Respond Power

Good Evening,
According to the complaint, the
customer is unhappy with the recent rate being charged and has been having difficulty reaching us.  We apologize that the the customer has had trouble reaching our customer service department but due to ongoing repercussions of...

the Polar Vortex, we are experiencing an extremely high call volume.
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.
[redacted]
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, [redacted]

Revdex.com:
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 am requesting prove from Respond Power that I gave permission for them to switch my account. I have asked the operator several times to please send me prove of me giving permission to be switched. To this date I have not received any prove nor have I received an apology from Respond Power,
 Thank you,
 
 
In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Good Morning,
We are sorry the customer remains dissatisfied.  Briefly, let me try to explain why PPL can offer lower rates right now.  While suppliers like Major Energy/Respond Power base their 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.  We are sorry to lose you as a customer.
Regards,

Good Evening,
We are sorry that the customer is dissatisfied with our response.  However, the customer signed up for a variable rate plan.  The account has been canceled.  We are not issuing a refund.
Regards,

As the customer notes, she enrolled in a variable rate plan with our company several years ago. 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]/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,

Revdex.com:
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]
 first of all, your representative, [redacted], filled out a form (it is not my handwriting)that he said was just using for information purposes...not a sales agreement and he didn't show me the form or explain he was checking the variable rate...second, my name is [redacted] not [redacted]...third of all, the line that he asked me to initial (he did not give me the form to view) has my initials but not my signature; I would be happy to send you a copy of my drivers license to verify that is not my signature...fourth of all, the verification phone call was on his cell phone and barely audible, again he said it was for inquiry purposes and not to switch over...the bottom line is that customers are being deceived then ripped off...I have been a PECO customer for over twenty years and no longer go over my bill closely because there is no reason to after all this time (or so I thought)...apparently I have been switched over to respond since sept, 2013 and when I spoke to a PECO representative, they informed me that I have been over-charged (what you call variable rate) since...fifth of all, I have been trying to call respond power repeatedly and the initial computer generated voice says "wait time will be 30 minutes or more"...how is this possible of a business that cares about their customers and are dedicated to providing the best rates (that is what your website states)...in lieu of the deception and lack of response I have received from respond energy (I have also sent two emails), I believe I have not been given an appropriate response and I do not feel I am entitled to pay them anything higher than what I would have been charged by PECO...the reason I cancelled my service initially is because PECO answers their calls and they were the only people I could get some answers from
 
 
 
In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

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]

Revdex.com:
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]
 The fact that a company can quadruple someone's rate without telling them and then try to blame it on the customer is disgusting. I understand that I had a variable rate, and I was prepared to see the rate increase slightly, but who expects to see their normal $150 bill go up to $600? Obviously, no customer would be prepared for that. At the very least, a letter should have been sent out advising customers of the rate increase, before 2 months had passed.
 
 
 
In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
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 am rejecting this response.  My father was scammed into agreeing to the variable rate.  He was promised the rate would always be competitive with [redacted]’s rate. This was untrue after the second month into the cycle.  He was also convinced and given 2 cards for “free” drug prescriptions which were not valid. Had I realized this scam earlier, I would have cancelled the account earlier, however I live in another state and do not get to his home as often as I would like.  I would like him to receive some type of refund directly from Respond Power as they should be embarrassed and shut down for their preying and lying to elderly persons.  I switched energy supply companies 2/**/14 unflortunately it takes 2 months to take effect, which means he paid over .10 cents more than [redacted] rates for the first month and .18 cents more per kilowatt this month.  His average use is about 525 KW so he paid at least  $140 extra the past 2 months waiting to switch.  Again, I feel this is criminal to scam and persuade elderly folks in this manner.  My father is a very trusting man, unfortunately---if is harmful when you are trusting very dishonest people, such as those soliciting for Respond Power.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Good Morning,
The customer enrolled in a variable rate plan with our company. The customer's signed sales agreement is attached below for confirmation. 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,

We are sorry that the customer is unhappy.  We are also sorry that no refund is due in this case.
Regards,

Good Evening,
We are sorry that the customer is not satisfied with our response.  We will not be issuing a refund in this situation.
Regards,

Good Afternoon,
We are sorry the customer is dissatisfied with our response.  I have attached his application to verify that he signed up for a variable rate plan.  
Regards,

Revdex.com:
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]the new company I am going with has given me a fixed rate of .08/kwh  why cant respond power do that?  they are arippoff, and will not give me a refund or credit
 
 
 
 
In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Good Morning,
We are sorry the customer is dissatisfied with our previous response.  We have done our best to provide information on why energy rates fluctuate.
Regards,

Review: called today to dispute charges on bill charged me twice two different rates 689kwh @0.1899=$13084 [email protected]=$16084 total charges $337.02 I don't use that much electricity I live alone never have any lights on it's winter don't use ac in winter they lied to me on the phone switched back to peco. Respond told me they contacted me about the fixed rate ended and it would now be variable rate I never received it. Because if I did I know I would have never continued with this companyDesired Settlement: some if not all money refunded

Business

Response:

Good Afternoon,

According to the complaint, the

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

Customer was offered a partial refund if she signed a new fixed rate and declined.

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 14 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:

[Your Answer Here]They did not offer me a refund of any kind that's why they were canceled and their rates are way too high they raise them without notice sick and tired of being ripped off time and time again you can't really TRUST ANYONE.

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

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

We are sorry that the customer is dissatisfied with her experience.

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.

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: Company triples my monthly billing charge from Jan. to Feb. And again from Jan. to March.Desired Settlement: Want to pay the original rates.

Business

Response:

Good Morning,

We are sorry the customer is unhappy after staying with us for so many years. The customer was enrolled in a variable rate plan, meaning the rate would be determined by the energy market. The severe winter, combined with less energy supply, caused rates to rise steeply these past months. I have included some additional information on why rates rose. Your account has been canceled. Please speak with your utility for budget billing options. Again, we are sorry to you as a customer, but we will not be issuing a refund in this situation.

Regards,

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:

As per this following webpage -

States this about Respond Power...

Review: We live in State College, PA at the [redacted]. Last August, about a day after we just moved into our apartment, a Respond Power representative knocked on our door and was persistent in telling us that the [redacted] required us to buy their product. This was false advertising, and as college students who just moved into the [redacted] complex a day before, they took advantage of our situation to say the very least. The [redacted] has a high tech security system, where only students can enter the building with various forms of keys. Respond Powers did not and does not to this day have a soliciting license to sell products to the [redacted] Apartment residents nor did they or do they have permission by the [redacted] to enter the building. Respond Powers representatives entered the building illegally by "piggy-backing" onto students who were entering the building. The representative did not fully explain to us what we were signing for, but was persistent in telling us it was required. In past months, our electricity bills have exceeded $200 a month. This month alone, we were charged more than $500 for our electricity, while in the past months, the amount that other [redacted] residents were paying for their electricity bills outside of Respond Powers was around four times less. This is not only a complaint coming from our apartment in the [redacted], but this has also negatively affected many residents here who were also illegally solicited to in the fall of 2013. In addition to illegally soliciting and unfairly charging us, the particular representative that we encountered was on the verge of harassment in the way he approached his sale. The representative lied about his occupational background, was unpleasant and insulting to my roommates and me.Desired Settlement: Today, we cancelled our contract with Respond Powers. We spoke with a representative and he informed us that even though we cancelled our account, Respond Powers still had the ability to charge us for two more month's billing cycles, which could potentially cost us $1,000. This is unacceptable and we do not have that kind of money whatsoever. We are using all that we have to pay this month's bill. It is our highest priority to receive a complete refund of our bill from this past month and to have the contract cancellation complete before receiving any other bill. Secondly, we are looking to receive a refund for the excessive charges we were faced with from previous months from this scam company. We are currently looking into our legal rights in receiving all of our money back, but we wanted to contact the Revdex.com as well, before taking extensive measures. Please do what you can to aid in this process.

Business

Response:

Good Morning,We are sorry the customer has had a bad experience with our company. We will take the customer's comments into account as we continually evaluate the sales practices of our independent partner vendors. The customer validly enrolled in a variable rate plan with our company. I have attached the signed sales agreement as confirmation. The rates on a variable rate plan are subject to change based onmarket conditions. Unfortunately, the energy market performed very poorly thispast winter due to decreases in energy supply and increases in demand due tothe cold weather. While suppliers like Major Energy/Respond Power base the rateon a daily rolling average and hedging, most utilities purchase energy inmassive block and adjust quarterly or semi-annually. Because of that, sometimessuppliers find themselves with higher rates than utilities. Eventually trendsreverse and utilities are forced to adjust their rates to make up for lossesdue to underpriced supply sold to customers during high markets.The customer's account has now been cancelled. As the customer notes, it usually take the utility company one to two business cycles to process the switch. We unfortunately have no control over that time period. Please contact your utility directly for questions about when you will return to the utility company and also for budget billing questions.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:

We understand all of those circumstances. We are well aware that we signed a contract, and the representative we spoke to on the phone yesterday made it clear that last winter was cold. The problem more specifically that we have with Respond Power is deeper than just a signed contract and a cold winter. Our issue is in the fact that we were falsely given information, being told by the sales representative that it was required to purchase the product in order to set up our electricity at the [redacted]. We used this information in deciding to sign the contract, and like I mentioned in the previous complaint, it was our first day of college and first time at the [redacted], so Respond Power took full advantage of our vulnerable situation to say the least. Not to mention they did it illegally. We have three witnesses of this encounter. Our other issue is that Respond sales representatives were illegally trespassing into the [redacted] Apartment complex, and soliciting without a proper soliciting license. Because we were informed that this product was required to live with electricity in the [redacted], there was no way that we could have been aware of this trespassing factor and other illegal circumstances. Respond Power also did not address our desire to get a refund, and before taking other measures, we wanted to give them the opportunity to do so. It is our greatest priority to get a full refund, and we will do what is necessary to get our money back.

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

Sincerely,

Review: In October 2013, I had a gentleman to come to my door asking if he can speak to me regarding lower my monthly electric bill, as of course since I am currently on Section 8 and not employed at this time nor was I for the past couple of years, I asked him many questions. I proceeded to ask him if I had to sign for this and said yes; also told them I get public assistance with liheap and pcap. I signed up for lower electric bills because of where I currently reside. A couple days went by and a friend told me that I need to get rid of them and I called and said im not interested in signing up for this to cancel and the rep asked me why. I proceeded to tell her that my friend said they are a scam. They told me I would have to pay $100 and then I told them that they will be reported for such a scam and the rep hung up on me. I ccontacted respond power llc back and the same bull they been giving me and said they would have me officially signed off of them and they told me they wont be on my next months bill because I had cancelled before the 30 days. I have continuously called them to find out why they have been showing up on my electric bill. I am tired of contacting this company and they give me the same response, "you are no longer with us, have a nice day and hang up". now that my March bill has come, my bill is over $1000. in October 2013, I have seen them on every month and I cant rid of them so my best bet was to contact Revdex.com and now I cant afford to pay for this bill, being on housing and having no job, was on liheap and pcap and because they have been exceeding more kilowatts per hour is extremely high when im out looking for work and all of my thermostat's are at 68 degrees, never changed. Met-ed is no help. ive tried to explain the same I am doing to you and don't want to hear it. I have a 10yr old son who lives with me. I cannot afford to pay this amount since they have exhausted all of my liheap benefits. met ed account number [redacted]. all the months I have lived at this address, it has not been higher than [redacted] in kilowatts per hour. this month its 7177 kilowatts per hour, that is highly ridiculous and outrageous to think this company thinks I can pay that amount which I will not until this is resolved immediately...PLEASE HELP MEDesired Settlement: I want my liheap amount for the whole year to be returned of false advertisement for one and also that they refuse to take me off there plan since I have been complaining every month to them in Orangeburg, NY since October. I want my bill adjusted back to the normal limit of what I use. I also want them to acknowledge that there false advertisement was 0.84 was for 6 months. it has been higher than that at .014 which is almost doubled than what originally said verbally. I want this resolved asap. thank you and hope to hear from you soon.

Business

Response:

We will call the customer and try to work out something. Electric use reported by Met-Ed averaged 4754 kWh per month, very high. We advise the customer to work with Met-Ed on making sure the readings are correct.

Review: I was mislead by a person who showed up at my door. She said I would save money on my electric bill if I switched to Respond Power. I signed up without understanding the implications of a variable rate. It consistently went up over the life of the agreement. Then it spiked from 18 cents to 34 cents per kwh in one month. Nearly double. After speaking with Respond Power, they told me they fulfilled my contract by offering me a variable rate. They did indeed! Do not allow people to show up at your door and sell you any electrical services. They used deceatful practices to con me into something I did not want. I ended up switching back to PPL. It was funny that that last month they had me stuck in their claws, they raised my rate up so much. What they are doing to people is not ethical. Stick with the utility company people. They are not allowed to make money of generation. They offer the lowest rate in the long runDesired Settlement: I would like to be refunded the difference I paid compared to PPL's rate.

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 http://www.[redacted].org.