Major Energy Electric Services LLC Price Gouging/bait and switch Orangeburg New York

" When I signed up initially in Nov. 2013 it was because the prices were lower than everyone elses! "

   So what did you sign up for?   Did you sign up for something that guaranteed your prices would always be lower than everyone else's?   I don't think so.

   You decided to dump your regulated electricity supplier for an unregulated supplier.   In other words, you are betting that the supplier you chose will always be able supply electricity cheaper than Con Ed (who actually generates electricity).   You are essentially "playing the market" with your electricity bill.

    If you wanted stable rates, why would you ditch a regulated utility that cannot change rates without government approval in favor of an unregulated third party supplier who will charge you based upon the fluctuating market rate of electricity.

   This winter, the electricity market in the Northeast was brutal, due to the several cold snaps.   The supply of electricity from the major generators was very tight due to weather conditions.   That meant that your unregulated utility had to compete with the dozens of others for what little spare electricity was available.   The simple laws of supply and demand should tell you what happens when there is little supply and a lot of demand.

" They are charging more than Con Ed itself by almost DOUBLE! "

   And what were they charging when you signed up?   Do you honestly think you can get prices lower than Con Ed when electricity is plentiful and get the Con Ed price when electricity is scarce?     You can't have the occasional low price of energy from unregulated suppliers and the price stability of a regulated utility.   You have to choose one or the other. 

Your rate is based on the market price for the commodity which, as you've found, can vary significantly.  In other words when demand is high and supplies are limited (which they were/are) the utility raises their prices to keep up.  It's not a scam, just a result of the free market. They are in the same bind as you in that they have to pay the increased price and many can't/won't pay their bills.  Hope it somehow works out for you.

Nope, I don't work for them or ANYONE else, I've been retired from a corporate job for years now.