Aug. 2--Today we're going to play the Watchdog version of The Gong Show.

We're going to see what Texans think of the fine being proposed by the Public Utility Commission against Amigo Energy of Houston. Last summer, Amigo failed thousands of Texas families by not sending bills to some customers and billing others incorrectly at substantially higher rates than they expected.

The proposed fine: $15,000.

"Merely a slap on the hand," said former Amigo customer Pam Kinkema of Fort Worth.

But before we bring out the gong, let's share some data:

As I reported last month, the PUC received 1,035 complaints against Amigo in the past year. Of those, 452 were found to violate state rules. Many stemmed from when Amigo took over variable-rate customers from defunct National Power.

Why such a meager fine? The PUC declined to comment, as the case is pending. But in its settlement agreement, PUC legal staffers wrote that Amigo "instituted corrective action," acted in "good faith" to follow the rules and "worked aggressively" to solve billing problems.

The PUC has proposed fining another company that had similar failures -- Direct Energy of Houston -- $200,000.

Time for our game. Here's what former Amigo customers say about the fine. If they don't like it, you'll hear the gong.

Kinkema: "The PUC doesn't take this situation seriously. To allow a company to mistreat and misrepresent services for citizens is a crime. I personally think the problem is with the PUC."

GONG!

Clifton Hobbs of Saginaw: "The fine is a joke, just like the PUC. I bet employees at Amigo are laughing out loud at the fine. Can we fine the PUC? Where are our representatives?

"The message sent is that it is OK to treat people needing power any way you want. Don't take their phone calls and keep overcharging them as much as possible, while threatening to ruin their credit. Guess what I was being charged? 28 cents per kilowatt hour."

GONG!

Janice Strickland of Burleson: "I got a bill from Amigo for 25 cents per kwh. My old rate was 11 cents. Of course, I could not get through by phone to Amigo, and when I did, I got hung up on.

"I think the fine prevents other companies from doing the same thing. The PUC is on the consumer's side, and they are there to help.