I guess I'll try to google it later. We have been inundated with calls for several years
now on this topic. I just never had the chance to look into it.

The fees you mentioned explains a lot of that marketing enthusiasm. The enthusiasm
itself made me suspicious and much less interested in checking it out.

Thanks for the info!

As the post says: after I FINALLY picked a new provider, I learned they had an $85 non-refundable application fee. They claim it is for a credit check.

I dont know how the elderly folks can deal with this. Prior to deregulation we would sign up, pay our bill, and never worry about it. Today we have to research every year or just accept what our current provider has to offer. We have hidden fees, rates that are not accurate, and unreliable service.

It is SO bad that in 2009 a Senator in East Texas filed a bill that would stop deregulation in his area because of the failure of deregulation to lower rates. Imagine that. The bill passed and was signed into law.

http://articles.mcall.com/2013-08-31/news/mc-shopping-for-electricity-in-pennsylvania-watchd-20130831_1_rate-hike-9-9-cents-default-rate

Not worth my effort. We have cut our electricity use every year for the last several years; I prefer that method of
lowering the bills. The fact that people are penalized for using too LITTLE electricity is so anti-environmental I
can't stomach it.

2 of our colleges didn't pay us in January and that made an already tough situation even worse. The attitude of one of my department chairs - who didn't turn in paperwork to payroll on time - was that we'd just have larger checks in the next paycheck. That's nice, but who's gonna pay for the late fees?

Now TXU decides they will add a $400 deposit and now we are at risk of losing power. No power and we can't teach our online courses and worse, no DU!

Please excuse the rant.

The old company is going to read the meters and do the line work, but we HAVE to switch companies for "service", because they (Sharyland) will be no longer be the provider.