the money. A new threat won’t change that, the groups protested. The group threatened to seek legislation to ban the practice.