REA Energy Services, Inc

Review: We moved into a rental house that was serviced by REA in late October 2013. We contacted them to have service transferred into our name and was told we had to come to the office within a week to 'sign up' for service or it would be shut off. When we went there, we had to pay a Membership Fee as well as a $100 deposit right up front for being new customers. We gave them the service address of our rental, and had the rental agreement there as well for proof and verification that we were residents of the home & address. We got our bill in the mail a few weeks later for our first month of service. The very next day our landlord called us and said SHE had our bill and we had hers. After about 2 days of calls between myself, my landlord, and REA, we determined that REA switched the wrong account to our name and had incorrectly billed us as well as our landlord. (The landlord has 2 buildings on the property, all with electrical service to them). REA was to send us out a corrected statement showing the accounts were properly switched as well as what the balance was that needed to be paid, minus the late fees of course because of their error. We never got a new bill. The next bill we did get from them had a balance due of over $700. We called to question HOW 2 months of service resulted in this kind of balance, and we were told that 'that's what our meter indicated' and offered no other explanation. In addition to that, our landlord once again called us to tell us that REA added $205 worth of OUR charges onto her bill and she wanted paid for that immediately. When questioned about this, REA said they could not remove these charges from her account and they needed to be paid to avoid negative impact on her account. We gave her a personal check for what she said we owed, and she sent it to REA...however, REA cashed this check 2 days before it was dated, thus overdrawing our checking account tremendously and resulting in hundreds of dollars in fees for us. We never got a receipt from REA for this payment, nor have we seen any credit for this payment on our account or anything on our account showing this was removed or paid. NOW, we are just 4 months into service with REA and our most recent bill we received shows a balance due of $1135.45 with a notice also received saying they want this by 3/3 or they will be placing a regulator on the house and will drastically reduce what usage we have. There is absolutely NO way this bill, or any of them, are correct!!! During the months of November-February, we had extra-curricular activities for our children, we were gone at least 5-6 days per week, how could this much energy have been used when no one was home to use it? We lived in 2 previous homes that used electric as the main heating and cooking supply, as well as general use, and we NEVER had a bill in the $300s per month! We heated/cooled a double-wide trailer with 16 windows, cathedral ceilings, no insulation under the house, and in the middle of a field with electric as well as cooked with it there too...NEVER did the bill go above $250 per month. Our other home was a 4 story house that used electric for everything as well, and never did we use that much per month! Now we are in a ranch style house, that is all brick, very well insulated, and have gas as the main heating and cooking source and REA is trying to bill me over $300+ per month (this month turned out to be almost $400!) for service?!?! WE CANNOT AFFORD THIS!!! They do not have any sort of budget billing or energy assistance. REA has created nothing but problems for us since the first time we spoke to them, and continue to be some of the most rude people I have ever had to deal with.Desired Settlement: I would first of all I would like an apology. I want to know WHY they aren't willing to help us here and all they've done is create problems for us from incorrectly billing us, billing the wrong people, cashing checks before the date on them, talking to the landlord about OUR account and never contacting us directly, and a complete lack of communication from them! I want these charges reduced, going forward, because there is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY THESE MONTHLY TOTALS ARE CORRECT! Our bill averaged over $350 per month from October-Februarys billing period, there is no possible way thats accurate or affordable! I want my bank fees returned to me as well, because this cost me hundreds of dollars when REA cashed a check 2 days before the date on it. I have no problem paying for charges that I legitimately owe, but where there is little to no communication from REA, and we are not given any sort of explanation as to what is happening and if in fact those charges were ours that our

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