Alternate energy providers- Opinions?

[Gomer]

My girlfriend came home tonight and mentioned someone brought up alternate energy providers. I guess this half wit is working for them selling service. By half wit, I mean dis bish is mildly retarded. Seriously.

This is the company she's pimping and I has sorta only half listening to the sales schpeal. What I heard was

BlahBlahBlahBlahBlahPonziBlahBlahBlahBlahScamBlahB lahBlahBlahGreasyBastardBlahBlahBlah

So, I started hunting for an article I'd read about local energy providers dropping the ball.

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.s...on_energy.html

The contract for electricity and gas clearly states that it "does not guarantee financial savings." But that's not the way Michelle Frankel remembers it.

When the door-to-door salesman showed up at Frankel's house in October, he told her he could help reduce her utility bills, Frankel said. He offered her a fixed price on electricity and natural gas for five years.

"He said he could save me money," Frankel said.

Even his company name said it: U.S. Energy Savings.

Frankel signed the five-year contract. Then her bills quickly went up.

Yeah, I know. Different companies. But are the savings really there? I mean, we'll end up paying National Grid line usage fees anyway. And whatever else they decide to charge us. There's a ton of shit I googled about comparison sites not really reflecting the true cost comparisons between providers.

Our bill is roughly $100 or less a month anyway so I don't see much problem staying where we're at. I don't mind change. I just distrust people. Anyone have any experience going with another energy provider than the local market giant?

[winkosmosis]

Bounce Energy in Houston offers a 100% renewable energy plan which is cheaper than the giant. There is also no long term contract. It's month by month.

http://www.electricitybid.com/electr...bounce-energy/

[Gomer]

I'm not in Houston.

[Mo]

are you talking about "alternative energy" or alternate providers of energy?

[Power Giant]

I'm my own energy provider. Been making electricity since '96 with solar panels and windmill. Not on the grid- have no desire or need to be.

[Gomer]

Originally Posted by Mo

alternate providers of energy

That.

Originally Posted by Power Giant

I'm my own energy provider. Been making electricity since '96 with solar panels and windmill. Not on the grid- have no desire or need to be.

If I had the money...

[winkosmosis]

Originally Posted by Gomer

I'm not in Houston.

You just asked if anybody has experience, so I told you my experience.

There may be a similar company in New York that you'll find if you search hard enough.

[Gomer]

Ok. But it doesn't help any. I. Am. Not. In. Houston. Mmm'kay? THXBAI.

[CrustyJeep]

Originally Posted by Gomer

Anyone have any experience going with another energy provider than the local market giant?

No. But I don't live in Texas, so hopefully you find that answer infinitely useful.

[JParuBob]

Originally Posted by Gomer

Ok. But it doesn't help any. I. Am. Not. In. Houston. Mmm'kay? THXBAI.

He. Answered. Your. Question. You. Are. An. Idiot. THXBAI

[ironpig70]

call your local utility company is where i'd start. i'd ask what they pay when buying back energy and what are the requirments to back feed into their grid. then ask these folks for there certificates/licenses

[CrustyJeep]

Originally Posted by ironpig70

call your local utility company is where i'd start. i'd ask what they pay when buying back energy and what are the requirments to back feed into their grid. then ask these folks for there certificates/licenses

What are you blabbering about?

[Gomer]

I called. They told me I'd pay a line usage fee plus any additional taxes the state might levy. Some of the choices are suppliers of alternative energy- nuke, wind- some are conventional- ConEd, Agway, Hudson. Nat'l Grid is offering up to 7% on the energy alone for two months and their rates really aren't that bad. I've got to call some of the other suppliers and see what they offer. Even if they have lower supply prices, that's still no guarantee I'll save money. Especially when suppliers are hitting the news for raising their rates after the buyer signs the sales agreement.

I'm not seriously considering it right now, just tossing it around to see what sticks and what doesn't.

Originally Posted by JParuBob

He. Answered. Your. Question. You. Are. An. Idiot. THXBAI

Sometimes, yes.

[CrustyJeep]

Originally Posted by Gomer

Even if they have lower supply prices, that's still no guarantee I'll save money. Especially when suppliers are hitting the news for raising their rates after the buyer signs the sales agreement.

If you're referring to the article you posted, that isn't what happened.

It looks like the basic business model is, you pay a higher price than the current rates, and you're guaranteed the same rates for the life of the contract. IF the standard rates go up enough, you'll save money over the life of the contract, because towards the end you'll be paying less than the standard rate. IF.

I wonder if you can buy energy in advance like the alternative providers can...

[Gomer]

I don't know about other places but some oil and LP dealers up here will give you a contract locking in a rate. Not sure if it's buy-in-advance or the rate is simply locked in but the result is the same if your energy usage remains the same throughout the life of the contract.

Yeah, you're right about the article I posted. In This one, (yeah, Houston. Bite me) this provider is raising rates on customers who had signed on for the locked in rates. Amigo Energy is also being investigated for overcharging.

[CrustyJeep]

Originally Posted by Gomer

I don't know about other places but some oil and LP dealers up here will give you a contract locking in a rate. Not sure if it's buy-in-advance or the rate is simply locked in but the result is the same if your energy usage remains the same throughout the life of the contract.

If it's buy in advance, you have to pay in advance. Kinda like buying a ton of pellets that will be stored at the supplier's facility until you pick it up.

[Gomer]

That's not always true depending on the company you're buying from. The oil company we buy through tells you you're buying in advance but your payments are split up over 12 months. They track your usage for a year, figure and average and keep you topped off. As the year goes on, they adjust according to your usage. If I were to pay ahead on my Nat'l Grid bill, they'd simply use up whatever I had on my balance and then bill me the difference.

[bgaidan]

It's all part of the deregulation that took place several years ago.

TX seems to be ahead of the game. We have a website that lets you compare all the rates available to you as well as the source of the energy (coal, wind, NG, etc.) along with the length of the contract.

Generally the same company maintains your service and reads your meter - which is the one that owns the local distribution system itself and they pass on the reading to your provider to bill you. I've found that in Dallas you can't actually buy electricity from the one that owns the grid, which is Oncor/TXU in most cases.