Gas & Electric utilities

IGS has been on a slamfest.

Columbia Gas has or will send you a postcard to confirm the switch. There is a telephone number on that card that can be used to cancel the change using the automated system.

I have used the number on the postcard both times that IGS slammed me.

The post card came while we were out of town and we missed the deadline to cancel. The 800 number won't accept the automated response.
Any other way to notify Columbia Gas (besides calls and being on hold or told to call back)?

Appear in person at their office?? maybe?

Too bad the PUCO is a farce.

I couldn't agree more with justread.
Does anyone remember the PUCO ever denying a rate increase? The most I ever remember is them granting a smaller one than requested.

They just denied AEP a major increase.

The switch was negotiated on your behalf: http://www.toledoblade.com/Energy/2012/03/26/Coalition-reaches-new-contract-for-natural-gas.html

I got the same postcard and had the same questions as Trilby. I was all set to fight the switch and then decided that, well, maybe the coalition knows what they're talking about.

Someone came to my daughters door and she told them she wasn't interested in switching gas suppliers and a month later she receives the same post card that it was switched on her. She is calling to have it switched back.

Same thing happened to me recently but for Toledo Edison electric. When I called them last they said "Well you can have different 'providers' but it all comes from us".

So not sure what the deal is, I never asked or authorized to be in a 3rd party plan.

IGS called me and tried to get me to switch plans. They were really aggressive. Just wouldn't stop selling. That's what made me suspicious of them. A card came three days later. I do remember the aggregate process though.... Maybe the slamming comes when you switch out, they will find a way to switch you back.

If its a better plan, what's the problem? I got the postcard too, but now I'm questioning calling Columbia about it.

If there's a problem, it's in the communication process.
IGS is better at letting you know whose customer you are than Columbia Gas is. I'll bet they are getting a lot of opt-back-outs.
Endless cycle.

I had some woman show up at my door (Old West End) yesterday wanting to talk to me about "saving money on my electric bill".

1) I don't care to deal with 3rd parties and B) I find door-to-door sales particularly invasive.

Upso, when I have received an unexpected "you've been switched" card in that past, my primary conclusion was "Do I really want to trust and do business with a company that operates in such a deceptive way?"

Plus, make sure you really know that you're comparing apples to apples, price wise. In many other markets, the IGS price was, in reality, quite a bit higher than the default, standard choice price. And you're locked in to that "flat rate", too. Read the fine print to make sure you have an out with no payment penalty if you want to go back to Columbia's default source.

NOAC-is a city aggregation negotiated rate plan. Most of the communities in NW Ohio have banded together to negotiate a better rate plan. IGS has been chosen 6 years in a row as this supplier. They do this each Winter (I had no idea), and then you switch back to Columbia Gas in the Spring. IGS is always exactly $02.2 cheaper per cubic foot of gas vs. Columbia Gas during the winter months. Both are variable rates. This is not a scam, although it's horribly communicated. I really thought I was getting duped, but it's actually a pretty decent plan.

Phone number for IGS is (877) 444-7427

With these suppliers the thing you have to think about is that right now - yes - their rates maybe higher than the standard variable. Well what happens when the wholesale $/dth continues to increase? Your variable will ride that wave.

For electricity - FES, Duke Energy, & AEP Retail are all offering low fixed rates with gift cards. These are around .056 - .059/kwh and are much better than the 7 year deals being offered by FES and AEP Retail.