Let’s be honest here. Energy companies aren’t really running scams because scams are illegal. However, deceptive practices are the NORM when it comes to selling energy, and we at Life Essential Services consider these deceptive practices to be a Scam. Every Supplier wants to be able to advertise the lowest rate because that is the first thing a customer focuses on, even if it means adding on huge fees into the fine print. It’s not illegal, because the information is there for the suspicious customer to find, but it is deceptive. Everyone looks for the best rate. They find it, they sign up, they don’t check or understand the details and then they wonder how their electric bill could be so high. Let us help you take the guess work out of finding the right supplier for you because we only partner with the most honest and trust-worthy suppliers that we can find.
Energy company offers unbelievably low rate. The advertisement says just 3 cents per kWh. But when you check the fact sheet, you see that you’re going to pay a minimum fee up to 1000kwh, which might actually be only 3 cents per kWh, but the supplier is willing to bet that you will always either....
1. Be way over 1000 kWh, which means they can then tack on a huge overage fee,
2. Or you’ll use much less than 1000 kWh meaning that for every kWh under 1000 kWh, that 3 cent average rate just keeps getting higher.
“Well sir or ma’am, your contract ended so we had to increase your rate by another 25%.“ Really? Why?
Answer 1: The rate can increase when a contract ends, but there’s no reason for it to jump up any higher than lowest advertised current rate.
Answer 2: Yes, contract pricing is more secure, but if your agent cares about you, they could call or text you ahead of time to let you know when your contract is nearing an end.
You see an advertised rate of only 4 cents per kWh, all-inclusive. Wow! What a deal!
Thats what I thought when I decided to test the supplier. I called the supplier and asked about the 4 cent rate and was told that they didn’t have a 4 cent rate. I asked about the rate they had listed on Power To Choose and was told, “Yes, we did have that rate once, we just don’t have it anymore.”
Essentially, they could have sold that rate to one customer and then advertised “Rates As Low As 4 cents per kWh.” Not because they have that rate today, but because they did offer that rate at least once before.
Pre-Paid Plans! These plans, while not officially stated, target the low-income misfortunate souls that usually don’t have good credit and can’t afford deposits without starving the family for a week. Sure, they’ll get your power turned on for a low initial payment, but you’re going to pay for it over & over again each time you put $ toward your account. You can bet that wealthier people are NOT purchasing pre-paid power because they know what a waste of $ it is. Also, if you don’t keep an acceptable balance on your account, they may not be required to give you more than a day’s notice that your lights are goping out, that there wont be anymore hot water, that there won’t be anymore heat or air, that you won’t be able to fix the family meals. Regular monthly plans require a 16 day notice.
More to come....
Regardless of who your Supplier is, your Electric company never changes. Typically, each area of a state is maintained by one Electric company, and by law, they are the only company allowed to service the poles, wires, and outages in your area. So who will you call when there’s an outage? The same company you always called. That never changes.
Retail Electric Providers (also known as REPs and/or Suppliers) are required to notify residential customers at least 30 days before a contract expires. The residential customer can switch without incurring an early termination charge if the switch is no earlier than 14 days before the contract expiration date provided in the notice. If the customer takes no action in response to the notice, the Supplier will continue to serve the customer on a Month-to-Month Plan.
If you are a customer of Life Essential Services, you may contact Jeff Bodovsky and he will work with you and your Supplier to help you keep your lights turned on.
However, in all cases it is the responsiblity of the customer to try to make payment arrangements before your bill is due and/or your service is disconnected.
You are elligible for a deferred payment plan if you have not received more than two termination notices in the past year. It is important to keep up with the terms of the payment plan and to continue to make regular payments and payments based on the plan, or you could be disconnected.
To help make budgeting easier, you may ask about level billing programs or average payment plans that offer bills that are about the same amount each month. All customers who are not currently delinquent with their electric bills are eligible for these programs.
A Supplier (not an Agent, Broker, or Salesperson) may authorize the disconnection of a customer's electric service after proper notice is given to the customer and not before the first day after the disconnection date provided in the notice. Service may be disconnected for non-payment of a bill, deferred payment arrangement, or deposit. A TDU (Transmission & Distribution Utility) may disconnect service in cases of emergencies, meter tampering, or unsafe conditions.
Your due date will be 16 days after your Supplier receives your usage notice from the TDU. If you would like a due that is different from this "16-day" date, you may request it from your Supplier. Suppliers are not obligated to modify a due date.
Electricity Facts in Texas:
https://www.puc.texas.gov/consumer/facts/faq/electricity.aspx
Bill Charges Explained:
ttps://www.puc.texas.gov/consumer/electricity/bill_e.aspxB
Taxes & Surcharges:
https://www.puc.texas.gov/consumer/phone/Taxes.aspx
Your Rights in Texas:
https://www.puc.texas.gov/consumer/complaint/Rights.aspx
Smart Meters:
https://www.puc.texas.gov/consumer/electricity/Metering.aspx
Texas Bill Assistance Programs:
https://www.puc.texas.gov/consumer/lowincome/Assistance.aspx
Copyright © 2022 Life Essential Services - All Rights Reserved.
Powered by GoDaddy