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<blockquote data-quote="KPRC2" data-source="post: 31566" data-attributes="member: 148">We protect our homes and property by locking doors and gates. We put passwords on accounts with sensitive information. But KPRC 2 Investigates discovered there’s nothing you can do to protect your electric service from getting canceled or switched without your consent. It happened to one Northshore man and he contacted our team for help. What we found out about your rights and your electricity service might surprise you.<h3>Surprise change to electricity bill</h3>Shawn Rial locked in a rate for electricity at 5 cents a kilowatt for the next 18 months, or so he thought.“I’ve been with a discount for probably seven, eight years,” he said.But last wee, Rial received this postcard in the mail with his address and his meter number and someone else’s name. It reads, “ERCOT has been notified that you have chosen to change your retail electric provider to clean sky energy.”“I didn’t know what to think at first,” Rial explained.<img src="https://www.click2houston.com/resizer/kNyeWFQMnUfKgvuY-Gnwi1VZZWk=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/AUZLMRYYHVAAPPXAJIFKYPAL5M.png" alt="KPRC2 Investigates how switched or canceled electric service could happen to anyone." class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />That same day Rial received a $399 bill from Discount Power that included a $300 early termination fee. Rial followed the instructions on the postcard and filed complaints with Discount Power and Clean Sky. Both told him they would investigate and get him switched back to discount as soon as possible. But that the whole process could take up to two billing cycles or 60 days.“So technically, I don’t really know what I’m paying for electricity at this very moment,” said Rial. “I could be paying 15 cents right now and I normally pay five.”<h3>How could the electricity get switched without consent?</h3>We reached out to Clean Sky Power. The chief operating officer told us it appears Shawn’s electricity was accidentally switched when someone called in and gave the wrong address to sign up for service and Discount Power told him he was on the hook for the early termination fee until the investigation was complete.“It’s a slippery slope that I’m on because I’m just kind of in the middle of two companies basically saying, ‘we’ll get back to you,’” he said.<img src="https://www.click2houston.com/resizer/431HcZoYU4CB-UmEeq9U0IX_Gpo=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/XZXG6IMO5FAYTD5MGBQTK2MERY.png" alt="KPRC2 Investigates how switched or canceled electric service could happen to anyone." class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />We told Rial to file a <a href="https://www.puc.texas.gov/consumer/complaint/Complaint.aspx" target="_blank">complaint with the Public Utility Commission </a>right away.<h3>Your rights if your electricity is switched without your consent</h3>The <a href="https://www.puc.texas.gov/agency/rulesnlaws/subrules/electric/25.495/25.495.Pdf" target="_blank">Texas Administrative code says</a> when any retail electric provider receives a customer complaint through the PUC it shall “cease any collection activity related to the alleged unauthorized switch until the complaint has been resolved.”It also says, “The customer shall pay no more than the price they would have been billed has the unauthorized switch not occurred.”“It can happen to anybody. There’s no safety net, with any company with any person,” said Rial.Making companies aware that you know the law and what they are required to follow is half the battle. If you have a problem with your electricity provider, <a href="https://www.puc.texas.gov/consumer/complaint/Complaint.aspx" target="_blank">you can file a complaint with the PUC here. </a><a href="https://www.click2houston.com/news/investigates/2022/05/25/kprc-2-investigates-customer-shocked-by-surprise-electricity-switch/" target="_blank">Continue reading...</a></blockquote>

[QUOTE="KPRC2, post: 31566, member: 148"] We protect our homes and property by locking doors and gates. We put passwords on accounts with sensitive information. But KPRC 2 Investigates discovered there’s nothing you can do to protect your electric service from getting canceled or switched without your consent. It happened to one Northshore man and he contacted our team for help. What we found out about your rights and your electricity service might surprise you. [HEADING=2]Surprise change to electricity bill[/HEADING] Shawn Rial locked in a rate for electricity at 5 cents a kilowatt for the next 18 months, or so he thought. “I’ve been with a discount for probably seven, eight years,” he said. But last wee, Rial received this postcard in the mail with his address and his meter number and someone else’s name. It reads, “ERCOT has been notified that you have chosen to change your retail electric provider to clean sky energy.” “I didn’t know what to think at first,” Rial explained. [IMG alt="KPRC2 Investigates how switched or canceled electric service could happen to anyone."]https://www.click2houston.com/resizer/kNyeWFQMnUfKgvuY-Gnwi1VZZWk=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/AUZLMRYYHVAAPPXAJIFKYPAL5M.png[/IMG] That same day Rial received a $399 bill from Discount Power that included a $300 early termination fee. Rial followed the instructions on the postcard and filed complaints with Discount Power and Clean Sky. Both told him they would investigate and get him switched back to discount as soon as possible. But that the whole process could take up to two billing cycles or 60 days. “So technically, I don’t really know what I’m paying for electricity at this very moment,” said Rial. “I could be paying 15 cents right now and I normally pay five.” [HEADING=2]How could the electricity get switched without consent?[/HEADING] We reached out to Clean Sky Power. The chief operating officer told us it appears Shawn’s electricity was accidentally switched when someone called in and gave the wrong address to sign up for service and Discount Power told him he was on the hook for the early termination fee until the investigation was complete. “It’s a slippery slope that I’m on because I’m just kind of in the middle of two companies basically saying, ‘we’ll get back to you,’” he said. [IMG alt="KPRC2 Investigates how switched or canceled electric service could happen to anyone."]https://www.click2houston.com/resizer/431HcZoYU4CB-UmEeq9U0IX_Gpo=/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/XZXG6IMO5FAYTD5MGBQTK2MERY.png[/IMG] We told Rial to file a [URL='https://www.puc.texas.gov/consumer/complaint/Complaint.aspx']complaint with the Public Utility Commission [/URL]right away. [HEADING=2]Your rights if your electricity is switched without your consent[/HEADING] The [URL='https://www.puc.texas.gov/agency/rulesnlaws/subrules/electric/25.495/25.495.Pdf']Texas Administrative code says[/URL] when any retail electric provider receives a customer complaint through the PUC it shall “cease any collection activity related to the alleged unauthorized switch until the complaint has been resolved.” It also says, “The customer shall pay no more than the price they would have been billed has the unauthorized switch not occurred.” “It can happen to anybody. There’s no safety net, with any company with any person,” said Rial. Making companies aware that you know the law and what they are required to follow is half the battle. If you have a problem with your electricity provider, [URL='https://www.puc.texas.gov/consumer/complaint/Complaint.aspx']you can file a complaint with the PUC here. [/URL] [url="https://www.click2houston.com/news/investigates/2022/05/25/kprc-2-investigates-customer-shocked-by-surprise-electricity-switch/"]Continue reading...[/url] [/QUOTE]

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