An electricity bill that’s skyrocketing well beyond what your neighbors are paying is a red flag no one should ignore. I’ll share what I discovered about my electric bill, what it looked like, the steps I took to address the issue, and the outcome.
Please don’t fall for their tricks.
It all started when my wife pointed out how expensive our electric bill was for the month. She’s been telling me for well over a year. She asked why it could be so high, and I explained that we had not done anything differently compared to previous months or even the same time last year. We have experienced a couple of power outages, and one of our children is now away at college.
Yes, the weather had changed, which led us to use the heat more often, but in the past, this usually caused our gas bill to increase significantly while our electric bill stayed about the same or even decreased since we were not running the air conditioner as we do during the summer.
With all that in mind, it was finally time to figure out what was going on with our monthly electric bill. The first thought was to call the electric company. However, we all know how frustrating it can be to deal with customer service lines for billing issues. Whether it is cable, electricity, gas, or your phone company, it always feels like a hassle to get anything resolved. This is exactly why many people avoid making those calls. Time is the biggest factor, and no one wants to waste it dealing with these companies.
Penelec Call One
I was determined to figure this out, so I decided to call Penelec. After navigating through several prompts on their system, I finally got through to a representative. It took about 40 minutes on hold, but fortunately, it was not an issue since I was working and had my phone on in the background.
Eventually, a very helpful representative answered and was willing to address all my questions. Since I did not fully understand how kilowatt hours, pricing, suppliers, and distribution worked, I had no idea what to expect. She patiently explained why the prices had increased so much and mentioned that our supply line comes from a company called Clean Sky Energy.
We apparently signed up for their program in 2019, but neither my wife nor I have any recollection of doing so. The representative explained that Clean Sky Energy charges $0.24 per kilowatt hour compared to Penelec’s rate of $0.10 per kilowatt hour. To put this into perspective, the difference of $0.14 per kilowatt hour on 1,500 kilowatt hours adds up to a significant amount.
She went on to tell me that if we had stayed with Penelec, our bill for the month would have been $262. Instead, because we were using Clean Sky Energy, our bill was $469. This has likely been going on for months, if not years.
To make matters worse, she mentioned there is also a $6 monthly fee just for being part of their program. That adds up to $72 a year for no reason. It is frustrating to realize I have been spending unnecessary money on electricity without even knowing it.
I kept my cool and asked, “What the heck is going on here?” She responded, “I understand your concern.” I then asked what I could do to cancel this service and figure out who these people even were. I even asked her directly if this was a scam. She explained that, due to Pennsylvania regulations and policies, she could not label it as a scam (Meaning it IS). Instead, she advised me to contact Clean Sky Energy directly, verify if I had any contracts with them, and find out how to cancel.
She also warned me not to cancel directly through Clean Sky Energy, as it could take up to 30 days or even two billing cycles to process the cancellation. After our conversation, I decided to reach out to Clean Sky Energy to get more information and resolve the issue.
Clean Sky Energy
The representative from Penelec gave me the number for Clean Sky Energy, and I called them immediately after our conversation. I got through quickly, and the customer service representative was polite. I asked straightforward questions like, “Who are you, what is this, and how do I cancel it?”
She explained that we had signed a contract in 2019, either myself or my wife, though neither of us can remember doing so. She said we were given a specific rate at that time, which would change after a set period, usually a year. At that point, we were supposed to contact them to review the rate or decide whether to continue or switch providers. Of course, they rely on people forgetting to check back, which allows them to significantly increase the rate.
In our case, they boosted the rate to nearly two and a half times Penelec’s rate. I expressed my frustration, and she replied, “I completely understand.” She then offered to cancel our Clean Sky Energy supply line so we could go directly with Penelec. It almost felt like she knew how unfair it was and was ready to part ways without a fight.
However, based on my earlier conversation with Penelec, I knew not to cancel through Clean Sky Energy directly, as it could take up to two billing cycles to process. Instead, I politely thanked her for the information and said I would be in touch. I then hung up and called Penelec again to handle the cancellation through them.
Penelec Call Two
Onto my second call with Penelec. This time, the hold time was only 20 minutes, and I spoke to another very nice representative. When she pulled up my account and saw that my rate was $0.2399 per kilowatt hour compared to Penelec’s $0.101 per kilowatt hour, she actually let out a “wow.”
She asked if I had confirmed with Clean Sky Energy that there was no contract, cancellation policy, or penalties involved. I told her I had not, and she said, “No problem, I’ll go ahead and remove Clean Sky Energy for you.”
We continued talking for a few more minutes, and she explained that it might take another billing cycle to fully remove them from my account. She also suggested I call the Public Utility Commission to report the situation, just in case. She provided their number, and I decided to make that call the next day.
Public Utility Commission
I contacted the Public Utility Commission, and it only took a few minutes to get through to someone. Due to Pennsylvania’s regulations on electricity, these commissions are available to file complaints and address concerns. The representative acted as an intermediary, remaining neutral but understanding my complaint, noting that situations like mine happen all the time.
The key takeaway is that this is happening frequently across the country. The deregulation of utilities allows companies to exploit consumers, taking advantage of the lack of oversight. In my case, we were clearly taken advantage of, and now it is time to take a stand. I plan to fight to recover some of the money I never should have spent in the first place.
I have officially opened a case, and we will see what happens. At the end of this process, I will provide an update in this article to share whether I receive any restitution for this ordeal.
Customer Service at All Locations
I’m pleased to report that I had a generally pleasant experience speaking with the various representatives. Their willingness to help and provide the information I needed is the main reason I didn’t lose my patience. This situation is nothing personal against customer service at all.
The only downside was the hold times and call prompts with Penelec. I had to wait 40 minutes on the first call and 20 minutes on the second. However, both representatives were very kind and helpful, which made up for the inconvenience.
Thoughts on All of This
Always keep in mind that whether it is Netflix, AT&T, your local energy provider, or gas company, you should never let them take advantage of you. It is crucial to stay on top of everything you are signed up for because the amount of money you could be wasting might be way more than you think.
I was shocked to realize how much money we could have saved each year. We are talking about thousands of dollars wasted annually on unnecessary billing. This realization has made me very uncomfortable and more frustrated than ever with public utilities.
From now on, I will be constantly on the lookout for issues like this, and I encourage you to do the same. If you have any questions about your situation or a similar one, I would be more than happy to help you out to the best of my ability.
Final Outcome
Discovering something like this makes you feel compelled to help others avoid the same situation. I truly hope everything works out, and I encourage you to stay vigilant with your own bills and services.
As of January 14, 2025, my case is still in progress. Once it is resolved, I will provide an update with the final outcome. Look for a “Case Update” section below to see what happens. Stay tuned!