Monday, May 22, 2006

Can I Believe Reliant Energy?

It' not summer yet and I'm already hot. Just paid my electric bill for April. $300. Reliant has been pushing people to sign up with their new plan to "save you money". Since they have raised their rates at least 3 times in the last year I wonder. They are saying I can save money buy locking into a contract for a year. In this contract if the weather is 2 degrees above normal we will get a $50 credit for that month. ???And they are talking about 2 to 5% savings each month. Yeah, why do I have misgivings? This is the same company that charges a new deposit every time you move. Maybe I am behind the times,but I have never had an electric provider do this. Every electric company I have had before made me pay a deposit to become a customer but not everytime I moved. Houston is a mobile city. Lots of people move from apartment to apartment, house to house. I already know that depending on what area you are in Reliant may or may not have the cheapest rates. TXU right now has the lowest in our area, but they have raised their rates too. I've been with Reliant for nearly seven years. But now I wonder who should I believe? Every body seems to have a plan, but I have a strange feeling that the other shoe has yet to drop. What to do, who to believe?

2 comments:

Pixie said...

We've been with TXU forever. They have raised their rates so high. This time last year my bill was like $200, my current bill is $308, and my house is less than 1300 sqft. I even have the monthly average billing so that I can pay our summer bill easier. It's ridiculous. They News station has done a intense research of TXU & have said they are reviewing things to see about changing the rates. Up or down; they won't say. Personally, I think they are looking to do another rate hike.

I think it sucks that you'd have to put down a new deposit when you move each time; TXU doesn't do that here. So long as your account is an established one, none of the utlitity companies require a new deposit.

I'd say do some reasearch if you are looking to switch. I've been tempted to switch to Reliant but I haven't talked to anyone yet who's switched to compare. It's definately frustrating!

Unknown said...

Yeah, our tv stations have all done "consumer" reports regarding all the electric companies here. Some have better deals than others, but the way things are going I am not sure if they all will be in business in a few years.I just wish the Public Utility Commission would not continue to allow all of them to keep raising their rates. Plus, like with some of the "plans" like the one Reliant is pushing, if you dont like it, you get charged at least $100 because you get locked into the plan for a year and leaving it early is a no, no Nuts!