Energy Plus Holdings Pricing Fraud Philadelphia Philadelphia

I am writing in regards to electricity supplier Energy Plus Holdings LLC under a contract with the BGE utility.

In the summer of 2014, I signed up with Energy Plus Holdings LLC.  due to their low promotional rate and offers for rewards points in conjunction with my Marriot Visa card. There was no clear communication that this was a variable rate and certainly no details were provided as to how the rate would be changed throughout the service period. For the first few months, the rate remained low and my BGE bill was as it always has been, between $150-$250 monthly, depending on seasonal energy use requirements.  My November bill was $347, much higher than usual, but I attributed that to possible higher energy usage. However, in December my energy bill was $542.77, and upon closer look I realized that the rate per kwh being charged by Energy plus is19.39 cents, whereas the SOS rate is 8.75 cents/kwh. Based on the SOS rate, my bill should have been no more than $300.  There was no warning before this enormous rate increase was enacted and there was no opportunity to review my options and cancel my plan.

Upon research into online reviews, I discovered that hundreds of other consumers have had the same complaint; Energy Plus offers an initial bait rate and then without warning raises the rates to 13 cents and then 19 cents, resulting in exorbitant and outrageously high utility bills. This company has been the target of multiple class action lawsuits due to their duplicitous pricing and price gouging techniques. This is absolutely unacceptable. I am demanding a $300 rebate for months of price gouging and obscene rate increases without warning.

In addition, I would recommend that this company be investigated for consumer fraud and that it should be communicated to the company that if they continue with these unscrupulous practices, they should not be entitled to provide energy services in Maryland. I am not the first person to be adversely affected by this company's fraudulent activities and if nothing is done to stop them, I will not be the last.