Universal Gas Electric Corporation This company told me that my consumer bill will be low come to find out that made my bill higher and they did not say they were going to charge me anything Dublin Ohio

are you saying we don't know when our heat bill doubles & triples after signing up with UGE?

Say a gallon of milk is $2.00 this year, it may go up to $3.00 next year. But why would we want to pay $3.00 for it this year?

and you aren't trained to lie? My nephew worked for you one week & quit after he realized how shady UGE is! Not only do you lie to the customers (suckers) you also lie to your employees! You are masters of deceit! Thats what your weekly meetings are all about!

I was also lied to & entrapped into their 5 year contact. They promised to lower my bills & instead doubled & tripled them! I still have an $800 bal due from last winter! after paying $200 a month all year. Once they switch you over it's no more Mr Nice Guy.

After you find out they are crooks it's too late to get out. They give you the run around & say too bad & no we didn't promise that!

The newspapers here said to call the police if they showed up in your nieghborhood. So I called & the police were here within 5 minutes! Not A CON? well the police are taking the complaints serious enough to prevent other people from being taken in!

AVOID these crooks & warn all your friends & nieghbors

In response to:

"PLUS THERE ARE STILL MASSIVE FEES FROM OUR UTILITY BILLER. I AM PAYING 50% MORE FOR GAS PLUS ANOTHER 35 TO 50 DOLLARS A MONTH FROM DTE STILL."

Your utility company cannot and will not charge you with any additional fees for signing up with an alternative gas supplier (AGS).

-From the Michigan Public Service Commission:
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mpsc/makinginformedchoice_188250_7.pdf

Making an Informed Choice
Many Michigan residential natural gas customers now have the option of participating in the Natural Gas Customer Choice Program (Choice) or remaining a full-service customer with their current gas utility. If you participate in Choice, you will buy your natural gas from an Alternative Gas Supplier (AGS).

Sample bills of a full service utility customer and an AGS gas choice customer are compared below.

Example Full-Service Customer Utility Bill:

Current Charges
Customer Charge (1) $8.50
Distribution Charge (1) 100 Ccf @ 0.163440 = $16.34
GAS COST RECOVERY CHARGE X Ccf @ current regulated rate = $ ?
Michigan Sales Tax 4% $____
Total Current Bill $Total

Example AGS Customer Utility Bill:

Current Charges
Customer Charge (1) $8.50
Distribution Charge (1) 100 Ccf @ 0.163440 = $16.34
AGS SUPPLIER CHARGE X Ccf @ AGS unregulated contract price = $ ?
Michigan Sales Tax 4% $____
Total Current Bill $Total

(1) Charges assessed by your utility for meter reading, billing, and delivering (distributing) the gas to your home. These charges are regulated by the MPSC and ARE THE SAME WHETHER YOU ARE A FULL-SERVICE OR CHOICE CUSTOMER.

So, clearly we observe that 1.) An alternative gas supplier simply replaces your utility company's GAS COST RECOVERY CHARGE with their AGS SUPPLIER CHARGE for gas, and 2.) All other utility charges remain the same.

Again, the website address is: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mpsc/makinginformedchoice_188250_7.pdf

As for the 50% increase in gas price...this is a little more complicated. There are two variables that determine exactly how much your gas prices will go up (or down) on your first bill with an AGS. The first is your utility company's CURRENT Gas Cost Recovery Factor (per CCF). The second is your AGS's contract price (per CCF).

Here are recent utility company rates for Michigan residents:

DTE Energy/MichCon (Price per Ccf):
January 2008 $0.70000
February 2008 $0.70000
March 2008 $0.84900 (14.900 increase = 21.3% increase)
April 2008 Pending MPSC approval

Consumers Energy (Price per Ccf):
January 2008 $0.76714
February 2008 $0.76859
March 2008 $0.76934
April 2008 $0.89547 (12.613 increase = 16.4% increase)

As of February 2008, Universal Gas & Electric guarantees your price at $1.049 for the next five years, with an introductory rate of $0.839 for the first three months. What that means is that if a person signed up today, they would actually enjoy a DISCOUNT period through the summer.

As of today, the most a DTE Energy/MichCon customer would pay is 23.5% more.
The most a Consumer Energy customer would pay is 17.1% more.

So, when making a decision to enroll with Universal, you have to ask yourself if you believe gas prices will increase 23.5% or 17.1%, respectively, over the next 5 years. Looking at historical gas prices could help aid your decision.

For example, roughly five years ago, in January 2003:
DTE Energy/MichCon charged $0.4140 / Ccf (Their gas price has gone up 205%).
Consumers Energy charged $0.3700 / Ccf (Their gas price has gone up 242%).

As for customers who signed up before February 2008, there is no reason to worry. Gas prices are going up just like they have in the past. Usually, it takes about a year for utility gas rates to reach the protected price. After that, you save more and more money each year as gas prices get higher and higher. Rejoice, five years from now you will only be paying $1.049/Ccf, imagine how much more prices will be then.

(By the way, I know what you're thinking..."What if gas prices don't increase like they have in the past?...or, what if they stay the same?...or, even worse, what if they go down in the future?" Relax, if you read the User's Guide, you will see the Blend and Extend Option. This option allows you to get a lower protected price if any of the previously mentioned scenarios occur. YOU ARE NOT LOCKED INTO YOUR PRICE, THUS YOU ARE PROTECTED FROM OVERPAYING. Take advantage of the Blend and Extend Option.

Here's my tip: If your utility company's rate has not reached your protected rate after the first 9 months from your enrollment date, exercise the Blend and Extend Option to get a lower protected rate!

DTE Energy/MichCon rates can be found here:
http://my.dteenergy.com/otherInformation/pdfs/rateCard.pdf
or here:
http://www.dleg.state.mi.us/mpsc/gas/ratebooks/michcon/michcon5cur.pdf
(GCR Factors are found on page 99)

Consumer Energy rates can be found here:
http://www.consumersenergy.com/welcome.htm (Then click on "For Home" tab, then the "Energy Answers" hyperlink, then (at the bottom in blue) click the "18-Month History" hyperlink.)
or here:
http://www.dleg.state.mi.us/mpsc/gas/ratebooks/ce/consumers2cur.pdf
(GCR Factors are on page 91)

What is wrong with you?
My UG&E RATE IS 50% HIGHER

went from .700 to 1.04.9

thats a .35 increase
.35 + .35 + = .70

Einstein

PLUS THERE ARE STILL MASSIVE FEES FROM OUR UTILITY BILLER.
I AM PAYING 50% MORE FOR GAS PLUS ANOTHER 35 TO 50 DOLLARS A MONTH FROM DTE STILL.

SCAMMER.

I AM FOLLOWING EVERY AVENUE AVAILABLE TO BRING THIS CORP. DOWN.
i WILL GET MY MONEY BACK ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.

KEEP TALKING FOOLISH
YOU KNOW SQUAT

What is wrong with you?
My UG&E RATE IS 50% HIGHER

went from .700 to 1.04.9

thats a .35 increase
.35 + .35 + = .70

Einstein

PLUS THERE ARE STILL MASSIVE FEES FROM OUR UTILITY BILLER.
I AM PAYING 50% MORE FOR GAS PLUS ANOTHER 35 TO 50 DOLLARS A MONTH FROM DTE STILL.

SCAMMER.

I AM FOLLOWING EVERY AVENUE AVAILABLE TO BRING THIS CORP. DOWN.
i WILL GET MY MONEY BACK ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.

KEEP TALKING FOOLISH
YOU KNOW SQUAT

What is wrong with you?
My UG&E RATE IS 50% HIGHER

went from .700 to 1.04.9

thats a .35 increase
.35 + .35 + = .70

Einstein

PLUS THERE ARE STILL MASSIVE FEES FROM OUR UTILITY BILLER.
I AM PAYING 50% MORE FOR GAS PLUS ANOTHER 35 TO 50 DOLLARS A MONTH FROM DTE STILL.

SCAMMER.

I AM FOLLOWING EVERY AVENUE AVAILABLE TO BRING THIS CORP. DOWN.
i WILL GET MY MONEY BACK ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.

KEEP TALKING FOOLISH
YOU KNOW SQUAT

What is wrong with you?
My UG&E RATE IS 50% HIGHER

went from .700 to 1.04.9

thats a .35 increase
.35 + .35 + = .70

Einstein

PLUS THERE ARE STILL MASSIVE FEES FROM OUR UTILITY BILLER.
I AM PAYING 50% MORE FOR GAS PLUS ANOTHER 35 TO 50 DOLLARS A MONTH FROM DTE STILL.

SCAMMER.

I AM FOLLOWING EVERY AVENUE AVAILABLE TO BRING THIS CORP. DOWN.
i WILL GET MY MONEY BACK ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.

KEEP TALKING FOOLISH
YOU KNOW SQUAT

The complaint made by Quette is filled with misinformation and slander and I would like to set the record straight.

1. First off, Universal Gas & Electric Corp. is not located in Dublin, OH (as the complaint claims). Currently, Universal is only licensed as an alternative gas supplier in the state of Michigan, with their corporate headquarters being Southfield, MI. However, there is an alternative gas supplier based out of Dublin, OH. That company's name is Interstate Gas Supply, Inc. (IGS) and they do operate in the state of Michigan. It IS possible that you signed a gas supply contract with IGS and are not even a customer of Universal!!!

2. You should never sign a five-year gas supply contract "...because somebody said it would lower your bill..." There are numerous alternative gas suppliers available to consumers in Michigan. Each supplier offers a unique program based upon pricing and length of time. It is up to you, as a consumer, to inform yourself of the various programs and make a decision that best fits your situation.

3. It is impossible for a gas bill to go from $200.00 to $500.00 simply by signing up with Universal Gas & Electric. Gas rates fluctuate on a MONTHLY basis, but overall, have nearly tripled over the past few YEARS. Universal offers a protected rate that cannot increase over the next five YEARS. On any given MONTH, the normal utility rate can be higher or lower than Universal's protected rate. In fact, in recent months, the normal utility rate has actually decreased slightly. (But this is a normal occurrence with gas rates. If you look at the past few years you will see the same phenomena happened from 2001-2002, then gas prices soared again).

My point is, the protected rate offered by Universal has been abnormally higher than the normal utility rate (by up to 35% initially). So, assuming the worst case scenario, Quette's $200.00 gas bill would initially go to $270.00. The maximum increase would be $70...not the claimed $300. (You pay this premium now because you assume that gas prices are going to continue to rise. The higher that gas prices rise over the next five years, the more you save).

With the program, your total usage (measured in CCFs) still determines your total bill. The increase in the bill is probably due to higher usage levels (especially in winter months).

4. Employees are not trained to lie. They attend daily morning workshops, are provided with scripts, and, when a customer signs and enrolls into the program, the customer receives a verification phone call. That verification phone call usually comes within a few minutes of the customer signing the contract. The purpose of the phone call is to verify that the program was explained correctly to the customer, that the customer wants the program, and that agent was professional. (At the end of the phone call, the customer rates the agent on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the best). No one is enrolled who does not want to be. Did you say anything negative about the agent on the phone call???

The problem with Universal Gas & Electric is not with the 5 Year Price Protection Program itself. (That program was studied and approved by the Michigan Public Service Commission because, historically, similar programs have saved people money). The problem lies between the agent and the customer. It appears that some customers think they are going to save right away (even though they have been told the protected price numerous times by the agent and the customer service phone call). The program is designed to save you money in years 2, 3, 4, and 5, not necessarily in the first year. It's unfortunate that you didn't understand the program when you entered into it. But it is a great program...you just have to give it time to work for you.

Oh, and if you didn't read the user guide completely, if the normal utility rate hasn't reached your protected rate after the first nine months...call the number on the contract and you can get a lower protected rate at no cost!