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Don't bet on that "impetus to provide a certain level of customer service." I looked up the customer complaints about Ambit Energy, an ESCO that provides both electricity and natural gas, on Google and I would never use them. It is VERY hard to get the actual rates from them before you sign up. Plus, if you are ONE DAY late on paying your bill, their policy is to immediately shut off all your service. Then they take their sweet time restoring it and steeply RAISE your rates. I wouldn't dump National Grid for them in terms of gas. As per LIPA's website and Ambit's own website, LIPA does not participate with them in terms of electricity, so all the idiots signing up to be "consultants" and selll their electricity services on LI are in for a big surprise. Interesting how that doesn't stop the company from signing up "consultants" on LI at "$429 plus $25 monthly fee" to sell their services. As for the ESCOs that are signed up with LIPA as per its website, none of them are particularly impressive, they all have BBB complaints, and I would not bother with them either.
Someone from Ambit Energy just came to my Church to talk to teh Council about signing on with them. I'll pass this along, thanks ILLI!
Someone from Ambit Energy just came to my Church to talk to teh Council about signing on with them. I'll pass this along, thanks ILLI!
Definitely! They're more of a multi-level marketing scammer than an energy company! See what the consultant is more interested in: signing the church up to provide gas (if your church has LIPA, they cannot do electric; not signed up with LIPA) OR trying to sign people in the church up to be "consultants" and pay for the privilege. At the end, I'd be very surprised if anyone saves any significant amount of money by using them. Tell you church to ask straight out "how much are your rates" and then wait for the tapdancing to begin. Most of all, Google the complaints about them from their actual energy customers. They are hair raising!
Yes you can purchase your actual gas supply from anyone you wish Nat Grid will still deliver that gas through their pipes and distribution system. Their part of your bill is essentially for the delivery and maintenance.
You are saving money on ONLY the actual gas itself. These ESCO's purchase their gas differently than a large utility like Nat Grid. Depending on the time of year you may actually be paying more for the gas than you would through Nat Grid. Much of the time it may be less expensive but in colder weather these ESCO's will not always have their normal gas supplies available and will have pay more from a different source. These increased costs are then passed on to the comsumer (you). Nat Grid purchases gas for winter usage during the summer months when it's less expenxive and then stores it for use during the cold weather periods. This keeps the actual gas commodity cost more level for the whole year, The ESCO's do not have this capability or infrastructure.
National Grid continues to deliver, but you instruct National Grid from whom to purchase your natural gas. Long Island is currently deregulated as it relates to natural gas. You can select your supplier and National Grid will purchase the natural gas from them and deliver to you. This is not anything new or hypothetical. I know plenty of people that purchase green natural gas and National Grid delivers gas and continues to service the pipes.
Lot's and lot's of folks who have switched to an alternate supplier of natl gas ended up with higher bills than they had with National Grid. Some had dramatically higher bills. When they tried to cancel, the new supplier made it very difficult and in some cases it took months to switch back.
On top of that, the information they gas suppliers provide is very cryptic.
I don't blame Ambit or the ESCO's on Long Island. Like everything else, the utilities are forced to honor the legal deregulation but they don't have to make it easy or even profitable for any player trying to get in the door. Unlike some utilities that are thrilled to pass the retail piece on to a 3rd party (Verizon for DSL backbone in NYC for example), Nat Grid and LIPA are reluctant to give a penny (even if it makes them a nickel) and there is no political will (where have we seen THAT before?!) on Long Island to protect and do what's best for the consumer.
I don't blame Ambit or the ESCO's on Long Island. Like everything else, the utilities are forced to honor the legal deregulation but they don't have to make it easy or even profitable for any player trying to get in the door. Unlike some utilities that are thrilled to pass the retail piece on to a 3rd party (Verizon for DSL backbone in NYC for example), Nat Grid and LIPA are reluctant to give a penny (even if it makes them a nickel) and there is no political will (where have we seen THAT before?!) on Long Island to protect and do what's best for the consumer.
Do some research on Ambit regarding (1) its multilevel marketing scheme and (2) how it treats its customers. I think they are a huge step DOWN from LIPA and National Grid. They work in other areas of the country and have many dissatisfied former customers and former "sales consultants" out there, so their behavior cannot be blamed specifically on Nat Grid and LIPA.
I don't know as much about the other ESCOs, but from brief research, I found nothing outstanding or compelling about them that would make me switch. I also don't see how their business practices can be blamed on LIPA or Nat Grid.
At this point I think being in a rush to get out of LIPA/Nat Grid's frying pan will land customers in the fire of an ESCO. So far, none have not been shown as "what's best for the consumer" and it is entirely their own fault as companies, not NYS or LIPA or Nat Grid.
Do some research on Ambit regarding (1) its multilevel marketing scheme and (2) how it treats its customers. I think they are a huge step DOWN from LIPA and National Grid. They work in other areas of the country and have many dissatisfied former customers and former "sales consultants" out there, so their behavior cannot be blamed specifically on Nat Grid and LIPA.
I don't know as much about the other ESCOs, but from brief research, I found nothing outstanding or compelling about them that would make me switch. I also don't see how their business practices can be blamed on LIPA or Nat Grid.
At this point I think being in a rush to get out of LIPA/Nat Grid's frying pan will land customers in the fire of an ESCO. So far, none have not been shown as "what's best for the consumer" and it is entirely their own fault as companies, not NYS or LIPA or Nat Grid.
Disagree. They cannot compete because Nat Grid and LIPA are controlling rates and NOT offering the kinds of discounts to ESCO's that other areas do. That is the point. To RELIEVE the utility of the last leg of delivery which is the retail consumer, customer service, billing, etc, EXACTLY where they get their worst reviews. The ESCO's are supposed to be partners with the utility (in fact, preferred CLIENTS of the utility), handling all billing and service matters while the utility just pumps the energy. It takes political coercion to get the utilities to change and play the game to the benefit of the consumer. Nat Grid and LIPA have too much unchecked power and no one advocating for them to do what's right. In fact they are actively COMPETING against commercial ESCO's which flies in the face of the intent of the law. It is a matter of enforcement. If the deregulation were properly enforced, there would be a flood of reputable (and some not so reputable of course) providers offering competitively priced (as competitively priced as a monopoly will allow) energy.
Disagree. They cannot compete because Nat Grid and LIPA are controlling rates and NOT offering the kinds of discounts to ESCO's that other areas do. That is the point. To RELIEVE the utility of the last leg of delivery which is the retail consumer, customer service, billing, etc, EXACTLY where they get their worst reviews. The ESCO's are supposed to be partners with the utility (in fact, preferred CLIENTS of the utility), handling all billing and service matters while the utility just pumps the energy. It takes political coercion to get the utilities to change and play the game to the benefit of the consumer. Nat Grid and LIPA have too much unchecked power and no one advocating for them to do what's right. In fact they are actively COMPETING against commercial ESCO's which flies in the face of the intent of the law. It is a matter of enforcement. If the deregulation were properly enforced, there would be a flood of reputable (and some not so reputable of course) providers offering competitively priced (as competitively priced as a monopoly will allow) energy.
Ambit is a DISREPUTABLE company in its own right. How can that have ANYTHING to do with Nat Grid? (FYI -- they are not signed up to be an ESCO to LIPA.)
The other ESCOs so far available in this area are not much better.
I would be all for ESCOs if they weren't shady in their own right. I am waiting for a decent one to come along first, THEN I would be worrying about "enforcement" of the program. Why put the cart before the horse if all you have to replace LIPA and NatGrid so far are even worse choices?
Do you actually know of any decent and reputable ESCOs that are not currently serving our area? If so, why are they not serving our area? There could be many other reasons besides "they're afraid of LIPA and NatGrid's unchecked power." If you know of a reputable ESCO that is refusing to serve our area because of the problems you perceive, then that is something to fight for, so let me know who they are. Otherwise, it is all conjecture and supposition as to "why" we only have bad choices.
What we should be protesting is WHY ripoff artists like Ambit are allowed to prey on consumers ANYWHERE in the country. It's NOT just a "LI only" problem. Far from it.
Last edited by I_Love_LI_but; 03-29-2013 at 12:13 PM..
a very small percentage of your energy bill goes to LIPA/Nat Grid. most of what you pay on your bill is taxes, surcharges, tariffs, mandates and government butt rape. the devil you know is better than the one you don't. most of these esco's just want your signature. once they have that, you're doomed.
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