Reliant Energy Reviews

On March 12th, I received a bill for $787.38! According to Reliant Energy, a Centerpoint Energy Technician changed our meter and "discovered" - i.e. guessed- that our meter had been slowly breaking for several months! So,according to the brilliant "customer care" representative, Reliant Energy/Centerpoint Energy decided to look back at our 2009 statements/energy usage and charge us the difference from what we had already paid for the past several months, compared to what they "think" we should have been charged.

This outrageous amount was then added to the new current due amount. (Even though nothing was wrong with the meter until we called because we were receiving regular bill amounts that were the same amounts that we were used to paying for electricity- $250-$350/month). So, according to Reliant Energy, on this new "corrected invoice," we are now being charged an estimated usage amount based on last year's usage even though we had already paid our bills in full. They actually told me they were doing me a favor because usually Reliant Energy would back track/retro a bill back to July = so we were lucky they were only back tracking this account to November 2009!

To add insult to injury, the Reliant Energy representative advised me that our account was not eligible for a deferred payment plan because our meter was tagged a "meter that had been tampered with" and they do not do any special payment arrangements with accounts who have "tampering issues". I have no idea where this statement came from other than one last attempt to get off the phone. This representative was very anxious to get off the phone and had very little to say with the exception "is there anything else I can do for you? Have a great evening" stuff. This is totally unfair and too controlled by Reliant/Centerpoint. This is a good example of a monopoly. This has to stop!

My thermostat is setting on 65 degrees for the winter and I keep all small appliances, TV., etc. unplugged when not in use. I do keep a refrigerator, small freezer and a water heater on all the time, even when I had the lowest bills for electricity. Furthermore, the months the average was 1352.4 there were several family members living at my house taking no less than 5 daily baths, cooking 5 times more food and staying 5 times cooler or warmer than the last two months when I was the only person using any energy and that was when I was not working or out up to 12 hours a day every day of the week.

There have been more than enough times when there are ridiculous fluctuations in the energy usage and I have called more than enough times and asked that the meter be checked. I was never charged for having a correct reading so I can only suppose that no one came out. I even tried your plan Secure - 12 with 20% wind to save money. The kWh charges went from 15 down to less than 13 for one month. Then came the Smart meter! I have done everything recommended and have gotten nothing but higher bills and rude, lousy, irresponsible service.

I tried the Secure - 12 with 20% Wind plan and my charges went up so high I felt that may be the cause so I opted out and was rewarded with a $150.00 bill for early cancellation fee. If a service does not deliver a promised results then why a person should be required to pay? One of the times I asked for a meter reread I took off work for two days. (I was told it may take two days for a person to come out)And I wanted to make sure everything was as Reliant said it would be but no one came to look at my meter.

So now on top of being overcharged I am out two days of pay. My experience trying to communicate with a service representative was trying to make out what someone in Matamoros, Mexico was saying to me in English as their second language. The most recent recommendation from the service representative was (I should turn the thermostat up higher) and that was really the last I could take because after all that I have done and then being treated like this sent me into a whirlwind of distress causing ill health and hopelessness. I am so cold from trying to prevent you people from taking more from me than what you should be legally entitled to that I have had pneumonia twice this winter.

Remember when the power and light was deregulated? Reliant started up and advertised $50 to change over and reduced rates? Most people were not interested and started getting huge charges from Oncor usage readings so they eventually changed thinking TXU was overcharging. I got caught up in that too. Shame on them. Now I have even been so upset I have wasted more of my precious time sitting here venting. I can't even think of anything horrible enough to rename Reliant and Oncor Energy Cos.

They said that to them it doesn't matter what the meter says and that another company is responsible for the reading issues. Also, they said that there was nothing they can do for me. And I need to just pay.

Now, they have put in a claim with the company that handles the meter, but they said that does not concern them and that I will still have to pay the bills until someone gets time from Encore company to reread the meter again. I now know after reading into this a little more. They put in new digital meters exactly 2 months ago and are in court, as we speak, in the neighboring city of Killeen, TX for the exact same issues. Is this what this all comes to now?

The company Onocr stated they had 10 days to come and test the meter. In the meantime, I had an electrician come out to make sure everything was okay in my home, everything was running how it should be. On January 26, 2010 Oncor shows up at the house to change out the old meter to the new digital meter. I stressed to the gentlemen that the old meter was supposed to be tested and I was disputing a bill, he stated that he knew nothing about it and changed it out anyway. I called Onocr right away and talked to a supervisor, she stated that there was nothing they could do now that the old meter was off the house. I was held responsible for the bill and I'm terrified that our next month's bill will be double or tripled the amount. Is there anything we can do?

I visited the apartment maybe three times since I moved. I received my bill today and my energy usage doubled from months prior! How is that possible? I was not in the apartment. I called Reliant and a guy named Kenneth gave me the dumbest excuses I have ever heard in my entire life! He proceeded to argue with me about my usage (or the lack thereof).

I was going to complain to Reliant, but apparently, that will do no good! Reliant has the most incompetent people working for them. I have paid out the nose for the last year and they swear up and down that my bills are correct. There is absolutely no way! Everyone in the great state of Texas do not use Reliant!

I am a single parent and I am gone about 12 hours out of the day for work and commuting. I would sometimes shut my air off in the summer just to keep my bill under $300. During July and August, even that did not work. Reliant would just shrug my complaints off and not follow up with what they said they would do. I have had to sell house hold items during the periods when I would receive an unusually (and unexpectedly) high energy bill from Reliant.

I do not have that much money. Actually, I have just changed jobs and my paychecks are $527 a week. So after paying the light bill, I normally have nothing left to take care of my family. I have tried to get them to understand I am a single mother who struggles like everyone else. This problem has caused me to become very stressed out and have anxiety attacks not knowing if my daughter will have power from one day to another. I have a statement showing confirmation numbers. Since Feb. 23, 2009, I have paid Reliant/Center Point $2,199.10 for a house that is not even 1,000 sq ft. I have struggled with this for a long time and I can't get anybody to help me with something I had no control over. I have asked several of my neighbors if this was a problem they had also and they all said they did not get a bill even close to what I did. Please I need help. It is Christmas and not to mention cold outside. It's too cold to go without power. I can be reached at the number below. Feel free to call me.

See, last month, I only owed $92 after average billing kicked in. But five days later, it still wasn't showing on my bank account, even though it was supposed to be automatically drawn on the due day. Fearing they would accuse me of late payments and try taking the $320 security deposit I paid last November, I made another $92 payment. The next day, both were taken out. I wrote Reliant and was told I now had a $92 credit. I was fine with that, because I thought it would cover the next month's bill as well.

After all that mess, four days after moving in, I checked the bill online and saw I owed $149 on the website. I checked the copy of the actual bill they had, and it said I owed $177.02. Confused as all heck, I called up Reliant to ask what had happened to my extra $92 and which number I was expected to pay. That's when I found out the $92 had been credited and used. It paid for half of July's bill. The $177.02 came from the rest of July's bill as well as the deferred balance from average billing in June. (Thank God, I only did one month of that mess or I'd be in even bigger trouble than I am now.)

Anyways, I'm wondering why I was paying the rest of last month's bill. I was informed I was no longer on average billing. Carlos wouldn't really explain that to me too well, but he offered me the option to do deferred payments that would take a down deposit I couldn't afford because I had just moved or put an extension on it until the 26th of August. I chose the extension. The next day, I called back and got Mariana. I wanted to try filing a complaint, stating I had never agreed to the monthly flex plan and wanted to go back to the average billing, hoping that would help somewhat with my current financial difficulties. She informed me of several things.

First, I wasn't on average billing for last month's bill, because it was the last for that apartment. She let me know the same happened for everyone and no one was warned of this. Secondly, she told me even though I am the same person and at the same complex, the apartment is different and so therefore, I have a new account and cannot sign up for average billing again for another month, at least. Nothing is allowed to carry over to new residences, except your security deposit; and all old accounts must be settled for the old residence. So in reality, security deposits and bills carry over, but none of the options or anything else will be allowed to.

Third, I was also informed that in less than 24 hours, my bill had now jumped to $226.69, all to be owed on the same day, my request to be on average billing (which I had been promised by Carlos) could not be done, and the extension I had asked for was out the window.

The new bill consists of June's and July's bill for the old apartment, combined with the bill for five days of residence in the new one. I guess that carried over and applied, too. The new version of my bill reflects the new number, not the $49.67 I am being charged for five days; and the big number will be what is averaged in two months when I am allowed to go back on average billing, because big numbers averaged with other big numbers create big numbers. Big numbers averaged with little numbers create smaller numbers. Reliant averaging the $226 with what will undoubtedly be two more $150 bills will create a roughly $170 bill, while averaging $49 with two $150 bills would create a $115 bill.

See, their average billing requires two full bills averaged in with the third bill that is the start of your average billing. It makes business sense to tack on the biggest number to generate bigger numbers. What I wanna know is if nothing but security deposits are supposed to be carrying over to new residences and why my old bill is being added to my new residence. Simple, so I can get shafted that much easier.

In short, I wasn't told about anything they were going to do to me. One person promised me one thing, and then the next day, I was told something entirely different. At the very least, I know my bills shouldn't be combined; they're two different accounts, so two different charges. I also should be given what I was promised by one of their representatives.

I still don't understand how when I asked why my options couldn't carry over because I am the same person, I was told it was because it is a different number on my door. The account number is the same, and I am the same; the bills themselves are, unfortunately, the same. All those carried over, but not my billing options. How can they do that to you? I'm just thankful I didn't have any more than one month of deferred payments through average billing or I would owe even more now.

I don't understand why she is being held accountable, since he made the agreement and not her. She is being forced to pay the cancellation fee. We were not aware there was any type of agreement in the first place and was not told that when we changed the account from his name to hers. Reliant would not let her come back and waive the $200. They said too many days had passed. It takes roughly 35 days for the new company to make the switch, so I am uncertain how many days are too many days. The contract would have been up in June 2009.

From 8/04/08 to 8/08/08 I was without power to my home. I lost all the frozen food I had stored in both freezers. My auto ice despencer over flow with water and leaked onto the floor. The aquarium filter stop flowing and my tropical fish died. The temperature inside my home was 98d.

I was laid off on May 30th, my bills from April-May were less than $100, June & July nearly $300. I've reduced washer and dryer use. Using ceiling fans and tower units in every room, avoiding the A.C. to see if that will make a difference in the bill. It's just too hot in our 2nd story apartment to NOT use the AC. Every month, I have to decide to pay my electric bill or my car payment. Because they're so inflexible in not allowing me a payment plan, when asked why just yesterday, they finally tell me because of my credit and tendency to pay late. I pay late because I don't have a choice.

I realize that electricity is a commodity and Reliant is a provider, I just think it's a travesty that when people need help, there is none. I was told yesterday to call a government agency. I actually tried two years ago before and before the agency could call me back and tell me they had no resources, my electricity was cut off. I don't think credit should be a factor with an essential such as electricity. It's too bad, but THEY will lose my patronage.

Their agents say Thank you, and we appreciate your business after they tell you they can't help you. It can't be true that they appreciate my business. They got my $250 deposit. I've paid, albeit late, I ask for help when I need it most. They say NO. There's something the matter with that.

IN SPITE of all that, our electric bill still jumped over 60%. Reliant can not explain nor did they try. Just a Well, sir, it was a very hot month. Bottom line, Reliant lies through their teeth about their money saving rates. We're shopping for a new provider.

Ijust want to say that I had no where to go or no money to go to a hotel that night when arriving home. I had to sleep in a house with no electricity and was very hot. Not to mention that I am hypoglycemic. I also want to let you know that all of my food in the refridgerator spoiled. I had gone to the grocery store on Monday, and on Tuesday my service was disconnected.I have no food in my refridgerator as we speak for right now. I do not get paid until the end of the month. Right now my refridgerator is empty. I need to be compensated for this I spent a $100.00 in grocerys. What happened was not my fault.Please have someone do something for their mistake. Thank You,

I called them once again only to be on hold for over an hour. I was told that I had be switched. My question was whom was I switched too and who authorized the switch. After being on hold for about another hour, I was told that I would be switched back and a bill would be sent out. I received a bill for $1,375.00 in which I could not pay of course, so we switched to TXU and now I am stuck with this bill from Reliant which in now over $1,700 and I have no earthly way of paying for it. I am trying to move and I am having trouble getting service for my residence. I was told there was nothing I could do to dispute it. What can I do, cause I need service?

I don't know yet....I might have agreed to give them my first born child....

Reliant says that the first month with them I used 4,512 kWh and the second month with them that I used 4,101 kWh. I have never came close to that with TXU and have my last 12 months of bills to prove it. But reliant said that there was nothing I could do to dispute it and that was all.

Since then, she has moved into a different apartment, #707, in the same complex, and had requested her service be transferred. She was told that there would be no transfer since there is no record of service at #403, so she would simply have new service at 707. My mother moved into 707 over a week ago and has had power in the aparment. The power was shut off today, and after calling to question why, Reliant informed her that the previous tenant had the power shut off, and that my mother would had to request a transfer.

Today, I received another notice, threatening to send me to collections and damage my credit. I would respectfully request you investigate this matter, and have your credit department perform their jobs properly by stopping this harassment, as the practices of your employees are not only illegal, but also unethical.