Cobb EMC or GA Power (Atlanta, Marietta: credit card, live, price)

[AtlantaRes73]

We are moving to the Marietta area next week and have our choice of GA Power or Cobb EMC for our electricity. Does anybody have a recommendation on which we should use?

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by AtlantaRes73

We are moving to the Marietta area next week and have our choice of GA Power or Cobb EMC for our electricity. Does anybody have a recommendation on which we should use?

Is the price the same? I'd go with whichever has the cheaper rates. I use Cobb EMC because it's the only power company that serves my area. Normally, you only get to use the one that has the regulatory authority to serve your area.

[RainyRainyDay]

Originally Posted by neil0311

Is the price the same? I'd go with whichever has the cheaper rates. I use Cobb EMC because it's the only power company that serves my area. Normally, you only get to use the one that has the regulatory authority to serve your area.

I second everything Neil says. In fact, the original post sent me trying to find the GA Power service area online, but it eluded me. Nobody has ever mentioned to us that we might have eligibility to elect any provider other than Cobb EMC. Where is the area that's served by both power companies? I'm curious to know.

[atlantagreg30127]

I'd pick Ga. Power if anything just for stability. Cobb EMC has had it's share of problems a couple of years ago, and more recently as well.

Stories:

Two years ago: Mismanagement alleged in lawsuit | ajc.com

Recently: Marietta Daily Journal - Cobb EMC: Plaintiff in lawsuit 'real surprised'

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

I'd pick Ga. Power if anything just for stability. Cobb EMC has had it's share of problems a couple of years ago, and more recently as well.

To be fair, the problems have been centered around the non-regulated businesses that are run by Cobb EMC and not the regulated power utility. They have also been business related and not service related. They are very stable and I have not had a single issue in about 21 months.

[JakilaTheHun]

When I lived in Atlanta before, I had terrible issues with Georgia Power. If you've ever seen the movie Brazil, which is set in a bureuacratic, totalitarian, dystopian nightmare world that is comical in how poorly it functions --- that's what I would compare GA Power's customer service, too, and I am not exaggerating in the least bit.

I set up online payment with them back in 2003. It was linked to my checking account. For some reason, it worked for about 4 months. Then on the fifth month or so, they told me my check bounced despite the fact that there was clearly more than enough in my account. I spent weeks trying to figure out why to no avail. My bank had absolutely no record of a bounced check.

Finally, it became apparent to me that somehow their system automatically changed my stored checking account number. No clue as to why. I certainly never entered the new account # and I only obtained this info after spending several days prying info out of their CSRs.

They tried to charge me multiple fees and require a $100 secuirty deposit due to my "risky status" --- that status that was acquired due to one of the most boneheaded e-payment systems I have ever seen in my life. Mind you, I've paid nearly every bill online from 2000 to the very present --- never had a single problem except with GA Power and I *always* had problems with them.

It might not have been so terrible if their customer service wasn't taught that the customer is always wrong, but despite having vast mounds of proof that the issue was their fault, I would constantly get hung up on by people working there who refused to even listen. They basically had some script that told them to tell you that you were wrong --- or that was the impression I got.

That was 5 years ago and I'm still bitter over it. It's made me extremely skeptical of private monopolies when it comes to necessary services (power, water, etc.). So, if it were my choice, I'd go with Cobb EMC even if the rates were higher. Take it for what you will --- it's just one person's experience and maybe others will fortunately never have to endure what I did with GA Power, but I know I'll still distrust that company 30 years from now given how abused I felt by them.

[kayrob]

If you go with GAPower whatever you do, don't be late with a payment. Not even once or by a day. They hit you with a 150 deposit charge which they SAY you can recoup after a year if you're good for all of that time frame.

[atlantagreg30127]

Lesson learned per above for all - NEVER allow an automated bill pay through any company to come out of your checking account or debit card. Always use a major credit card (AmEx, etc) for this. This way if there is an overbilling or issue you can dispute it and it's easier to deal with a credit card agency than trying to fix the money in your checking account.

I do know one thing though - the company I work for uses CobbEMC one day month they "forgot" to pay the bill. It was only a short amount of time late, but they rushed over to shut the power off, leaving a notice on the door the SAME day it was to be turned off, and charged a premium to turn it back on, taking more than a day to do so. While hopefully no one has to skip paying their power bill, GA Power usually does let it go a while before it gets to the "shut off stage", and gives ample notice it's going to happen so you can go online and fix it.

[kayrob]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

Lesson learned per above for all - NEVER allow an automated bill pay through any company to come out of your checking account or debit card. Always use a major credit card (AmEx, etc) for this. This way if there is an overbilling or issue you can dispute it and it's easier to deal with a credit card agency than trying to fix the money in your checking account.

I do know one thing though - the company I work for uses CobbEMC one day month they "forgot" to pay the bill. It was only a short amount of time late, but they rushed over to shut the power off, leaving a notice on the door the SAME day it was to be turned off, and charged a premium to turn it back on, taking more than a day to do so. While hopefully no one has to skip paying their power bill, GA Power usually does let it go a while before it gets to the "shut off stage", and gives ample notice it's going to happen so you can go online and fix it.

After I had that recent issue with Georgia Power and their exhorbitant what theydon't a late fee of $150.00 I was all set to looki into switching to Greystone. But then my wife reminded me that they will shut you off in a New York minute. And make you dig deep to have powere restored. So basically I guess it comes to a question of the lesser of evils.

[JakilaTheHun]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

Lesson learned per above for all - NEVER allow an automated bill pay through any company to come out of your checking account or debit card. Always use a major credit card (AmEx, etc) for this. This way if there is an overbilling or issue you can dispute it and it's easier to deal with a credit card agency than trying to fix the money in your checking account.

I do know one thing though - the company I work for uses CobbEMC one day month they "forgot" to pay the bill. It was only a short amount of time late, but they rushed over to shut the power off, leaving a notice on the door the SAME day it was to be turned off, and charged a premium to turn it back on, taking more than a day to do so. While hopefully no one has to skip paying their power bill, GA Power usually does let it go a while before it gets to the "shut off stage", and gives ample notice it's going to happen so you can go online and fix it.

GA Power wouldn't accept credit cards at the time (maybe they do now?). I always pay with CC if it's an available option because it's simpler for me to consolidate all my bills onto one statement --- plus I hate paying anything by check/debit. Credit cards have so many built-in protections, plus, I get cash back for using the CC and I pay off my balances immediately.

However, that wasn't the issue for me. If I had my credit card info stored in there, I'm not sure why it would have been any more protected by their system than my checking info. Mind you --- I didn't have any problems with my bank. No one ever attempted to debit my account for payment --- that was the problem. I'm admittedly baffled as to whose check bounced if it wasn't mine, though. And I still have no clue how the info magically changed in their nightmare of an e-billing system.

So even if I could've paid by CC, I still would've had to pay an exboritant late fee and deposit that would probably be illegal in most other states. (Unfortunately, GA law has a consistent pattern of favoring special interests over consumers.)


Of course, I can't really vouch for Cobb EMC as I've never dealt with them. After I had problems with GA Power, I moved up to Pleasant Hill/Duluth and was under Jackson EMC. Never had any issues with them and found their customer service to be better than GA Power (which isn't saying much). I will say that all the Georgia power companies seemed terrible to me when compared to Tennessee power companies. Things are much more hassle free in TN on that front, plus, the TVA provides very low-cost power.