Respond Power

Review: I was approached in my home by a person going door to door selling Respond Power as an alternate carrier of electricity, which is a service provided in PA. I was sold on the idea of switching to them and was promised a rate of between 3-5 cents per KwH, which is less than my power company was advertising their price as. I, then, spoke with a customer service rep on the phone verifying these charges. Upon receiving my first bill with them, their price was 19 cents per KwH, more than three times what was guaranteed to me. Over the past month I have contacted them, both through email and telephone, to no avail. I have called customer service and direct lines that were given to me and they have all gone directly to voicemail or were disconnected from service. This company has pilfered a total of 700 dollars from me. To say am upset is an understatement and I would guarantee that I am not alone. Please review this and let me know your findings. Thank you.Desired Settlement: I would like my charges from this company refunded on my power bill immediately, for they have perpetrated fraud.

Business

Response:

Good Evening,

According to the complaint, the

customer is unhappy with the recent rate being charged.

The customer agreed to a 12 month fixed rate plan. After that 12 months, the account switched 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 are interested in enrolling in another fixed rate plan, please

contact customer service and they will be happy to assist you.

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]

Never was I given or sent anything in writing informing me that rates were variable. I believe that as a responsible business it is Respond Energy's duty to give customers a written agreement saying that they are being put into the debt of a company that uses "variable rates". I have spoken to a number of other people whom share my distress with this company, all of whom live in apartment complexes and have less of a budget for issues like this. It is also my belief that Respond Energy has targeted these areas to dupe people of lesser means. I am not satisfied by a response saying it was "because of the weather". My normal supplier's charges increased by 1 cent. Your rates tripled after the sales rep who knocked on my door guaranteed me that it would be cheaper to go with Respond Power.

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 response. I have attached his application to verify that he signed up for a variable rate plan.

Regards,

Review: My name is [redacted].

I recently moved t. When I got my 5th bill from ppl it stated I have enrolled with respond.

I did not enroll with your company and did not agree to any supplier.

My bill has fine the way it was before respond power's charges. I am asked to do so many things to stop charges and prove I didn't enroll into this program.

My local utility company has no authority stop charges from this company which in it self scares me.Desired Settlement: Stop all charges and a refund is requested

Business

Response:

Good Afternoon,

The customer has been interacting with our customer service department. Currently we are awaiting confirmation of his signature so that we can confirm that he did not sign a contract with our company. The customer should send the requested document to the email address provided to him and continue to communicate with our customer service department. Thank you for your assistance.

Regards,

Respond Power had representative's in my neighborhood. My 16yr old son met with a rep. The rep asked him if he handled the bills or if he was 18. My son said my mom pays the bills & I'm 16. The rep then asked my son if he could look at a copy of our power bill & my son provided it. The rep switched my electric provider without any involvement from myself. I was notified by mail a week after this switch took place. I phoned Respond & at first they stated that they could gladly switch my services back to my former provider, but I'd have to pay an early cancelation fee of $100.00. I refused to pay any $$ and stated how the rep was at fault. I demanded to speak with a member of management. A manager assured me that my son must have been misleading in someway during the meeting! When my son said he wasn't the head of household or 18yrs old the rep should have left. But he did offer to do an investigation. After doing so I received a call from Respond stating my son was misleading, but they were going to waive the $100.00 early termination fee. If the representative was doing his job correctly none of this would have happened.

Review: This company had a door to door sales agent out getting clients to sign up. I was advised that the electric rates would be much cheaper then we are paying now and I could save hundreds of dollars over the year. They never went into details of the rate and that it would be a variable rate. Their verbal advertising has been very misleading and unfair. In addition, the account was in my dads name and they allowed me to sign a contract to switch to electric charges to Respond Power. I should have never been able to do this on my fathers behalf; since I am not the account holder. We got our bill this month and our rate doubled. I have attempted to contact respond power all day and all I got was a hold time of 30 mins and then the phone line disconnects.Desired Settlement: I would like the bill adjusted to reflect a reasonable electric charge. In addition, I would like to have this account cancelled immediately. You should not be able to change contract information just because I live in the house, does not mean I am the account holder.

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. The customer also stated on the application that she was authorized to make account decisions.

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: Dramatic increase in electric kwh rate within 3 months. Increase From December rate: 0.12352 to March [redacted].

This is very unpredictable .Desired Settlement: Any sort of compensation.

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 door to door salesperson told me that they could give me a lower rate on the KWH on my electric bill than the electric company (met-Ed) is giving me now. The salesperson looked at my bill and wrote down the comparison-which was lower. I was told I would definitely save more money with this provider. They never disclosed the fact that this was a fluctuating rate. Which now is all but double what my original supplier was giving. I cancelled LLC from being my provider yesterday but will still have to go through at least another billing cycle or so. I don't understand why that is either. I'm unclear if there will be a cancellation fee also. If I was aware of all this I never would of taken them on. I was lied to by the salesman about the rate and important information was not disclosed to me when the agreement was made. Their sales methods and work ethics are questionable. I am very disappointed. I'm on a fixed income and taking care of three kids and am a single mother. I am now under stress to pay an unusually high bill. Also, there wasn't any paperwork provided about the company.

There was someone who came out during the summer and I thought it was started then. Then someone came out in maybe Nov. and said that they needed to see my bill again that something didn't go through right. My 1st bill from them was due Feb. [redacted]. I thought it was because of Christmas lights. When I got the next bill due March [redacted]I knew something was wrong.Desired Settlement: A refund that is consistent with the rate my original provider offered to begin with since they claimed to be lower. I would like this for any further billing also. I would like for them to be investigated for their sales techniques so that nobody else will fall victim to there scam. Thank you for listening to my complaint, sincerely, [redacted]

Business

Response:

Review: Their representative showed up at my 88 year old great aunt's door at 8:00 pm at nite - uninvited. She lives in a security building where you need to call the resident and have them buzz you in to gain entry. The representative gained access to the inside of the building in another manner and proceeded to go door to door once inside the building. My aunt suffers from dementia & Alzheimer's and does not have all her mental faculties. She wants to live independently - so the family all pitches in to help take care of her day to day needs. The representative's name is Kathleen and her agent code is: [redacted]. Her phone number is ###-###-####. Anyone who speaks with my Aunt can tell right away that she cannot articulate her thoughts and speech very well. She still proceeded to scam my aunt into signing a contract that changes her electric from Duquesne Light to Resource Power for an unspecified amount of time with a variable rate. Kathleen also continued the process and called her supervisor and had him speak over the phone with my Aunt asking her a series of questions that she did not understand. He became agitated with her because she could not understand what he he was saying. The process should have been stopped at this point as well - but, was not. The whole process was very upsetting to my Aunt. She did not want to switch power companies and this woman convinced her to do so against her will. I am very upset at the business practices of this company and their employees. We are in the process of cancelling this contract. I want to make sure it will be voided.Desired Settlement: I would like to make sure this service is cancelled and for them to send an apology letter out for this unethical behavior.

Business

Response:

We would like to apologize for the trouble. The sales agreement was not processed and the customer will not switch to our supply

Thank you

Review: Was paying between $0.05-0.06 for electricity and Respond Power came to my door saying that they would save me money. After finding out that they didn't save me money and I cancelled the service, the last bill from Respond Power jumped from just over $200 to over $1200 at $0.27 per kilowatt hour. Called numerous times and were very unhelpful.Desired Settlement: Want the bill changed to the rate that it began at.

Business

Response:

Good Morning,

The customer enrolled in a variable rate contract, meaning the rates would be determined by the energy market. Unfortunately, during this severe winter an already limited energy market saw a spike in demand. This led to significantly higher rates. The customer's account has already been cancelled.

We are sorry the customer had trouble contacting our customer service department. We have experienced a drastic increase in calls over the past several months. We have taken steps to better handle the call volume and better serve our customers.

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:

That is what they kept telling me on the phone over and over again and I was talking to our property maintenance people and they said that this has happened to the people who ended up cancelling the service and not to everyone.

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

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

Good Morning,

We assure the customer that the final rates were in no way retaliatory. Had the customer remained with our company, the rates would have been exactly the same. The rates reflected the market and not the customer's decision to cancel.

Regards,

Review: A gentleman from Respond Power came to our door on 3/**/2014 and said he was there to check to see that we are getting our discount on our gas and electric that we are suppose to be getting from [redacted] and [redacted]. He proceeded to tell us he was not there to sell us anything or change us over to anything that he was there to represent these companies for information . Then he proceeded to get our numbers for the accounts and called them in on the phone. After that he said that we would have our discounts checked and that our bill would have the discounts on them if any more were to be applied. After that he left. Yesterday, March the [redacted] we got our [redacted] bill in and our balance budget was cancelled, our bill double in the amount from 89.00 to 193.05 in a short time span. We have not received the electric and are worried about that as well. We had a call from the [redacted] here in Pennsylvania that our service had been switched and if we wanted to cancel them. We told them yes after the fact of what had happened. Then my wife called the [redacted] company to let them know what had happened and wanted to cancel the Respond Power company on the electric as well. We are stuck with the 193.05 bill on the [redacted] and would like to know what to do next. You can call either [redacted] or [redacted] at ###-###-#### and leave an e-mail. Thankyou for your time. I hope that this will help others from the same situation from this company.Desired Settlement: That the Revdex.com would help us out to know whether to receive a credit to our [redacted] account or what actions they would have us to follow next. Also to put this company on alert for falsifying information on representation.

Business

Response:

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,

Review: Since signing with Respond Power for our electrical service in January of 2012, our average total energy bill (gas and electric) has been about $120.00. Note: our gas is being provided Major Energy, also of Orangeburg, NY. Our February 2014 bill jumped to $465.07. When contacted, we we told to only pay the gas charges - $197.48. We also received a letter stating the same information and included it with our bill. This month's bill is now $556.37. The provider rates have skyrocketed to absurd proportions. Wait times are in excess of 30 minutes on the phone and they still have correct their error. I am currently trying to drop service from Major Energy and find another providerDesired Settlement: I wish to cancel my service and have these absurd charges removed from my bill. It is impossible to go from paying $120.00 a month to over $500.

Business

Response:

Good Afternoon,

According to the complaint, the

customer states that he is unhappy with the current rate being charged. Customer has been with our company for over 2 years with no complaints.

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.

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:

It is true I have been a customer for a period of about 2 years. During that time, which has included very hot as well as cold spells, our total energy bill (electric and gas) averaged a little over $100, reaching a peak of about $180. That is understandable fluctuation in the energy rate. To recieve a bill for over $500 (>4 times our normal bill) is simply unacceptable. Other suppliers are able to offer much better rates. I would love some highschool student with a clip board from Respond Power to show up on my door-step again, promising better rates as they did 2 years ago. Plain and simple - it is FALSE advertising and Respond Power needs to examine their business practices. They are using the open energy market to steal from customers.

[Your Answer Here]

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]

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

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

There was no response from the customer.

Review: I began using Respond Power with PPL as my electricity supplier in the summer of 2012, up until this past winter, my electric bill was never above $200. Between the months of January and February 2014, my rate went from $0.1704/kWh to $0.2967/kWh, with no warning. I decided to switch companies at this time, but was unable to until the end of my billing period and my next meter reading, which was not for another month. As a result, I ended up being charged for another month, at another increased rate of $0.3911. My total bill is now $927.91. I understand that rates increase with time, but the company should have at least notified me of the change instead of charging me an unexpected amount.Desired Settlement: I would like my money back, I will happily pay for the regular rate, but being charged over $900 for 2 months of minimum electricity usage is absurd. Shame on you, Respond Power.

Business

Response:

Review: Respond Power sent out a monthly bill February [redacted]for $900, along with an accompanying letter saying there was a billing error and to disregard the bill. The new bill didn't come until the [redacted], and it was still for an extremely high amount ($500, while our bill is usually under $150). I knew it was a variable rate, and the salesman who signed me up promised that I could switch if their rates ever became more than the competition's. I called to cancel my service with Respond, but by that point in the month (thanks to them taking so long to send the correct bill), it was already near the end of the next meter reading and then they said it would take 11 days to process my request (nowhere in the contract I signed in June 2012 does it say that 11 days are needed) which put us in the NEXT billing cycle yet- we're stuck with them until April, despite cancelling in February. We just received the March reading bill, and despite our cutting back on our usage to keep the cost down, the bill this time was for $700- they DOUBLED the rate since the last bill- it is now $.35/kwh, which is far more than the other energy providers. I called PPL about this, and they called it 'price gauging'. But thanks to Respond's policy of 11 days AND a billing cycle, I'm stuck with their price gauging for another month.Desired Settlement: I can stomach the $500 bill. Rates fluctuate, and while it is excessive, it's the risk of variable rates. But when I call to switch providers and I'm told I'm stuck with them for 2 more bills (when nothing on the contract I signed says that- I have it here in front of me), and they DOUBLE the rates while I'm captive- that's price gauging and unethical. Furthermore, had I known the correct amount February **, my cancelling at that point would have allowed me to get out by March. Their delay with the right bill keeps me, like a serf, bound to them until April. This is NOT how customers should be treated; furthermore, this isn't $50 or even $100 we're talking about. I've spent one thousand dollars MORE than I usually do for electric over the last two months, and there's still a third blow coming. I think a refund for the difference in cost, for March's and April's months from Respond's fee to PPL's would only be fair.

Business

Response:

Good Evening,

The customer seems pretty knowledgeable about the risks of a variable rate. He also seems knowledgeable about the current energy market and that the prices have skyrocketed. We did offer the customer a fixed rate, but he did not accept that offer. We can't refund the rate, as that is the market price. In addition, we have sent the account for cancellation immediately. It is up to the utility to perform the actual switch. We advise the customer to sign a fixed rarte with a supplier and to contact the utility about a budget billing plan.

Regards

Review: An solicitor for Respond Power came to my apartment claiming to be able to save me money on my electric bill. He showed me where on the bill that they would save me money, but neglected to tell me that my kwh rate would sky rocket based on market conditions. Instead of 5 cents per kwh which I was paying, Respond Power charged me 20 cents per kwh and then 30 cents the following months. I came to find out that the individual that came to my apartment isn't even affiliated with Respond Power, but was hired through an agency.

I called to ask about the enormous price hike and my call was dropped. Twice. When I finally had someone knowledgeable on the phone, they told me that prices were based on a publicly traded option and that prices were based on market conditions (again, a fact that was left out by the solicitor that came to my apartment).

I am absolutely disgusted that this practice is legal. Respond Power cost me a small fortune. A small increase even would have been tolerable, but 4 times my old rate and then 6 times my old rate. Completely unacceptable.Desired Settlement: Some kind of refund that would be comparable to what I was paying with my old electric company. A bill shouldn't jump from 100 a month to 400 dollars in a month.

I would also like to see better business practices. Respond Power needs to quit duping people into paying for a service they mislead them about and sending out individuals that have no other affiliation with the company.

Business

Response:

Good Afternoon,

We are sorry if the customer felt under-informed when making his selection for an energy supplier. We encourage the customer to visit the PA Power to Choose website for additional information regarding fixed versus variable rate plans. We will take the customers comments under consideration as we continue to work to better serve our customers.

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:

The response from the company states that they encourage customers to compare prices with PA Power to Choose, but this is the first I have ever heard of the program. How can the responder possibly know what the third party representative that came to my apartment said to me? They don't work for Respond Energy. The response was incredibly underwhelming and frankly absurd. I was under-informed because there was no way to get informed. The individual at that came to my apartment entirely misrepresented the company and the fast talking phone rep didn't answer any of my questions or concerns.

The response is not accepted. Respond has failed to inform me as a customer which is very shady business practice. What is worse, the company they hired to solicit me HAD NO CLUE WHAT THEY WERE SELLING. I want refunded 15-20 cents per kwh for the past 3 bills, what I should have been paying before being hoodwinked by the scoundrels at Respond and the cronies they sent out to solicit the "under-informed".

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

Good Afternoon,

We are sorry the customer remains unhappy. The customer was billed in accordance with the terms and conditions which were provided to the customer at the time of enrollment. We will not be issuing a refund in this case.

Regards,

Review: A Respond Power representative knocked on my door telling me I needed to switch my power supplier and that it would save me so much money. I would not have to do anything different and my bill would still come from [redacted] power. The only thing different was that I would save a lot of money. I was told I could change back at anytime with no fees or hassles. My bill has more than tripled. I have gone from paying 4 cents per KWH to paying 14.9 cents per KWH in one months time! I Contacted [redacted] (like the rep said to do if I wanted to change back) and I still received another high bill from Respond Power. When I try to contact Respond Power I can Never get anyone on the phone, I am always on hold and they will call me. They never call back. I am a college student and cannot pay this bill. It is $382.84 for this month. I have the heat turned back til I freeze and sit in the dark to try to cut the bill. They should not be allowed to cheat people and lie to them like this. This is not right or fair at all. Respond power went up and down the streets going door to door at all the college housing knowing it would be easier to trick these kids. I am sick over this. I can't pay this.Desired Settlement: I want nothing at all with Respond Power. I want my last 2 bills adjusted with the [redacted] Power rate. I Should not have to pay for misleading and false sales promises of Respond Power.

Business

Response:

We would like to apologize to the customer for the difficulty they had reaching our call center. We have experienced an extremely high call volume and that had adversely affected our ability to respond to customers needs in a timely manner.

We will be sending [redacted] a 1 time refund of $50 to help them with the recent rate hike and higher than expected bill. The sales agreement was for a variable rate based on market conditions, and market conditions in the US skyrocketed in January. The rate on the bill is merely a reflection of a shrinking supply and increased demand on the electric commodities market.

The account is canceled and is no longer being serviced by Respond Power.

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]

The issue was not resolved to my satisfaction. I called and left messages day after day and no one ever got back to me, that shows me they did not want to hear from me after they got my money. This company should not be in business if this is how it treats its customers. the $50.00 they are willing to give me does not help me enough at all. My bill was hundreds over what it should have been. I feel they are only giving me this little piddly amount and hope I go away. Shame on them.

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]

Once again I was not informed of the variable rate and I feel I was conveniently made to misunderstand what I was getting onto. All I was told was what a great deal this was and how much it would save me. Ha Ha joke is on me. I guess a bill that is hundreds more than I ever pay is a great deal? Shame on you.

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 that the customer continues to be dissatisfied with our response. I have attached the sales agreement to verify for the customer that they had enrolled in a variable rate plan. Again, we are sorry for your experience.

Regards,

Review: I have called three times and was promised a representative would get back to me within 24-48 hours all three times. The sales representative lied about what we were signing up for and after failure to respond I promptly cancelled the account. I am currently still being charged by them with at $772 dollar electric bill. No one will return my callsDesired Settlement: My desired outcome is to get my bill adjusted to a rate equivalent with PECO for my past billing statement at the leas** I would also like to be contacted by a supervisor; I was promised 3 calls, and I got none.

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.

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 representative that sold us this alternative source, [redacted], came to us at our door and lied to us regarding the company's charging. Also, after having cancelled our account, we are still being BILLED BY THIS COMPANY EVEN AFTER CANCELLATION. No one has contacted me even though I complained 3 times and made it very clear that I wished for an account representative to call me back and try to find resolution in addition to addressing the behavior of the sales representative for their company. No one has contacted me.

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

Good Afternoon,

We are sorry that you had trouble reaching our customer service department. Your account has been canceled, but it usually takes 1-2 billing cycles for your account to return to your utility. You can contact your utility to confirm the request has been received.

Regards,