The Hartford Courant’s editorial writers are demonstrating a touch of Austerity Fever (some call it Austerity Irony), meaning they’re suffering from the typical beware of getting what you ask for disease, which is the new course not just of American political forces but also European.

Utilities pay the salaries of the 14 employees who will be laid off, so DEEP won’t save much, if any, money, while consumers will get worse service. That doesn’t sound like a consumer-friendly trade-off.

About 45,000 customers of companies supplying electricity, natural gas, water and telecommunications called the consumer services unit during 2010. Obviously, there needs to be a consumer sounding board, information center and dispute resolution center in the new superagency. The old one has done a good job.