I've had Direct Energy for a long time and 6 months ago they pulled a fast one and apparently the "contract" ended and it went to a variable electric transmission rate which tripled my bill.  I had to "call" them to tell them give me the regular rate again.  Here we are 6 months later but I didn't miss the piece of mail this time telling me I'm going to expire.  Not only that, all it says is that I'm going to a variable rate in a couple weeks no other option.  I just need a no nonsense company that isn't going to jerk me around every 6 months?  Do I have any good options?

I've been using CL&P for 30 years without any problems other than the storms in 2011 and 2012 (if I remember the years correctly).

I don't trust the cheapo companies.

CL&P is the company but there is also an "electricity provider" option.  You are saying you also use CL&P as the transmission provider?



 

I've used several in the past five years.  Right now I'm with Townsquare, but that will change at the end of the month.

I use Direct Energy as well.

Went through the same thing last year. I've kept on top of it since then, but had the feeling it's all a scam, no matter what.

Here's what the letter I just got on Friday looks like, warning me to call soon or else it goes "variable"...

That's the exact same letter I just got.  I would assume if I call I can get a fixed rate again but it really doesn't say that.  I guess I'll call them tomorrow.  Bunch of damn scammers.  I missed the letter 6 months ago it went with the junk mail and then my bill tripled the next month from 100 to over 300 bucks for one month.  I was pissed and pay more attention to what looks like junk mail now.  Why do you have to call them every 6 months?  This is their scam.  If you don't they switch you and you get screwed.  Yeah people catch on when they see the shock of the new bill and then call them to get it put back to the normal rate.  It's their loophole.  They make a ton of money screwing people like this.

Probably.  I've never changed anything other than addresses.  We don't use much electricity (typically 12 - 14 KWH / day)

Looking at the current bill:

"Electricity Supply Services"  $33 and change

"Delivery Services"  $37 and change

There is no "electricity provider" text on my bill.

When the option for other companies became available several years ago I was suspicious.  Sounded too good to be true, so I didn't read the fine print... just didn't change provider.

CL&P I don't care to shop around to save myself a whopping 5 bucks a month…………

Veridian. Signed a 1 year deal

http://www.energizect.com/compare-energy-suppliers

Are you being serious?
The average usage for an energy efficient refrigerator is 50+ kWh/month.
Do you not run a fridge?

Regardless, if you paid $33 for 13kwh of electricity and my last bill was $90, of electrical usage, for 750kwh, you paid 19.5 times more for electricity.

I think there are some savings to be had.

I am currently with Gulf until mid November.
It is too easy to switch providers it doesn't make sense not to.

Dominion.



The whole deregulation thing is a fucking scam.

It didn't deregulate anything.  It just set up a company store for a bunch of cronys to come in and jack up the price on terms that were all agreed upon in collusion.

Which is still nowhere near as bad as the situation Gov. Malloy almost put us all in by forcing people out of their contracts.  We narrowly dodged that bullet.

Meanwhile, the electrical infrastructure (CL&P/NU) continues to cut back services and contingencies and fuck with key employees in charge of keeping the lights on.

I'm guessing he is possibly on a partial solar scheme and is giving his net usage after credits from the grid buyers for his solar output during the day, and his actual usage is in-line with average.

As you mentioned, simply having a fridge is going to cost that much.

I have looked a couple of times at switching. Not enough savings to be had for the risk. if my bill tripled for one month I would lose all my savings for more than a year.

When electricity was a "monopoly" we never had week long outages. Now that there are 3 separate companies, generation, transmission and wholesale it has become a problem. Each separate company has to turn a profit. Since rates are regulated the companies cut services and employees to keep profits in line.

I have stuck with CL&P. If I could save $25 /mo and not have to constantly monitor my bill and negotiate a 6 month contract I might consider changing.

Jesus Fucking Christ!  Talk about busting my balls.  It was a typo you twit.

12 - 14 KWH / day.

I suppose your head would explode if I typo'd a ballistics report about a 1" group at 100 miles.

Sheeesh......

I have to admit... This whole electrical supplier, generation rate, usage, delivery charge, etc... You might as well be speaking Vietnamese to me. I don't get it.

What's the difference between delivery and supply?

Is one the rate for actually making the power and the other is the rate for carrying it through the lines?


I just called Direct Energy, which is an enormous struggle as it is, because I think it's just the one woman who answers all the phones. And she's deaf and she's rude.

Please translate this for me.

Currently, Direct Energy offers a rate of 11.69 cents p/kwh

CL&P currently offers it at 9,9 cents p/kwh

My "term" is over on November 24th, yet I need to call now to schedule the new contract or else I go into a variable rate, which is a bazillion times higher than their fixed rate.

*I* translate that as a scam.


This page shows all the local providers and their rates

The company right under CL&P seems to have the best rates, but you have to deal with the 3 month bullshit renewal crap.

Just about everyone else... And I mean, EVERYONE else, is more expensive than CL&P.



The prices fluctuate, of course, throughout the year. And we have no idea what they're going to be in two months, unless we get a fixed rate. But I just don't see a reason to have to go through the hassle of dealing with another company who'll rape you if you fail to call in an extend the contract. At least when you just stay with CL&P, you just pay the bill and then gripe when the power goes out. Which it rarely ever does in my house. I can't explain it. Many times the houses around us are all out, but we're good. And I haven't switched to the generator.


But anyway... I just don't get the whole supply and generation crap.

Norwich has their own utilities, NPU.

A few of the rates listed on the link above are NOT current/updated.

After calling a few of them, all the rates are indeed higher than that.

EchoSix I really don't get it either.  Direct Energy screwed me big time 6 months ago when I mistook a letter from them for junk mail and threw it in the pile.  My normal electric bill about 100 bucks went up to about 325 the next month and I had to pay it.  I call them back and then they say oh we can put you back on the regular plan.  Why did it expire without me calling in the first place?  SCAM!  Thanks for the info so now I don't have to call them.  I think I'll just call CL&P, go back, and forget about it.

CL&P told me this morning (called them too), that their current rates are at 9.9 cents, but they're going to go up at the end of the year. They don't know what they're going to go up to.

I JUST got off the phone with the energizect.com people (the ones who provide the info of all the suppliers) and told them that a few of the rates they've listed, aren't precise to what the suppliers themselves are saying. SHe says it's because of the weekend and the person who does that, hasn't done that yet.

It's a good source of infor, regardless. The phone numbers and names are there at least.

I don't know what the benefit of going with 100% renewable versus 18% renewable is, other than the obvious that one gets it from fossil fuels and the other is wind/solar/etc


I hate doing this. I hate this crap.


I wish CL&P knew what their rates are going to be. How can everyone else know and THEY don't?

This is what my current bill says, so unless I'm reading this wrong, everybody's rates are going up.  



Electricity Supply Detail DIRECT ENERGY SERVICES

Generation Srvc Chrg** 561.00KWH x $0.085900 $48.19



The energize site says Direct Energy is now 11.5c.  Does that mean my rate is about 85 with them now and the new rate would be 11.5 and CL&P right now shows 9.99 ?

Woah..slow your role there.
My post was 100% meant to clarify and not to be condescending.

Like Matt said, you might have been supplementing with solar.
Either way, no, you dont use much electricity at all.


You can get your "electricity" from "suppliers" who buy and sell packages with discounts.
You're still going to have to pay CL&P to keep the lines running.

You can thank Danny boy for the increase in CL&P's rates.

I just signed up with these guys... Verde Energy USA


They're working off a fixed 11.49 cent p/kwh charge, which is cheaper than direct energy, by just a little bit. The direct energy chick said their rates are going up to 11.79 cents p/kwh

Unfortunately they go off a stupid 4 month contract cycle, but they're currently offering a $75 rebate check to new customers, who sign up this month.


75 bucks is 75 bucks.

If their rates jump, you can cancel without charge. And yes, they DO send out reminder notices.

What the fuck are you guys using all that power for?

You got some hydro grow lamps or something or you just mining bitscams with a server farm?


Holy shit try closing the fridge when you are not looking into it.

Dildos.

OK so you have to search but it looks like the cash back thing is a rebate after you fill out the form.  

That's always fishy

Well, they say they just need a copy of the CL&P bill for the first month, showing that their name is listed as the supplier, and you send it in with the rebate form, and then you get it after a few weeks.

It works the same way when you buy an appliance, when the store doesn't do all that rebate crap for you.


I'll give it a shot. It's the fact that CL&P isn't divulging their rates after this period is up. THAT makes me nervous!

But I'm lazy and don't go to the appt office.  And they are banking on this.

Just give me the cash / credit now.

I have a fridge, electric stove, electric hot water heater, washing machine, electric dryer, AC when it's hot out, tv, lights and all the little shit that is plugged in, computers, laptops, internet router, it all adds up.  Hell my tumbler is running at least 3 hours a day cleaning empties so I can reload
 

Do your neighbors have an exterior outlet

CL&P isn't telling you the new rates because the DPUC has not signed off on the rate increase yet.