Has this ever happened to you? You’re seated around the table with your family eating dinner and there’s a knock at the door. When you answer it, there’s a salesman telling you he has a great deal on an energy plan. He may even ask to see a copy of your utility bill and even promise a free smart home device or football jersey if you sign up right now. What do you do?
The truth is, energy offers, whether in the mail, on the phone or in-person by door-to-door solicitors can be really confusing. It is very hard to compare two offers because there are so many variables in the terms and conditions that can greatly affect how good of an offer you really are getting. And while a low rate and a free gift are tempting, you're more than likely to be making up the cost of the two once your introductory rate period is over.
In some cases, fast-talking solicitors will try to get you to switch providers without you realizing it. It's important to never show a copy of your utility bill, even if the person at the door is claiming to be your current utility supplier. Doing so gives them the information they need to enroll you in a plan without your verbal permission and, if you're too late to cancel, you may be charged with an expensive cancellation fee.
Ask the Right Questions
Don't be swayed by a low rate and free gifts. When a door-to-door energy salesman comes to your door, here are the questions you should be asking:
- How long will my rate remain in effect?
- Are you a PUCO-certified supplier?
- Is the price fixed or does it change?
- What is the price?
- Is there a fee if I cancel the product early?
- Is there a switching fee?
- Are you licensed as a door-to-door solicitor in my community?
- What happens when my contract expires?
- How long has the company been in business?
- Who provides the billing?
Why NOPEC is Different
NOPEC takes a long-term approach to energy rates and doesn’t offer a low intro-rate for signing up only to raise the rates a few months later when the intro period ends. We don’t use gimmicks to trick residents into signing up with us. As a non-profit governmental aggregation, we bring residents and small businesses in over 235 Ohio communities to form a large buying group. This allows us to use bulk buying techniques to negotiate better energy rates terms and conditions.
NOPEC customers know they are purchasing energy that is consistently priced as one of the lowest in the market. To find out more about the different energy products NOPEC offers, check out out our pricing page.
Categories: Consumer Questions
