Your local electric company questions

[Mikey]

I have a question.

I never knew we have a choice of different electric providers and when you choose one it comes in through your local electric company --- paying your bill to the same electric company.

I just got a call from a provider that offers to reduce my electric bill by 14% a month.

Is having a different provider than your local electric company something kind of new ?

I think i'm going to take them up on their offer --- hopes it's not a scam ... It dont seem like it.

Weird thing is i'm in PA and they're in Texas - but they said they just breaking into the east coast.

still wondering if I should switch ?

[ctc]

>hopes it's not a scam

A lot of times it's not EXACTLY a scam.... They're usually subselling the power off the same grids as your major provider; so it's the same stuff, same system, etc. A lot of 'em will alter rates a lot, and if you need repairs you still go through your major provider. (And sometimes pay extra rates since you're not a regular customer.... even though you're still using their system.) Get ahold of your local BBB and ask them about the company you're looking at.

Don C.

[Mikey]

The company is call Reliant Energy

They said they're owned by NRG Energy

[megomania]

Reliant Energy is the Corporate Sponsor of the Houston Texans NFL stadium so they are pretty well-known

Here is info from their website:
http://www.reliant.com/en_US/Page/Sh...n_home_shp.jsp

Deregulation

Shop for and choose the retail electricity provider that’s right for you and your family because of deregulation. Retail electricity providers, like Reliant Energy, compete to sell electricity to your home and are responsible for:

Selling electricity
Providing bills to customers
Handling customer service functions
Local Wires Company Remains the Same

Your local utility company, now commonly referred to as your local wires company, will not change if you decide to switch to a different retail electricity provider. You and your neighbors can all have different retail electricity providers, but your local wires company will stay the same.

Your local wires company will:

Remain a separate entity from your retail electricity provider
Continue to deliver your power over the same poles and wires
Respond to outages and emergencies as always
If you decide to switch to Reliant Energy, there’s no risk of losing power in the switching process. Your electricity will continue to flow to your home without interruption.

Along with being risk-free, electricity deregulation offers Texans many other benefits, including:

Lower prices
Innovative product and service offerings
Improved customer service

[Fire Marshal Bill]

Reliant Energy has been around these parts for years. They are actually one of the bigger companies offering power. They were one of the first ones to solicit around here after deregulation a few years ago.

[rche]

I don't buy electricity from them, but I do get my natural gas from Reliant. Never had an issue with them.

[Brazoo]

I don't know what it's like where you are. Here these companies want to lock you into a fixed rate for a period of time, and use really shady tactics - like sending 19 year-old kids to my apartment with clip boards claiming to be from the main Toronto power company every 3 months.

Maybe the fixed rate is a savings - maybe it's not. I'll take my chances with the market value.

Again - thats just my local situation, I have no idea if that applies to you or not.

[MegoSteve]

As a rule, I never buy anything from phone solicitors.

[cjefferys]

I don't know what it's like where you are. Here these companies want to lock you into a fixed rate for a period of time, and use really shady tactics - like sending 19 year-old kids to my apartment with clip boards claiming to be from the main Toronto power company every 3 months.

Maybe the fixed rate is a savings - maybe it's not. I'll take my chances with the market value.

Again - thats just my local situation, I have no idea if that applies to you or not.

Yeah, I absolutely hate them knocking on my door, trying to trick me into thinking they are someone that they are not. Very shady and suspicious. And the way I look at it, if it was really a good deal, they wouldn't need to send kids door to door, I'd be going to them. Door to door salesmen, what is this, the 1950's? It's 2010 for god's sake, and that's the best marketing tactic they can come up with?

As a rule, I never buy anything from phone solicitors.

Amen! Them and door to door solicitors NEVER get my business.

[ctc]

>if it was really a good deal, they wouldn't need to send kids door to door

I used to do that job! It's what drove me to the army.

>Them and door to door solicitors NEVER get my business.

Sequential Art

Don C.

[Adam West]

Utilities are starting to become deregulated just like many other industries like cable, land line phones, etc. They all run through the same lines and usually are forced to sell to the deregulated companies at a discount which they mark up a bit and undercut your current provider. The downside is that many of the companies keep overhead really low so hard to reach customer service for example if you have problem.