Billing Reviews

“  I used Direct for over a year and never had any issues with them except for with their idea of average billing. They offer average billing, but it is unlike any average billing I have ever experienced, and to this day, when I inquire about how average billing works with potential energy providers, I have never encountered Direct's odd approach to the matter.Direct Energy doesn't average bill in the sense of keeping your bill around a steady amount and then adjusting it for over or under usage. Direct's average billing bills you exactly what you used that month, so the bill is always a surprise. I spoke to several customer service reps about this issue, and they all seemed confused by my confusion; like average billing meant regular billing. It's really weird. So if you are okay with your average bill being a mystery surprise each month, go ahead and sign up with Direct. Honestly, it's the only issue I ever had with them, but it was enough to inspire me to switch to another provider. Just my personal preference, though. ”

“  Here are a few things to expect from most energy companies:1. After your contract ends, the energy company will send you a notification of your rate increasing to a variable rate (which usually translates to 2-3 cents higher/kWh by a certain date). They are supposed to notify you of this change. I've noticed as a customer, we get short-changed of one month from the contract rate (if you signed for 7 cents for 6 months, you'll only get that for 5 months). Then your rate goes up significantly if you don't call to change to a cheaper contract 2. Most companies have this basic $9.95/mo charge if you don't meet a certain kWh, usually 1000 kWh. That will pose a problem in those more temperate months like in the spring and fall because although you're paying lower kWh,you're paying that extra $9.95/mo for no reason. ASK YOUR ENERGY PROVIDER WHAT THE LIMIT IS. I got a minimum of 800kWh/mo with Reliant; if I go under 800kWh, I will have to pay $9.95. Good thing about Reliant is that they do a weekly energy usage report, and you can keep up with how much you may owe. That's pretty useful to me, considering I live in a smaller space, thus less usage.3. Make sure to ask about any extra fees you should be aware of. That's how a few cheap energy companies can get you. For instance, ask if there are new connection fees, activation fees, month-to-month fees - pretty much ask them how does their offer compare to other companies. Although Reliant is not the cheapest company, they are relatively helpful when it comes to electronic notifications and online billing. Their customer service seems to be confused most of the time, but bilingual (spanish and english, useful in Texas). They aren't hard to get a hold of like other companies people have complained about. I've had them for a year now, and although my electricity isn't that cheap, it's comparable to other companies I could have went with. Every 6 months, though, I have to call and change my plan to another 6 month contract to keep costs "low." People are more likely to post negative reviews than positive reviews - for every one positive review, there is probably 5 more negative reviews for energy companies. Just keep that in mind because everyone's negative personal experience has actually gotten me to ask these companies the right questions on what to expect. ”