Respond Power

Review: When I was approached by the person selling respond power I was told I was going to be getting a fixed rate for approx ~ $0.09/kwh, however I was signed up for a variable rate without my knowledge that went immediately up to approx ~ $0.20/kwh. When I called the first month about this I was told the apparent doubling was due to prorating and that next month would be correct at the lower rate, however the next month came around and was actually higher, and when I called to cancel their service, which I was told I could do at any time, I was told I had to wait two months at their horribly inflated rate to do so, and the only way to get a approx ~ $0.11 rate was to sign another agreement with them. I was given blatantly false information thats now cost me over a hundred dollars vs what staying with PPL would have cost, and will cost a few hundred more according to the customer service rep who is insisting I am trapped with this company for two more months at least. Further this customer service rep blatantly lied to me, stating that PPL charges more than their $0.20 rate when the variable rate on the PPL website is still stated as less than nine cents in an effort to con me into staying with their companyDesired Settlement: An immediate switch to PPL or a billing adjustment for the next two months while I am stuck with Respond power to the PPL rate posted on their site or at least the advertized nine cent rate. I would also like a refund to the advertized and supposedly fixed rate for the past two months.

Business

Response:

Good Afternoon,

According to the complaint, the customer is unhappy with the recent rate being charged.

The customer agreed to a variable

rate contract, meaning the rate would be determined by the energy market.

As has been widely reported, there

has been a spike in the wholesale energy market which was reflected on the most

recent bill. This is merely a reflection of the current energy market where a

shrinking supply of electricity is under the strain of massive demand due to

one of the coldest winters on record. We are referring customers to the

February [redacted]press release from the PUC regarding this issue. (Please see

attached) In addition, this is not just happening in Pennsylvania.

Please see this link relating to New York prices as well.[redacted]

Finally, the account has been

canceled and it is now up to the utility to process the cancellation. Please contact your utility for budget

billing concerns.

We are truly sorry for your

experience and advise you to sign up on a fixed rate that will ensure price

protection.

Regards

In addition please see this informative article.

Why Have

Energy Bills Increased – Explaining Price Volatility

It has

been a record cold winter across much of the country, and many have been

expressing deep concern as to why energy bills have been so high. Regardless of

whether energy is purchased from a utility or a competitive energy supplier,

customers have seen electricity and natural gas prices spike in many parts of

the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.

Why did

prices rise?

Simply

put, the issues at hand are the cold weather, electric grid and natural gas

pipeline capacity, and the increasing use of natural gas not just for heating

purposes, but to create electricity.

There is

ample gas supply in the United States, especially given the boom in shale gas.

What customers are feeling are the results of a strained transportation and

infrastructure system that delivers electricity and gas. When demand is high

and capacity is constrained, costs increase.

This

winter’s “polar vortex” has increased the demand for both natural gas and

electricity, resulting in significant congestion in the natural gas pipelines

and on the electric grid (the highways of the energy system). Everyone relies

on these natural gas pipelines and the electric grid to get energy from where

it is produced to where it is used by the homeowner, the tenant, and the

business owner. Just like only so many cars can efficiently travel along a

highway, only so much natural gas and electricity can move through the natural

gas pipeline system and the electric grid.

Also,

while more and more people are using natural gas directly for heating purposes,

electricity generators are also increasingly using natural gas to produce

affordable power. In the short-term, this electricity generation is putting

further strain on the natural gas capacity in certain parts of the country. At

the same time there are also bottlenecks on some parts of the electric grid,

preventing electricity from getting from the generators to the consumers in an

efficient manner.

It’s

known from economics that constraints on supply (such as not being able to get

gas from where it is plentiful to where it is needed) cause prices to rise, and

this has occurred in the wholesale energy markets. The result? Competitive

energy suppliers and utilities alike are paying higher than normal prices when

purchasing from the wholesale market in order to provide energy to homeowners,

tenants, and business owners. This is causing everyone’s bills to rise.

As the

winter weather gradually improves and temperatures rise, the demand for energy

to heat homes and businesses will decrease, placing less pressure on the

nation’s electricity grid and allowing energy prices from suppliers and

utilities to normalize. However, winter weather may very likely be around for

some weeks to come. Despite the unusual weather, the gas and electric delivery

systems have proven to be highly reliable this winter. A number of new natural

gas pipelines and electricity transmission lines are planned or under

construction which should reduce the chances of a similar price spike in the

future.

In the

meantime, there are some things that can be done to help manage energy bills.

Conserve energy as much as possible. For example, make sure

doors and windows are well insulated, seal any air leaks, and lower the

water temperature setting to 120 degrees on the water heater.

Customers using a competitive supplier and who are on a

variable rate plan or whose fixed contracts have expired, should review

their contract to confirm the accuracy of the pricing and call their

supplier if they have any questions.

Customers interested in price stability can also investigate

fixed price options that many suppliers offer.

Customers in need of financial assistance should investigate

their state’s home heating assistance programs. In many states, a customer

can stay with a competitive supplier and still receive assistance paying

utility bills.

Customers should visit their

state’s “energy shopping” websites to compare offers from different suppliers.

For a list of shopping websites, visit [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

-The business claims I signed up for a variable rate plan, however I was at no point informed this would be a variable rate plan and was told I would in fact be getting a fixed rate plan, that fixed rate was in fact the entire reason I switched.

-The business claims the market crashed and their rates are reasonable, however, even the article they link listed the increase at around 21% max; their rate increased over 100% during this time period. Even customers that pay attention to this rate increase and how ludicrous it is are then trapped with them for two more billing cycles

-Other companies in the area that can be viewed on papowerswitch.com still list rates well under 50% of this company's rate, including the listed rate for this company on that site.

-The "fixed rate" I was offered was still around 33% higher than that offered by companies in this area and required me to agree to a cancellation fee, and again is below the advertized rate on papowerswitch.com

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

Good afternoon,

We are sorry the customer was dissatisfied with our earlier response. I have attached the customer's application where he enrolled in a variable rate plan. The rates on PA Power Switch

are a mix of fixed offerings and intro rates. While you may not see a rate comparable to ours on that site, please know that many supplier have been charging even more

than that to their current customers. Those offering 10 cent variable rates now are

either offering you that as an introductory rate, or it is an estimate made by them.

Regards,

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.

While they are STILL lying about competitors rates (I called several to check, including PPL themselves) I apparently did not read what I was signing up for well enough, nor was it accurately explained to me. My own fault, even if the business practices of this company are deplorable.

Sincerely,

Review: When I originally signed with this electric supply company my rate was promised to be lower than JCP&L. Which was under 10 cents a kilowatt hour. Now they raised my rate to 15 cents and last month to over 20 cents. The result was the highest electric bill I ever had. In fact it doubled it. The price also was double that of JCP&L last month. If this is not classic price gouging and bait and switch, well then, there is no such thing. Phone calls to them have availed me no help.Desired Settlement: Same as desired settlement

Business

Response:

Good Morning,

According to the complaint, the

customer is unhappy with the recent rate being charged.

The customer agreed to a variable

rate contract, meaning the rate would be determined by the energy market.

As has been widely reported, there

has been a spike in the wholesale energy market which was reflected on the most

recent bill. This is merely a reflection of the current energy market where a

shrinking supply of electricity is under the strain of massive demand due to

one of the coldest winters on record. We are referring customers to the

February **press release from the PUC regarding this issue. (Please see

attached) In addition, this is not just happening in Pennsylvania.

Please see this link relating to New York prices as well.

If

you would like to cancel your account, please contact customer service.

Please contact your utility for budget billing concerns.

We are truly sorry for your

experience and advise you to sign up on a fixed rate that will ensure price

protection.

Regards

In addition please see this informative article.

Why Have

Energy Bills Increased – Explaining Price Volatility

It has

been a record cold winter across much of the country, and many have been

expressing deep concern as to why energy bills have been so high. Regardless of

whether energy is purchased from a utility or a competitive energy supplier,

customers have seen electricity and natural gas prices spike in many parts of

the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.

Why did

prices rise?

Simply

put, the issues at hand are the cold weather, electric grid and natural gas

pipeline capacity, and the increasing use of natural gas not just for heating

purposes, but to create electricity.

There is

ample gas supply in the United States, especially given the boom in shale gas.

What customers are feeling are the results of a strained transportation and

infrastructure system that delivers electricity and gas. When demand is high

and capacity is constrained, costs increase.

This

winter’s “polar vortex” has increased the demand for both natural gas and

electricity, resulting in significant congestion in the natural gas pipelines

and on the electric grid (the highways of the energy system). Everyone relies

on these natural gas pipelines and the electric grid to get energy from where

it is produced to where it is used by the homeowner, the tenant, and the

business owner. Just like only so many cars can efficiently travel along a

highway, only so much natural gas and electricity can move through the natural

gas pipeline system and the electric grid.

Also,

while more and more people are using natural gas directly for heating purposes,

electricity generators are also increasingly using natural gas to produce

affordable power. In the short-term, this electricity generation is putting

further strain on the natural gas capacity in certain parts of the country. At

the same time there are also bottlenecks on some parts of the electric grid,

preventing electricity from getting from the generators to the consumers in an

efficient manner.

It’s

known from economics that constraints on supply (such as not being able to get

gas from where it is plentiful to where it is needed) cause prices to rise, and

this has occurred in the wholesale energy markets. The result? Competitive

energy suppliers and utilities alike are paying higher than normal prices when

purchasing from the wholesale market in order to provide energy to homeowners,

tenants, and business owners. This is causing everyone’s bills to rise.

As the

winter weather gradually improves and temperatures rise, the demand for energy

to heat homes and businesses will decrease, placing less pressure on the

nation’s electricity grid and allowing energy prices from suppliers and

utilities to normalize. However, winter weather may very likely be around for

some weeks to come. Despite the unusual weather, the gas and electric delivery

systems have proven to be highly reliable this winter. A number of new natural

gas pipelines and electricity transmission lines are planned or under

construction which should reduce the chances of a similar price spike in the

future.

In the

meantime, there are some things that can be done to help manage energy bills.

Conserve energy as much as possible. For example, make sure

doors and windows are well insulated, seal any air leaks, and lower the

water temperature setting to 120 degrees on the water heater.

Customers using a competitive supplier and who are on a

variable rate plan or whose fixed contracts have expired, should review

their contract to confirm the accuracy of the pricing and call their

supplier if they have any questions.

Customers interested in price stability can also investigate

fixed price options that many suppliers offer.

Customers in need of financial assistance should investigate

their state’s home heating assistance programs. In many states, a customer

can stay with a competitive supplier and still receive assistance paying

utility bills.

Customers should visit their

state’s “energy shopping” websites to compare offers from different suppliers.

For a list of shopping websites, visit [redacted]

Review: So, I found out today that I've been signed up with them for a few months because of a door to door advertisement that my roommate fell for, which is concerning since I am the account holder not him. He claims he was told our bill would be cheaper so he figured it would be a good thing, but never came to me about it when he signed up. I had been paying my [redacted] bill online and not looking at the bill in detail until the bill went up exponentially between the last 3 months and last month no one was even home using any of the utilities! This is ridiculous, and I've reached out to Respond Power, Major Energy and [redacted] to try to get a resolution because there is no way my bill should have nearly doubled over two months when no one was using power.Desired Settlement: I would like my service discontinued with Major Energy and Respond Power because I am the [redacted] account holder and I'm not even sure how they were able to open an account in my name with information given to them by my roommate. If possible a partial refund for the last two months seeing as my bill completely skyrocketed, but I'm really just after going back to my regular [redacted] billing and service and no longer being associated with these other two companies.

Business

Response:

This complaint has been settled with our customer service.

Regards

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution will be ok for now, they told me that I would be on a fixed rate and my service would be removed without penalty should I move to another state and close out my [redacted] services at my location.

Sincerely,

Review: Respond power did not notify us of the service increased rates. Our energy bill increased almost 4 times what we were paying. Our energy bill is over 600 for one month. It is to the point that we cannot pay. My husband and myself have tried numerous times to get in contact with this company but the lines are always bits with wait times of over 35 minutes. After waiting fir over 30 minutes for the second time I was disconnected. Charging people 4x the rate is just cruel. I never received any written information and I receive all of my bills via postal mail. I do not do electronic statements for this very reasonDesired Settlement: I would appreciate it if my rate would be decreased and a credit from my last and current bill be applied to the future.

Business

Response:

Good Morning,

According to the complaint, the

customer is unhappy with the recent rate being charged.

The customer agreed to a variable

rate contract, meaning the rate would be determined by the energy market.

As has been widely reported, there

has been a spike in the wholesale energy market which was reflected on the most

recent bill. This is merely a reflection of the current energy market where a

shrinking supply of electricity is under the strain of massive demand due to

one of the coldest winters on record. We are referring customers to the

February **press release from the PUC regarding this issue. (Please see

attached) In addition, this is not just happening in Pennsylvania.

Please see this link relating to New York prices as well.

If you would like to cancel your account, please contact customer service. Please contact your utility for budget billing concerns.

We are truly sorry for your

experience and advise you to sign up on a fixed rate that will ensure price

protection.

Regards

In addition please see this informative article.

Why Have

Energy Bills Increased – Explaining Price Volatility

It has

been a record cold winter across much of the country, and many have been

expressing deep concern as to why energy bills have been so high. Regardless of

whether energy is purchased from a utility or a competitive energy supplier,

customers have seen electricity and natural gas prices spike in many parts of

the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.

Why did

prices rise?

Simply

put, the issues at hand are the cold weather, electric grid and natural gas

pipeline capacity, and the increasing use of natural gas not just for heating

purposes, but to create electricity.

There is

ample gas supply in the United States, especially given the boom in shale gas.

What customers are feeling are the results of a strained transportation and

infrastructure system that delivers electricity and gas. When demand is high

and capacity is constrained, costs increase.

This

winter’s “polar vortex” has increased the demand for both natural gas and

electricity, resulting in significant congestion in the natural gas pipelines

and on the electric grid (the highways of the energy system). Everyone relies

on these natural gas pipelines and the electric grid to get energy from where

it is produced to where it is used by the homeowner, the tenant, and the

business owner. Just like only so many cars can efficiently travel along a

highway, only so much natural gas and electricity can move through the natural

gas pipeline system and the electric grid.

Also,

while more and more people are using natural gas directly for heating purposes,

electricity generators are also increasingly using natural gas to produce

affordable power. In the short-term, this electricity generation is putting

further strain on the natural gas capacity in certain parts of the country. At

the same time there are also bottlenecks on some parts of the electric grid,

preventing electricity from getting from the generators to the consumers in an

efficient manner.

It’s

known from economics that constraints on supply (such as not being able to get

gas from where it is plentiful to where it is needed) cause prices to rise, and

this has occurred in the wholesale energy markets. The result? Competitive

energy suppliers and utilities alike are paying higher than normal prices when

purchasing from the wholesale market in order to provide energy to homeowners,

tenants, and business owners. This is causing everyone’s bills to rise.

As the

winter weather gradually improves and temperatures rise, the demand for energy

to heat homes and businesses will decrease, placing less pressure on the

nation’s electricity grid and allowing energy prices from suppliers and

utilities to normalize. However, winter weather may very likely be around for

some weeks to come. Despite the unusual weather, the gas and electric delivery

systems have proven to be highly reliable this winter. A number of new natural

gas pipelines and electricity transmission lines are planned or under

construction which should reduce the chances of a similar price spike in the

future.

In the

meantime, there are some things that can be done to help manage energy bills.

Conserve energy as much as possible. For example, make sure

doors and windows are well insulated, seal any air leaks, and lower the

water temperature setting to 120 degrees on the water heater.

Customers using a competitive supplier and who are on a

variable rate plan or whose fixed contracts have expired, should review

their contract to confirm the accuracy of the pricing and call their

supplier if they have any questions.

Customers interested in price stability can also investigate

fixed price options that many suppliers offer.

Customers in need of financial assistance should investigate

their state’s home heating assistance programs. In many states, a customer

can stay with a competitive supplier and still receive assistance paying

utility bills.

Customers should visit their

state’s “energy shopping” websites to compare offers from different suppliers.

For a list of shopping websites, visit [redacted]

I went with respond power as my natural gas supplier because they would save me 30% off my heating bill. this month they charged $0.99 per ccf and [redacted] is only charging $0.49. I switched back to [redacted].

Review: Respond Power is charging more than I was told I'd ever have to pay for electric. I was told during sign up that I was guaranteed to save money and never have to pay a high electric bill again but instead of being charged between $500 and $900 to respond power alone on top of my original electric company charges.Desired Settlement: I want a refund of the $888 I had to pay them this month and I want the $506 taken off March's bill and I don't want to be charged for respond power ever again.

Business

Response:

Good Afternoon,

According to the complaint, the

customer states that she is unhappy with the current rate being charged.

The customer agreed to a variable

rate contract, meaning her rate would be determined by the energy market.

As has been widely reported, there

has been a spike in the wholesale energy market which was reflected on the most

recent bill. This is merely a reflection of the current energy market where a

shrinking supply of electricity is under the strain of massive demand due to

one of the coldest winters on record. We are referring customers to the

February ** press release from the PUC regarding this issue. (Please see

attached) In addition, this is not just happening in Pennsylvania.

Please see this link relating to New York prices as well. [redacted]

Finally, the account has been

canceled and it is now up to the utility to process the cancellation. Please contact your utility for budget

billing concerns.

We are truly sorry for your

experience and advise you to sign up on a fixed rate that will ensure price

protection.

Regards

In addition please see this informative article.

Why Have

Energy Bills Increased – Explaining Price Volatility

It has

been a record cold winter across much of the country, and many have been

expressing deep concern as to why energy bills have been so high. Regardless of

whether energy is purchased from a utility or a competitive energy supplier,

customers have seen electricity and natural gas prices spike in many parts of

the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.

Why did

prices rise?

Simply

put, the issues at hand are the cold weather, electric grid and natural gas

pipeline capacity, and the increasing use of natural gas not just for heating

purposes, but to create electricity.

There is

ample gas supply in the United States, especially given the boom in shale gas.

What customers are feeling are the results of a strained transportation and

infrastructure system that delivers electricity and gas. When demand is high

and capacity is constrained, costs increase.

This

winter’s “polar vortex” has increased the demand for both natural gas and

electricity, resulting in significant congestion in the natural gas pipelines

and on the electric grid (the highways of the energy system). Everyone relies

on these natural gas pipelines and the electric grid to get energy from where

it is produced to where it is used by the homeowner, the tenant, and the

business owner. Just like only so many cars can efficiently travel along a

highway, only so much natural gas and electricity can move through the natural

gas pipeline system and the electric grid.

Also,

while more and more people are using natural gas directly for heating purposes,

electricity generators are also increasingly using natural gas to produce

affordable power. In the short-term, this electricity generation is putting

further strain on the natural gas capacity in certain parts of the country. At

the same time there are also bottlenecks on some parts of the electric grid,

preventing electricity from getting from the generators to the consumers in an

efficient manner.

It’s

known from economics that constraints on supply (such as not being able to get

gas from where it is plentiful to where it is needed) cause prices to rise, and

this has occurred in the wholesale energy markets. The result? Competitive

energy suppliers and utilities alike are paying higher than normal prices when

purchasing from the wholesale market in order to provide energy to homeowners,

tenants, and business owners. This is causing everyone’s bills to rise.

As the

winter weather gradually improves and temperatures rise, the demand for energy

to heat homes and businesses will decrease, placing less pressure on the

nation’s electricity grid and allowing energy prices from suppliers and

utilities to normalize. However, winter weather may very likely be around for

some weeks to come. Despite the unusual weather, the gas and electric delivery

systems have proven to be highly reliable this winter. A number of new natural

gas pipelines and electricity transmission lines are planned or under

construction which should reduce the chances of a similar price spike in the

future.

In the

meantime, there are some things that can be done to help manage energy bills.

Conserve energy as much as possible. For example, make sure

doors and windows are well insulated, seal any air leaks, and lower the

water temperature setting to 120 degrees on the water heater.

Customers using a competitive supplier and who are on a

variable rate plan or whose fixed contracts have expired, should review

their contract to confirm the accuracy of the pricing and call their

supplier if they have any questions.

Customers interested in price stability can also investigate

fixed price options that many suppliers offer.

Customers in need of financial assistance should investigate

their state’s home heating assistance programs. In many states, a customer

can stay with a competitive supplier and still receive assistance paying

utility bills.

Customers should visit their

state’s “energy shopping” websites to compare offers from different suppliers.

For a list of shopping websites, visit [redacted]

Review: I have tried to get ahold of their customer service through email and phone. I go no response from emails after 30 days. They misrepresented what they had to offer. I have tried several methods and their CS line says they have reached their call limit. This is horrible practice and I want them to cancel my account. I do not want my electric bill doubled which that is what they did and I refuse to let it be doubled it is already high as it is.Desired Settlement: I want this horrible company off my electric bill. They have bad business practices and you can't contact them. I want them to apologize to me and cancel my account with them. IMMEDIATELY they lied about being a decent price for electric they are double what I was paying before!!!

Business

Response:

Good Afternoon,

According to the complaint, the

customer states that she is unhappy with the rate being charged and not being able

to contact our customer service department.

We are very sorry that she could not

reach our customer service. We have been

in contact with many customers and are returning calls as soon as possible.

As has been widely reported, there

has been a spike in the wholesale energy market which was reflected on the most

recent bill. This is merely a reflection of the current energy market where a

shrinking supply of electricity is under the strain of massive demand due to

one of the coldest winters on record. We are referring customers to the

February [redacted]press release from the PUC regarding this issue. (Please see

attached) In addition, this is not just happening in Pennsylvania.

Please see this link relating to New York prices as well. [redacted]

Finally, the account has been

canceled by our company and it is now up to the utility to process the

cancellation.

We are truly sorry for your

experience and advise you to sign up on a fixed rate that will ensure price

protection.

Regards

In addition please see this informative article.

Why Have

Energy Bills Increased – Explaining Price Volatility

It has

been a record cold winter across much of the country, and many have been

expressing deep concern as to why energy bills have been so high. Regardless of

whether energy is purchased from a utility or a competitive energy supplier,

customers have seen electricity and natural gas prices spike in many parts of

the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.

Why did

prices rise?

Simply

put, the issues at hand are the cold weather, electric grid and natural gas

pipeline capacity, and the increasing use of natural gas not just for heating

purposes, but to create electricity.

There is

ample gas supply in the United States, especially given the boom in shale gas.

What customers are feeling are the results of a strained transportation and

infrastructure system that delivers electricity and gas. When demand is high

and capacity is constrained, costs increase.

This

winter’s “polar vortex” has increased the demand for both natural gas and

electricity, resulting in significant congestion in the natural gas pipelines

and on the electric grid (the highways of the energy system). Everyone relies

on these natural gas pipelines and the electric grid to get energy from where

it is produced to where it is used by the homeowner, the tenant, and the

business owner. Just like only so many cars can efficiently travel along a

highway, only so much natural gas and electricity can move through the natural

gas pipeline system and the electric grid.

Also,

while more and more people are using natural gas directly for heating purposes,

electricity generators are also increasingly using natural gas to produce

affordable power. In the short-term, this electricity generation is putting

further strain on the natural gas capacity in certain parts of the country. At

the same time there are also bottlenecks on some parts of the electric grid,

preventing electricity from getting from the generators to the consumers in an

efficient manner.

It’s

known from economics that constraints on supply (such as not being able to get

gas from where it is plentiful to where it is needed) cause prices to rise, and

this has occurred in the wholesale energy markets. The result? Competitive

energy suppliers and utilities alike are paying higher than normal prices when

purchasing from the wholesale market in order to provide energy to homeowners,

tenants, and business owners. This is causing everyone’s bills to rise.

As the

winter weather gradually improves and temperatures rise, the demand for energy

to heat homes and businesses will decrease, placing less pressure on the

nation’s electricity grid and allowing energy prices from suppliers and

utilities to normalize. However, winter weather may very likely be around for

some weeks to come. Despite the unusual weather, the gas and electric delivery

systems have proven to be highly reliable this winter. A number of new natural

gas pipelines and electricity transmission lines are planned or under

construction which should reduce the chances of a similar price spike in the

future.

In the

meantime, there are some things that can be done to help manage energy bills.

Conserve energy as much as possible. For example, make sure

doors and windows are well insulated, seal any air leaks, and lower the

water temperature setting to 120 degrees on the water heater.

Customers using a competitive supplier and who are on a

variable rate plan or whose fixed contracts have expired, should review

their contract to confirm the accuracy of the pricing and call their

supplier if they have any questions.

Customers interested in price stability can also investigate

fixed price options that many suppliers offer.

Customers in need of financial assistance should investigate

their state’s home heating assistance programs. In many states, a customer

can stay with a competitive supplier and still receive assistance paying

utility bills.

Customers should visit their

state’s “energy shopping” websites to compare offers from different suppliers.

For a list of shopping websites, visit http://www.CompetitiveEnergy.org.

Review: We have gotten our electric bill and for the past two months our bill has gone from an average of around $220.00 to a total of $450.00+ for Jan. then for Feb. it jumped to $700.00. I have made several calls to try to talk to somebody and all I get is a please wait to speak with someone (after over 30 minutes each time it just keeps saying I am #5 on the Q and it never goes any lower. I will not pay this bill till someone can tell me why or how this is justified to take advantage of the consumer? We were told by these people we must pick a "provider" or one will be selected for us. Now I find out others never picked a provider and they stayed with PPL and all there rates never changed. How is this justified other then these people are just taking advantage of us? I want to contact them to tell them I no longer want there services and I cant get through. I also have tried to contact them through email (With the email address they provided and I cant find any match?? I refuse to pay this outrageous increase on my bill till someone calls me and I can cancel this account. I have filed a complaint with the local PUC as well and they are checking this out as wellDesired Settlement: I want this bill to be changed and I want the rate to be fair. I paid the $450.00+ bill and didn't complain as it was colder BUT this jump to 3X more in my rate is just taking advantage of us do to it being colder is NOT an reasonable reason TO RAISE THE RATES TO THIS LEVEL JUST BECAUSE THEY CAN. if was an average person doing this we would be in jail for this.

I have priorities and at this point is not one of them since I cant get any answers. This is more stress then I can deal with

Business

Response:

We would like to apologize to [redacted] for the difficulties he has had reaching our call center. We have been receiving an extreme call volume which is causing customers to receive unacceptably long hold times. We will be calling him in the early part of the week to try and resolve his concerns. I have attached a recent press release from the PUC regarding increasing electric rates in the wholesale market for [redacted]'s reference. The US wholesale energy market experienced skyrocketing rates in January which adversely affected millions of consumers like him. Respond Power is one of many companies that unfortunately had no choice but to pass along the higher rates to customers. We have added some protections to [redacted]'s account to prevent a future price spike and will discuss these with him when we reach him.

Consumer

Response:

We Finally got to speak with a so called customer service rep from this company.

We ask for a rebate of some kind (as many have been getting through this whole ordeal). We were told by this woman that "Respond Power" is not the cause of this and we should call PPL for this problem. As instructed by her we called PPL and that gentleman told us AND I QUOTE. This is the Respond Powers issue as they are my power company and this woman just wanted to get us off the phone so she would not have to deal with it. So with this being said by PPL it confirms to me that they are just taking advantage of us as other companies are giving back rebates as they all should. So I respectfully reject there reply to me.

Thank you Kindly

Business

Response:

We are truly sorry that the price of electricity has gone so high. Please see the below article for an explanation of why this happened. Our company is not receiving extra profit because of these prices, rather just passing on the real time cost of electricity.

Regards

Review: Billing problemsDesired Settlement: I have been with this company for a little while and in march my bill was $117 which is what I was paying normally. Im april my bill tripled to $457 and the same thing for may. There rates sky rocketed. I am a single mother with 2 children one of which is disabled and I dont make a lot at my job also she gets ssi. When I call the company they tell me there is nothing they can do to help me get this paid and my bill was due on may ** it is may ** now and they are calling me telling me if it is not paid. I will basically have my power shut off. I was caught up on my bill I never paid it late so how am I getting threatened to have my electricity shut off. I dont understand please help. Thank you

Business

Response:

Good Afternoon,

We are sorry the customer has been dissatisfied with her service. The customer was enrolled in a variable rate plan, meaning that the rate would fluctuate with the energy market. Unfortunately, the energy market performed very poorly this past winter due to decreases in

energy supply and increases in demand due to the cold weather. While suppliers

like Major Energy/Respond Power base the rate on a daily rolling average and

hedging, most utilities purchase energy in massive block and adjust quarterly

or semi-annually. Because of that, sometimes suppliers find themselves with

higher rates than utilities. Eventually trends reverse and utilities are forced

to adjust their rates to make up for losses due to underpriced supply sold to

customers during high markets.

Please note that all billing issues should be addressed directly with your utility. We do not bill you separately from the utility and we do not send collection notices. Payment plan and budget billings questions should also be addressed to your utility.

Regards,

Review: I was led to believe I could cancel at any time on electric generation. Their price doubled and I tried to get out. They said I had to pick another supplier then so I did and then would not let me cancel. It took over 2 months to get a cancelation date and still dosent take affect until 1/**/2014. Mean while our bill keeps climbing as they see fit. I called new company and PPNL, They all said the same tag line "it takes as long as it takes" (Which I will aslo be filing a wrongful claim on). We have a heat pump and we've been using candles to heat our home because of this continued deception. Any other utility I can cancel at a moments notice. I am resonable and I could understand if it too a few business days but 2 billing cycles + is totally a fraud.Desired Settlement: I want the last two bills to reflect PPNL's current price until my new price kicks in with the new generation company. for generation part only. I do not think this unfair

Business

Response:

In regards to the complaint,

Review: A representative of Respond Power came to my door a couple months ago advertising that we could save 10% a month on our rate. Last month we were charged 7.99 cents per KWH where [redacted] was charging 5.08 cents per KWH. This month we were charged 15.9899 cents per KWH where [redacted] was charging 4.93 cents per KWH. We were promised a 10% discount compared to what we were paying before and instead we are paying 324% more than what we would have paid with [redacted].Desired Settlement: I would like a refund for being over charged last month as well as a new bill that adjusts our current bill to be 10% cheaper than [redacted]'s rate of 4.93 cents per KWH as promised by the representative that came to our door.

Business

Response:

Good Morning,

The customer initially enrolled in a variable rate plan with our company. The customer's signed sales agreement is attached for confirmation. The sales representatives from our partner vendors may state that historically our company has saved customers up to ten percent, but are strictly prohibited from guaranteeing prices. We will take the customer's comments into consideration as we continue evaluate our partner vendors.

The rates on a variable rate plan are subject to change based on market conditions.

Unfortunately, the energy market performed very poorly this past winter due to

decreases in energy supply and increases in demand due to the cold weather. While

suppliers like Major Energy/Respond Power base the rate on a daily rolling

average and hedging, most utilities purchase energy in massive block and adjust

quarterly or semi-annually. Because of that, sometimes suppliers find

themselves with higher rates than utilities. Eventually trends reverse and

utilities are forced to adjust their rates to make up for losses due to

underpriced supply sold to customers during high markets.

Regards,

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

[Your Answer Here]

I remember the conversation between the Respond Power representative very well. I answered the door and the representative showed me a badge and quickly asked for a copy of the latest electric bill I received for electric. I produced my latest bill and after a quick examination, the representative circled the total amount due and explained that if I switched to Respond Power "that number will be 10% less". The representative also wrote "10%" next to the circle as shown in the scanned copy of the bill I provided to the representative. Technically, by the way the representative explained my bill would be 10% less than $122.85. I did not believe that was what the representative meant so I asked to clarify, "so technically my rate will be 10% less than what I am currently paying?" The representative said yes. At the time I was not entirely educated on the process of how electric was supplied and delivered and I asked another question "Would they be able to reimburse me for the past months that I had in service." The representative responded saying "I don't know if they would be willing to do that, you would have to call and ask." The representative failed to clarify that Respond Power has absolutely no relation to [redacted] and that being a totally different supplier, it would be absolutely stupid to believe that Respond Power would refund money that they didn't receive because they had nothing to do with my current setup. The representative completely took advantage of my lack of knowledge and lied saying that my bill "WILL" be 10% lower.

When I received the bill, I made a post on Respond Power's [redacted] regarding the situation and as a result, my post was deleted and I was blocked from posting anymore comments on the page. No explanation, no contact and no respect.

As a response to the completely irreverent part of your response regarding the effects of a harsh winter. This was the second bill I received from Respond Power the first of which being in the time period of late February to late March. If either of the bills would reflect the effects of the harsh winter, wouldn't it be the bill that accounts for a month that actually takes place in winter? For that month, our rate was just over $.07 per KWH. For the second bill, that reflects usage from late March to late April, we were charged $.16 per KWH. Winter officially ended March [redacted]. The Average temperature for the first bill was 29 degrees Fahrenheit where it was 45 degrees Fahrenheit for the second bill. IN NO WAY does this argument help your case.

Also, while irreverent to my complaint, your representative made a comment that some may reflect to be racist mentioning that "[redacted]." Referring to my dog. This does not directly reflect my case nor am [redacted] or offended, but it does show the lack of training and professionalism of your representatives.

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Review: Two sales representatives came to our home while I was at work. My husband talked to them about the service they were offering. They claimed to provide rates for our electric service that would lower our bill by ten percent. My husband agreed to the service and signed the sales agreement(No. [redacted]). Our electric account is solely in my name. My husband isn't even listed as an authorized user on the account . The agreement was signed on ** August 2013.Our electric bills were okay until this month when we received a bill for over $1000!!!! When I called [redacted], they looked at my account and determined the issue was the rate we were being charged by Respond Power and not our usage. Our usage is in the same range that it has been for years. I called Respond Power and had them cancel their "service". I was informed by them that a request was sent to [redacted] to have the billing go back to them but it would take 4-6 weeks for this process to be completed. I then asked for adjustments to be made to our bill and was informed that could not be done since it is a variable rate. The representative then told me since the electricity business is so volatile we would be better off finding a provider with a fixed rate. That sounded condescending and ridiculous to me!! The change on my account never should have happened without my approval and signature since I am the only account holder for this matter!Desired Settlement: I feel it is appropriate to be refunded the difference in our bill. Our average bill through [redacted] is approximately$100 a month. I don't have an exact amount since Respond Power is claiming another billing cycle will pass before [redacted] takes over the billing on my account.

Business

Response:

Good Afternoon,

We are sorry the customer has been dissatisfied with her experience and could not find a resolution from our customer service department. The customer's husband validly entered into a variable rate contract with our company, meaning the rates would fluctuate as determined by the energy market.

As has been widely reported, there

has been a spike in the wholesale energy market which was reflected on the most

recent bill. This is merely a reflection of the current energy market where a

shrinking supply of electricity is under the strain of massive demand due to

one of the coldest winters on record. We are referring customers to the

February ** press release from the PUC regarding this issue. (Please see

attached) In addition, this is not just happening in Pennsylvania.

Please see this link relating to New York prices as well.

Finally, the account has been

canceled and it is now up to the utility to process the cancellation. Please contact your utility for budget

billing concerns.

We are truly sorry for your

experience and advise you to sign up on a fixed rate that will ensure price

protection.

Regards

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

Review: Respond power has a variable electric rate that is outrageously higher than everyone else. Other companies are charging 10-15 center per kWh while Respond is at 30-40 cents. I called and was able to speak to someone last month to cancel my service but I received yet another bill from them. This time, I've tried calling 3 separate times and was on hold for 20 minutes each, only to have the call cut off. I've filled out the online form and the site guaranteed I would be contacted within one business day but that did not happen. I emailed customer service directly and have not heard from them either. I made another attempt to contact them today and got an automated message saying I reached the office after hours. The website clearly states the hours are until 5pm EST and I called at 4pm EST. The recording said I could leave a message but when I got to that option, another automated recording told me that the mailbox was full, I could not leave a message, and the call was disconnected. It appears as though Respond is ignoring all my attempts to contact them and they are blocking customers from support.Desired Settlement: I would like Respond to refund my last 4 electric bills which is when I first noticed the rates beginning to rise uncontrollably. This amounts to $1428 over the last 4 months.

Business

Response:

Good Evening,

According to the complaint, the

customer is unhappy with the recent rate being charged.

The customer agreed to a variable

rate contract, meaning the rate would be determined by the energy market.

As has been widely reported, there

has been a spike in the wholesale energy market which was reflected on the most

recent bill. This is merely a reflection of the current energy market where a

shrinking supply of electricity is under the strain of massive demand due to

one of the coldest winters on record. We are referring customers to the

February [redacted]press release from the PUC regarding this issue. (Please see

attached) In addition, this is not just happening in Pennsylvania.

Please see this link relating to New York prices as well.

Finally, the account has been

canceled and it is now up to the utility to process the cancellation. Please contact your utility for budget

billing concerns.

We are truly sorry for your

experience and advise you to sign up on a fixed rate that will ensure price

protection.

Regards

In addition please see this informative article.

Why Have

Energy Bills Increased – Explaining Price Volatility

It has

been a record cold winter across much of the country, and many have been

expressing deep concern as to why energy bills have been so high. Regardless of

whether energy is purchased from a utility or a competitive energy supplier,

customers have seen electricity and natural gas prices spike in many parts of

the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.

Why did

prices rise?

Simply

put, the issues at hand are the cold weather, electric grid and natural gas

pipeline capacity, and the increasing use of natural gas not just for heating

purposes, but to create electricity.

There is

ample gas supply in the United States, especially given the boom in shale gas.

What customers are feeling are the results of a strained transportation and

infrastructure system that delivers electricity and gas. When demand is high

and capacity is constrained, costs increase.

This

winter’s “polar vortex” has increased the demand for both natural gas and

electricity, resulting in significant congestion in the natural gas pipelines

and on the electric grid (the highways of the energy system). Everyone relies

on these natural gas pipelines and the electric grid to get energy from where

it is produced to where it is used by the homeowner, the tenant, and the

business owner. Just like only so many cars can efficiently travel along a

highway, only so much natural gas and electricity can move through the natural

gas pipeline system and the electric grid.

Also,

while more and more people are using natural gas directly for heating purposes,

electricity generators are also increasingly using natural gas to produce

affordable power. In the short-term, this electricity generation is putting

further strain on the natural gas capacity in certain parts of the country. At

the same time there are also bottlenecks on some parts of the electric grid,

preventing electricity from getting from the generators to the consumers in an

efficient manner.

It’s

known from economics that constraints on supply (such as not being able to get

gas from where it is plentiful to where it is needed) cause prices to rise, and

this has occurred in the wholesale energy markets. The result? Competitive

energy suppliers and utilities alike are paying higher than normal prices when

purchasing from the wholesale market in order to provide energy to homeowners,

tenants, and business owners. This is causing everyone’s bills to rise.

As the

winter weather gradually improves and temperatures rise, the demand for energy

to heat homes and businesses will decrease, placing less pressure on the

nation’s electricity grid and allowing energy prices from suppliers and

utilities to normalize. However, winter weather may very likely be around for

some weeks to come. Despite the unusual weather, the gas and electric delivery

systems have proven to be highly reliable this winter. A number of new natural

gas pipelines and electricity transmission lines are planned or under

construction which should reduce the chances of a similar price spike in the

future.

In the

meantime, there are some things that can be done to help manage energy bills.

Conserve energy as much as possible. For example, make sure

doors and windows are well insulated, seal any air leaks, and lower the

water temperature setting to 120 degrees on the water heater.

Customers using a competitive supplier and who are on a

variable rate plan or whose fixed contracts have expired, should review

their contract to confirm the accuracy of the pricing and call their

supplier if they have any questions.

Customers interested in price stability can also investigate

fixed price options that many suppliers offer.

Customers in need of financial assistance should investigate

their state’s home heating assistance programs. In many states, a customer

can stay with a competitive supplier and still receive assistance paying

utility bills.

Customers should visit their

state’s “energy shopping” websites to compare offers from different suppliers.

For a list of shopping websites, visit [redacted]

Review: from October 2013-march 2014 our rate has gone from .0599 to .2499. our power bill has gone from $140 in October 2013 to $1,295.61 in march 2014. there are only 2 of us living here, and there is no way we used that much power. I cannot get a response from respond power.Desired Settlement: our last bill was an estimated bill and cannot be correct. I would like this looked into.

Consumer

Response:

we would like an adjustment to our march bill.

Business

Response:

Good Evening,

According to the complaint, the

customer is unhappy with the recent rate being charged.

The customer agreed to a variable

rate contract, meaning the rate would be determined by the energy market.

As has been widely reported, there

has been a spike in the wholesale energy market which was reflected on the most

recent bill. This is merely a reflection of the current energy market where a

shrinking supply of electricity is under the strain of massive demand due to

one of the coldest winters on record. We are referring customers to the

February [redacted]press release from the PUC regarding this issue. (Please see

attached) In addition, this is not just happening in Pennsylvania.

Please see this link relating to New York prices as well.

Finally, the account has been

canceled and it is now up to the utility to process the cancellation. Please contact your utility for budget

billing concerns.

We are truly sorry for your

experience and advise you to sign up on a fixed rate that will ensure price

protection.

Regards

In addition please see this informative article.

Why Have

Energy Bills Increased – Explaining Price Volatility

It has

been a record cold winter across much of the country, and many have been

expressing deep concern as to why energy bills have been so high. Regardless of

whether energy is purchased from a utility or a competitive energy supplier,

customers have seen electricity and natural gas prices spike in many parts of

the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.

Why did

prices rise?

Simply

put, the issues at hand are the cold weather, electric grid and natural gas

pipeline capacity, and the increasing use of natural gas not just for heating

purposes, but to create electricity.

There is

ample gas supply in the United States, especially given the boom in shale gas.

What customers are feeling are the results of a strained transportation and

infrastructure system that delivers electricity and gas. When demand is high

and capacity is constrained, costs increase.

This

winter’s “polar vortex” has increased the demand for both natural gas and

electricity, resulting in significant congestion in the natural gas pipelines

and on the electric grid (the highways of the energy system). Everyone relies

on these natural gas pipelines and the electric grid to get energy from where

it is produced to where it is used by the homeowner, the tenant, and the

business owner. Just like only so many cars can efficiently travel along a

highway, only so much natural gas and electricity can move through the natural

gas pipeline system and the electric grid.

Also,

while more and more people are using natural gas directly for heating purposes,

electricity generators are also increasingly using natural gas to produce

affordable power. In the short-term, this electricity generation is putting

further strain on the natural gas capacity in certain parts of the country. At

the same time there are also bottlenecks on some parts of the electric grid,

preventing electricity from getting from the generators to the consumers in an

efficient manner.

It’s

known from economics that constraints on supply (such as not being able to get

gas from where it is plentiful to where it is needed) cause prices to rise, and

this has occurred in the wholesale energy markets. The result? Competitive

energy suppliers and utilities alike are paying higher than normal prices when

purchasing from the wholesale market in order to provide energy to homeowners,

tenants, and business owners. This is causing everyone’s bills to rise.

As the

winter weather gradually improves and temperatures rise, the demand for energy

to heat homes and businesses will decrease, placing less pressure on the

nation’s electricity grid and allowing energy prices from suppliers and

utilities to normalize. However, winter weather may very likely be around for

some weeks to come. Despite the unusual weather, the gas and electric delivery

systems have proven to be highly reliable this winter. A number of new natural

gas pipelines and electricity transmission lines are planned or under

construction which should reduce the chances of a similar price spike in the

future.

In the

meantime, there are some things that can be done to help manage energy bills.

Conserve energy as much as possible. For example, make sure

doors and windows are well insulated, seal any air leaks, and lower the

water temperature setting to 120 degrees on the water heater.

Customers using a competitive supplier and who are on a

variable rate plan or whose fixed contracts have expired, should review

their contract to confirm the accuracy of the pricing and call their

supplier if they have any questions.

Customers interested in price stability can also investigate

fixed price options that many suppliers offer.

Customers in need of financial assistance should investigate

their state’s home heating assistance programs. In many states, a customer

can stay with a competitive supplier and still receive assistance paying

utility bills.

Customers should visit their

state’s “energy shopping” websites to compare offers from different suppliers.

For a list of shopping websites, visit [redacted]

Review: Respond Power, LLC sales rep came to visit my residence, soliciting me to change my current power supplier ([redacted]), because the law recently changed, which would allow power suppliers to charge high variable rates; however I could lock in and take advantage of a low fixed rate @ 0.06% if I ([redacted]) were to enroll that day. I was very interested, but in the process of attending to household duties, therefore I asked [redacted] (bill account owner) to find out what we needed to do further for enrollment.

I received my most recent bill, and was floored! because the current total charges due was $305. The total charges for Respond Power, LLC alone for the month of March was $238 (equivalent to $.35 cents per KW), which increased tremendously from February's bill of $6.9 cents KW.

I called RP, LLC customer service dept and waited on hold approx 45min., requesting an adjustment be made ASAP because I was suppose to be set up for a fixed rate, explaining the highest monthly payment(s) ranges b/t $90-170/month depending on the season. It was advised, no adjustments can/will be made and if I was interested in a fixed rate, they could offer 0.09% because [redacted] signed off, agreeing to a variable rate. I advised [redacted] didn’t realize what he was signing and this was definitely false advertised & mis-communicated to me, because I directly communicated w/ the sales rep, regarding the advantages of changing power suppliers. [redacted] simply signed the documents on my behalf, as I was tied up attending to house duties. At this point, I was very frustrated! requesting to file a dispute. The representative referred me to contact my local power company (PPL) for further assistance. The PPL representative instructed me to contact Respond Power, LLC back because they were not able to file a dispute on their behalf, etc. Once again, mis-informed communication on RP, LLC's end.

I am filing an informal complaint against Respond Power, LLC for price gauging and mis-representation that was falsely communicated; to include poor service. Requesting an account adjustment made to my most recent March 2014 bill payment due of $305.00Desired Settlement: bill adjusted to the terms initially set forth under a fixed rate for the month of March 2014 billing period

Business

Response:

Good Afternoon,

According to the complaint, the

customer is unhappy with the recent rate being charged.

The customer agreed to a variable

rate contract, meaning the rate would be determined by the energy market.

As has been widely reported, there

has been a spike in the wholesale energy market which was reflected on the most

recent bill. This is merely a reflection of the current energy market where a

shrinking supply of electricity is under the strain of massive demand due to

one of the coldest winters on record. We are referring customers to the

February **press release from the PUC regarding this issue. (Please see

attached) In addition, this is not just happening in Pennsylvania.

Please see this link relating to New York prices as well.

Finally, the account has been

canceled and it is now up to the utility to process the cancellation. Please contact your utility for budget

billing concerns.

We are truly sorry for your

experience and advise you to sign up on a fixed rate that will ensure price

protection.

Regards

In addition please see this informative article.

Why Have

Energy Bills Increased – Explaining Price Volatility

It has

been a record cold winter across much of the country, and many have been

expressing deep concern as to why energy bills have been so high. Regardless of

whether energy is purchased from a utility or a competitive energy supplier,

customers have seen electricity and natural gas prices spike in many parts of

the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.

Why did

prices rise?

Simply

put, the issues at hand are the cold weather, electric grid and natural gas

pipeline capacity, and the increasing use of natural gas not just for heating

purposes, but to create electricity.

There is

ample gas supply in the United States, especially given the boom in shale gas.

What customers are feeling are the results of a strained transportation and

infrastructure system that delivers electricity and gas. When demand is high

and capacity is constrained, costs increase.

This

winter’s “polar vortex” has increased the demand for both natural gas and

electricity, resulting in significant congestion in the natural gas pipelines

and on the electric grid (the highways of the energy system). Everyone relies

on these natural gas pipelines and the electric grid to get energy from where

it is produced to where it is used by the homeowner, the tenant, and the

business owner. Just like only so many cars can efficiently travel along a

highway, only so much natural gas and electricity can move through the natural

gas pipeline system and the electric grid.

Also,

while more and more people are using natural gas directly for heating purposes,

electricity generators are also increasingly using natural gas to produce

affordable power. In the short-term, this electricity generation is putting

further strain on the natural gas capacity in certain parts of the country. At

the same time there are also bottlenecks on some parts of the electric grid,

preventing electricity from getting from the generators to the consumers in an

efficient manner.

It’s

known from economics that constraints on supply (such as not being able to get

gas from where it is plentiful to where it is needed) cause prices to rise, and

this has occurred in the wholesale energy markets. The result? Competitive

energy suppliers and utilities alike are paying higher than normal prices when

purchasing from the wholesale market in order to provide energy to homeowners,

tenants, and business owners. This is causing everyone’s bills to rise.

As the

winter weather gradually improves and temperatures rise, the demand for energy

to heat homes and businesses will decrease, placing less pressure on the

nation’s electricity grid and allowing energy prices from suppliers and

utilities to normalize. However, winter weather may very likely be around for

some weeks to come. Despite the unusual weather, the gas and electric delivery

systems have proven to be highly reliable this winter. A number of new natural

gas pipelines and electricity transmission lines are planned or under

construction which should reduce the chances of a similar price spike in the

future.

In the

meantime, there are some things that can be done to help manage energy bills.

Conserve energy as much as possible. For example, make sure

doors and windows are well insulated, seal any air leaks, and lower the

water temperature setting to 120 degrees on the water heater.

Customers using a competitive supplier and who are on a

variable rate plan or whose fixed contracts have expired, should review

their contract to confirm the accuracy of the pricing and call their

supplier if they have any questions.

Customers interested in price stability can also investigate

fixed price options that many suppliers offer.

Customers in need of financial assistance should investigate

their state’s home heating assistance programs. In many states, a customer

can stay with a competitive supplier and still receive assistance paying

utility bills.

Customers should visit their

state’s “energy shopping” websites to compare offers from different suppliers.

For a list of shopping websites, visit [redacted]

Review: A man knocked on my door on 3/**/2014. He explained that I would get money if I signed the sales agreement with Respond Electric. I signed it, but shortly after I realized that this deal did not seem correct. He never explained to me that the agreement was for variable rate services. I immediately began calling the number listed on the agreement to cancel service since there is a three day Right of Rescission. I was unable to get through to anyone at the number provided. I also faxed a copy of my sales agreement with "Cancel" written several times over the agreement. I then had my daughter-in-law scan and email a letter that I wrote asking to cancel the agreement along with a copy of the agreement with "cancel" written on it. I faxed the information on 3/**/2014 during the day and emailed the cancellation letter the evening of 3/**/2014. After, 24 hours I have not received any confirmation that this agreement has been cancelled. I am concerned that I this sales agreement #**will not be cancelled in time which would be by midnight 3/**/2014.Desired Settlement: I would like an email from the company or a written letter confirming that my cancellation request was received and I do not want any changes to occur with my electric service. If any changes in my electric do occur, I would demand a refund because I have contacted Respond Power in sufficient time for "Right of Rescission".

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.

Sincerely,

Review: Average monthly electric bill was an average of $100/month. Since the beginning of this year we have been getting eletric bills that range from $200 to this past month which was $400. When I called back in Feb. their support representative stated the increase was due to variable rates, which started in 2014. I never signed anything that allowed for variable rates and I was not notified that the contract has changed to variable rates. If I was notified I would have canceled that moment. It's unacceptable that a variable rate would increase my bill 4x's my normal amount. I could see maybe a small increase but nothing to this extreme. From January to March we used less kWh each month but yet our bill would increase significantly. Since the first contact with Respond Power I have canceled but a transaction period back to PPL takes a few weeks. I called again today 3/**/14, was on wait for 25 minutes and gave up. I contacted their support chat, first representative said they wanted my phone number to talk to me directly. I supplied my number and without any other notification the representative terminated the chat and never called. I attempted to chat again and talked to another representative. I asked what can be done to fix this bill and the representive stated that nothing can be done due to the rate change. I stated that I will not pay this and will be contacting Revdex.com and PUC. The representative stated that is my right and disconnected the chat. Due to no indication that a variable rate was being applied to my account, I see no reason that I should pay these outrageous bills.Desired Settlement: Adjusted in my past and current bills of 2014.

Business

Response:

Good Evening,

According to the complaint, the

customer is unhappy with the recent rate being charged.

The customer agreed to a variable

rate contract, meaning the rate would be determined by the energy market. The customer has been with our company for over a year on this plan.

As has been widely reported, there

has been a spike in the wholesale energy market which was reflected on the most

recent bill. This is merely a reflection of the current energy market where a

shrinking supply of electricity is under the strain of massive demand due to

one of the coldest winters on record. We are referring customers to the

February [redacted] press release from the PUC regarding this issue. (Please see

attached) In addition, this is not just happening in Pennsylvania.

Please see this link relating to New York prices as well.

Finally, the account has been

canceled and it is now up to the utility to process the cancellation. Please contact your utility for budget

billing concerns.

We are truly sorry for your

experience and advise you to sign up on a fixed rate that will ensure price

protection.

Regards

In addition please see this informative article.

Why Have

Energy Bills Increased – Explaining Price Volatility

It has

been a record cold winter across much of the country, and many have been

expressing deep concern as to why energy bills have been so high. Regardless of

whether energy is purchased from a utility or a competitive energy supplier, customers

have seen electricity and natural gas prices spike in many parts of the

Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.

Why did

prices rise?

Simply

put, the issues at hand are the cold weather, electric grid and natural gas

pipeline capacity, and the increasing use of natural gas not just for heating

purposes, but to create electricity.

There is

ample gas supply in the United States, especially given the boom in shale gas.

What customers are feeling are the results of a strained transportation and

infrastructure system that delivers electricity and gas. When demand is high

and capacity is constrained, costs increase.

This

winter’s “polar vortex” has increased the demand for both natural gas and

electricity, resulting in significant congestion in the natural gas pipelines

and on the electric grid (the highways of the energy system). Everyone relies

on these natural gas pipelines and the electric grid to get energy from where

it is produced to where it is used by the homeowner, the tenant, and the

business owner. Just like only so many cars can efficiently travel along a

highway, only so much natural gas and electricity can move through the natural

gas pipeline system and the electric grid.

Also,

while more and more people are using natural gas directly for heating purposes,

electricity generators are also increasingly using natural gas to produce

affordable power. In the short-term, this electricity generation is putting

further strain on the natural gas capacity in certain parts of the country. At

the same time there are also bottlenecks on some parts of the electric grid,

preventing electricity from getting from the generators to the consumers in an

efficient manner.

It’s

known from economics that constraints on supply (such as not being able to get

gas from where it is plentiful to where it is needed) cause prices to rise, and

this has occurred in the wholesale energy markets. The result? Competitive

energy suppliers and utilities alike are paying higher than normal prices when

purchasing from the wholesale market in order to provide energy to homeowners,

tenants, and business owners. This is causing everyone’s bills to rise.

As the

winter weather gradually improves and temperatures rise, the demand for energy

to heat homes and businesses will decrease, placing less pressure on the

nation’s electricity grid and allowing energy prices from suppliers and

utilities to normalize. However, winter weather may very likely be around for

some weeks to come. Despite the unusual weather, the gas and electric delivery

systems have proven to be highly reliable this winter. A number of new natural

gas pipelines and electricity transmission lines are planned or under

construction which should reduce the chances of a similar price spike in the

future.

In the

meantime, there are some things that can be done to help manage energy bills.

Conserve energy as much as possible. For example, make sure

doors and windows are well insulated, seal any air leaks, and lower the

water temperature setting to 120 degrees on the water heater.

Customers using a competitive supplier and who are on a

variable rate plan or whose fixed contracts have expired, should review

their contract to confirm the accuracy of the pricing and call their

supplier if they have any questions.

Customers interested in price stability can also investigate

fixed price options that many suppliers offer.

Customers in need of financial assistance should investigate

their state’s home heating assistance programs. In many states, a customer

can stay with a competitive supplier and still receive assistance paying

utility bills.

Customers should visit their

state’s “energy shopping” websites to compare offers from different suppliers.

For a list of shopping websites, visit [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

[This is unacceptable. I did not sign up for a variable rate contract. [redacted] never stated anything about variable rate contract at sign up, nor was I informed that my account would switch to variable rate in January. If this was the case I never would have signed up with the company or would have canceled once variable rate kicked. Wouldn't make sense for anyone to sign-up for variable rate.

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

[Your Answer Here]

Im sure that was not me that selected variable. That was your agent that wrote it down. That's not my hand writing and I would not misspell English. So this is not my fault for selecting variable being selected. Funny how your agent talked about fixed rate and selects variable. Something shady went on there.

How is it that all of a sudden after one year, my rates skyrocket. But within that one year my rate stayed the same, if you're saying I was variable all along how were my bills in a consistent range for approximately a year.

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

Good Morning,

If you examine your previous bills, you will notice that your rate was in fact fluctuating every month. Because of the severe winter and a generally limited energy market, rates rose much more steeply these past several months. If you have further questions please feel free to contact our customer service department.

Regards,

Review: The company Respond Power my husband and I changed to 2years ago at are old apartment we never renewed while moving to our new home in Oct of 2012 to [redacted]. Our old electric account was closed out and we started anew with [redacted] , a different account number and security deposit too. [redacted] informed us yesterday that Respond Power was handling our account and charging us a rate of 35cents a kilowatt as opposed to their 0.08cents a kilowatt. My husband then asked [redacted] if we could return to [redacted] immediately. [redacted] said they would allow us to comeback but we also needed to contact Respond Power as they would continue this rate until May [redacted]. My husband spoke with a gentleman who refused to give his name or connect him to a [redacted]. My husband only wanted the man to give us a better rate like they had in the past even though we were unaware that they were the company billing us. Since we were told by [redacted] we had this company since 2011 we couldn't understand why our bill has tripled in the last 6 months or so. The man at Respond Power said he could do whatever he wanted and would not connect my husband to a [redacted] nor adjust our bill. When my husband told him he would be contacting both our attorney and the Revdex.com the man at Respond Power chastised him and said he can go ahead and lose more money and time. The fact that this company has increased it's rates by almost 250% is infuriating enough but to not even have a civil conversation with a person at Respond Power to try and remedy this matter is even more appalling. My husband is sole provider of a family of four. This company has taken advantage of us to the point that we cannot pay our other bills. [redacted] is willing to work with us for a back payment of $444 so our power will not be shut off but they even stated that we shouldn't be paying almost $350 a month when at the most we should be billed $100. Because of this company we will probably be billed two more payments of $350 which we cannot afford to lose however we have to keep our power on too?Desired Settlement: I just would like what is owed to us. After looking back I believe that we have only been overcharged the last six months or so living here and am willing to settle for $2000. We have also contacted the Attorney Generals Office in hopes they can be made aware of what Respond Power is doing to hardworking people who pay their bills.

Business

Response:

Good Afternoon,

This customer has been enrolled in a variable rate plan with our company since the fall of 2012. We only have one account number listed for this account and it has been the same the whole time. The customer's account has now been cancelled and will return to [redacted] at the end of May. Because this is a public forum, we are unable to get into specifics here. We encourage the customer to contact customer service or [redacted] directly for more detailed information.

Regards,

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

[Your Answer Here]

We spoke with [redacted] they were the ones that figured out that Respond Power was overcharging us by almost 300%. Respond power didn't say what they were charging per kilowatt on our bill they put a percentage in as "commodity fee" After the man at [redacted] did the math he estimated they were charging us 35 cents a kilowatt as opposed to [redacted]'s 8 cents. The man at [redacted] had my husband reach out to Respond Power to see if they would at least negotiate this rate. The man my husband spoke to would not allow him to speak to a [redacted], give his name, nor negotiate any rate. When my husband told him he would be hearing from our lawyer the man told him to "go and spend more money on a lawyer" . What kind of company would say that to a paying customer? This company is nothing but a fraud. Even the man at [redacted] said it's unethical what they are doing to us but since they are the billing company [redacted] cannot change the amount owed.

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

Good Afternoon,

We are sorry for the customer's experience. We never want our customers to have a bad interaction with any of our customer service representatives. We will investigate this matter further.

Regards,

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

[Your Answer Here]

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Review: Was approached this past summer by a man guaranteeing lower electric bills. However my electric bill has tripled! I want a credit to my account and to go back to my original supplier West Penn Power! This seems like a huge scam by this company and it should be illegal!!Desired Settlement: Refund!!! To go back to West Penn Power for my service.

Business

Response:

The customer has been contacted by our customer service and their account has been canceled.

Ragrds

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because.

I want to come to some agreement on what we owe this company I do not want to pay $466 for one month of service when I can't afford this. Nor do I want my electric shut off because of this company's shady practices. I was told I would get lower electric bills. I was never told my bill would more than triple or obviously I would have sent them on there way. I was LIED to and this type of conduct should be illegal!!!

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

So explain why your rates are triple the rates of West Penn Power. Your cold weather excuse is ridiculous its winter that's what happens in the winter it gets cold!!!

Your company is taking advantage of customers and blaming cold weather, which is unacceptable. I will let others know about your scam via all social media outlets. I would hate for anyone else to be taken advantage of by this unprofessional company.

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

Good Afternoon,

We are sorry the customer is dissatisfied with our previous responses. We will take your feedback into consideration.

Regards,

Review: On January **, 2012, two representatives from Respond Power knocked on my door. They wanted to tell me how I could save up to 10% on my energy bill. They quoted me a rate that was lower than what [redacted] was currently charging. I am not a very trusting person so I questioned them for a long time and asked many questions. They were able to convince me that although the rate was a variable rate, it would still always be lower than what [redacted] was charging and I would save money with Respond Power. The savings would be up to 10% per year. I signed up based on this information. This was confirmed by a letter I received in the mail after signing up. The letter also stated that I would save “up to 10% annually”.

When the power bill was sent to me on March **, 2014 I was shocked to see that we were being charged an amount similar to what we pay in the middle of the summer while running the air conditioning. At this point I decided to look at the bills online to see where the mistake was. I then I saw that I was being charged $0.34990 per kWh. I decided to see how high [redacted]’s rate was since my rate was supposed to be lower. I was shocked to learn that [redacted] was only charging $0.877 per kWh. This was not what the Respond Power representatives told me would happen. I looked at all available bills online and saw that they had been charging me a rate higher than [redacted]’s rate on all of the bills that were still available for viewing. I calculated that from the bill for 9/**-10/**/2013 to the bill for 2/**-3/**/2014 my rate had increased 322%. This is not the “up to 10% savings” I was sold by the representatives of Respond Power.

I contacted Respond power on 3/**/2014. My first attempt was at 9:25am. I was on hold for 50 minutes and then disconnected without speaking to anyone. I placed a second call at 10:25am. After 53 minutes on hold I spoke to [redacted] for 8 minutes. During this time he was trying to convince me that I could still save up to 10% if I would just give it until the end of the year. I tried to explain basic math to him and told him this was not possible. He would not listen so I asked to speak with his [redacted]. I was put on hold for 11 more minutes and then I spoke to [redacted]. She refused to refund any money unless I signed up for 12 months at $0.987 and she was trying to convince me this rate was actually lower than [redacted]’s rate of $.0877. She was not even offering to refund the full amount I was asking for. I was asking for $**6.53 since I had not yet received my final bill. I asked to have my account terminated instead. I contacted [redacted] later to confirm it had been terminated and they had not received notice of termination yet. [redacted] informed me that they would cancel the account but the cancellation would not go into effect until my next meter reading on 4/**/2014. I forced an earlier cancellation by closing my [redacted] account and I had the bill transferred into my husband’s name.

I decided to do some further investigating. I contacted the [redacted] police to see if Respond Power had a valid permit to go door to door at the time my contract was signed. I have a letter from the [redacted] Police Department that states that Respond Power did not have a valid permit and that they were in violation of [redacted] Borough Ordinance Order [redacted].

I took my complaint to the PA Attorney General and the response I received from Respond Power was "The sales representatives the customer interacted with work for independent partner vendors of our company. These representatives are not allowed to guarantee savings, although most customers do save. The customer was billed in accordance with the terms and conditions she agreed to. We are troubled to learn that representatives were operating without a permit. We will investigate this matter further. However, we believe the permit has no bearing on the customer validity enrolling with our company. It is our position that no adjustment or refund is warranted"

Respond Power clearly said "These representatives are not allowed to guarantee savings" and the representatives misled me by telling me my rate would always be lower than [redacted]'s rate. This is the same a guarantee of savings. Respond Power should stand behind any person they send to a person's home to represent the company and not try to deny any responsibility for the actions of the person because they are not employed directly by the company. They don't seem to care that the representatives they sent to my house were there ILLEGALLY since they had no permit. This behavior is highly unethical.Desired Settlement: Since they were operating illegally and misrepresented their product when they came to my door, I would like a full refund of all amounts charged to me in excess of [redacted]’s rate of $0.877 per kWh from 9/**/2013 until my final bill on 4/*/2014. This is a total of $282.72. I have attached copies of the part of the bills that show the amount I was overcharged and the amount owed to me for each bill.

Business

Response:

We apologize for any inconvenience the customer has experienced. As customer was already informed, customer was on a variable rate plan. The rates on a variable rate plan

are subject to change based on market conditions. Unfortunately, the energy

market performed very poorly this past winter due to decreases in energy supply

and increases in demand due to the cold weather. While suppliers like [redacted]

[redacted]/Respond Power base the rate on a daily rolling average and hedging, most

utilities purchase energy in massive block and adjust quarterly or

semi-annually. Because of that, sometimes suppliers find themselves with higher

rates than utilities. Eventually trends reverse and utilities are forced to

adjust their rates to make up for losses due to underpriced supply sold to

customers during high markets.

Any alleged violation of local ordinances must be brought by the municipality. Since customer was validly enrolled, no refund is warranted.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

My response to the message from Respond Power:

Thank you for once again explaining to me how a variable rate plan works but this is not necessary since I know how a variable rate plan works. You are not addressing the issue here but instead keep telling me how a variable rate plan works.

The issue I have with Respond Power is the fact that the representatives that were sent to my house representing Respond Power used unethical sales practices. They misled me in order to get me to sign the contract. I did not sign the contract right away. I questioned them for a VERY LONG time and they told me that Respond Power’s variable rate would always be lower than [redacted]’s variable rate and this is how I would save up to 10%. They did explain that I may not save a whole 10% but I would save because the rate would be lower than [redacted]’s rate. The letter Respond Power mailed to me said “You have now joined the hundreds of thousands of others who have chosen Respond Power to be your Energy Service Company and in saving up to 10% annually”. This letter did not say “and maybe save up to 10%” or “possibly save up to 10%”. In this letter Respond Power was stating the same thing that the representatives told me: that I would save “up to 10% annually”. I understood that, since this was a variable rate plan, I may not save a full 10% but may only save 1% but I would be paying less than [redacted]’s variable rate. If I would have saved even one tenth of a percent there would be no issue here. Instead Respond Power increased my rate 322% over 6 months. The rate I was paying at the beginning of those 6 months was already higher than [redacted]’s rate. There is no possibility for savings with a rate that high, yet when I called and spoke to [redacted] at Respond Power on 3/**/2014 he lied to me and told me that if I locked in at a fixed rate 0.987 I could still save up to 10% this year. [redacted]’s rate was 0.0877 at the time and I tried to explain basic math to him but he was sticking to his false statement. So it was not just the representatives that came to my house that lied to me. Your customer service representative [redacted] was still trying to deceive me in March when I first called about this. Why does Respond Power condone this deception? If Respond Power had any ethics you would apologize to me for deceiving me and give me a refund of $282.72, the amount I was overcharged during the 6 month period mentioned in my complaint.

The fact that Respond Power sent representatives to my home without a valid permit just adds further proof that Respond Power is operating unethically and does not respect the law.

Please do not respond to this with another explanation of how a variable rate plan works. Please respond to the real issue or refund my $282.72 please.

Thank You

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

We apologize for any inconvenience the customer may have experienced. Customer was billed according to the terms and conditions of the agreement. Our company's representative properly stated that customer "could save up to 10%" with a fixed rate plan. This holds true even if the rate the utility was offering at the time was lower. The statement is true because the utility company's rates are determined on a quarterly basis, meaning customers can not know what their rates will be six to twelve months from any given time. The following quarter's rates are however made available by the utility. Again, the statement that the customer "could save up to 10%" is therefore true.

When customer spoke with a representative in March, a courtesy refund was offered alongside enrollment in the current fixed rate. A similar offer at the company's current fixed rate offering of .084/kwh is available if the customer is interested. If so, customer may speak with any representative of the company to re-enroll.

Customer's account has since been cancelled.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because: