Last week, the Fort Worth Star Telegram reported that complaints to the PUC (the Public Utility Commission) for residential and small commercial electricity customers have dropped by about 10% when compared to last year. In fact, the number of complaints received during the fiscal year (which ended on August 31) is roughly half of what it was two years ago.
That is certainly good news for business electricity customers. Complaints are filed with the PUC when energy customers feels a retailer has infringed upon their rights in some way. That could be anything from poor communication to inaccurate billing. A high volume of PUC complaints means there are a lot of customers in Texas unhappy with their providers—so unhappy, in fact, that they are taking time out of their busy schedules to file complaints.
It is encouraging to see the total number of complaints for both residential and commercial electricity customers dropping; however, it’s not all good news. While the volume of complaints is decreasing, the nature of the complaints is also changing. According to the article, “Among complaints that seem to be fixed is the practice by retailers of not notifying customers when their contract is up and putting them automatically into a higher-cost plan.”
At Live Energy, we can understand the frustration of customers who’ve had this experience. Imagine taking the time to investigate your options, searching for a good, low rate. You enter into a contract for your business electricity needs and, as hoped, month after month you enjoy a low rate which reduces your operating expenses. Until the month after that contract ends. Then, without warning, you discover that you’ve been moved to a “default plan” that has significantly raised your rate.
Ouch.
One of the advantages of working with a proven commercial electricity broker, like Live Energy, is that we make it our job to stay on top of all the important details of your energy plan, including the expiration date. We don’t want you to be surprised by a sudden increase in your billing. In fact, not only will we make sure you are aware of when your contract expires, we’ll also be on the lookout for dips in the market months prior to your expiration date. If we see a prime opportunity to renew your contract, we’ll let you know.
As for complaints, we don’t expect you to have negative experiences with the providers we represent, but if you have questions about your billing, concerns about the rate you’re paying or misgivings about any element of your business electricity contract, we’re here to help. Often, we can contact providers directly, prompting a quick response. This is another strong advantage of working with a broker. Few business owners have extra time for dealing with these kinds of complications. We can take that off your plate, freeing up some of your time.
The team of experts at Live Energy has been working with business owners and decision makers just like you for more than a decade. We have the experience, the technology and the strategies to lower your commercial electricity costs and save you time. Please contact us today at 888-341-9155 to learn how we can help you.
