TXU Energy Killing the middle class Dallas, Texas

Whoa. I have an 800 credit score and I can almost not manage my bills! Granted they are paid on time, however.... it takes almost everything I have to make room for it. Things get paid on time but there ARE two incomes in the house. YES, with economic times, punishing someone for a NECESSITY, is obsurd. Lights are a NECESSITY. I mean, we have moochers on governement aid... they still get aid for food... whatever they want. What about the middle class Mr Man from Colorado. I mean you must be LOADED to have such a wide mouth.... right? Mind sharing some with people that are struggling? Funny the poor can whine and cry and moan about not having anything... so, who saves them???? Us, the middle class. Who pays the rich?? The middle class. Who heals our needs?? NO ONE BUT US! So Mr Colorado I am so rich a can muck over people stuggling to get by, pay the bills on one job.... take care of their kids on one check.... pay the LIGHT bill by a fraudulent adjunct company which they are ALL rip offs just saying. Families who are PAYING THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE, and paying the poors as well, you know... that ol' chesnut. So before you get all high and mighty with your words, why dont you have some compassion for people who are struggling.... or who dont have as much money as you apparently.

Good day,

-An average middle class American with an 800 score.

Whoa. I have an 800 credit score and I can almost not manage my bills! Granted they are paid on time, however.... it takes almost everything I have to make room for it. Things get paid on time but there ARE two incomes in the house. YES, with economic times, punishing someone for a NECESSITY, is obsurd. Lights are a NECESSITY. I mean, we have moochers on governement aid... they still get aid for food... whatever they want. What about the middle class Mr Man from Colorado. I mean you must be LOADED to have such a wide mouth.... right? Mind sharing some with people that are struggling? Funny the poor can whine and cry and moan about not having anything... so, who saves them???? Us, the middle class. Who pays the rich?? The middle class. Who heals our needs?? NO ONE BUT US! So Mr Colorado I am so rich a can muck over people stuggling to get by, pay the bills on one job.... take care of their kids on one check.... pay the LIGHT bill by a fraudulent adjunct company which they are ALL rip offs just saying. Families who are PAYING THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE, and paying the poors as well, you know... that ol' chesnut. So before you get all high and mighty with your words, why dont you have some compassion for people who are struggling.... or who dont have as much money as you apparently.

Good day,

-An average middle class American with an 800 score.

I totally agree with you, regardless of what others may think (i.e. Ken - Greeley), here's why...TXU was irresponsible, or should I say sneaky, by not informing you before you decided to switch from Reliant that they would charge a deposit if you paid late.

They get the consumer to switch through deceiving tactics. They call you, convince you that they are cheaper than Reliant, they explain the hassle free switch, they even go as far as claiming that you will not have to pay a deposit if you switch. Who wouldn't switch? The consumer agrees, and decides to leave Reliant, the same energy company that (although you have paid late) charges nothing more than a *late fee charge* for doing so.

Consumer is now with TXU, and although the bill seems to be cheaper the first several months, it suddenly becomes higher if not more expensive than Reliant. The consumer struggles to pay the electric bill, but manages to pay it before the disconnection date. After this happens more than 2 times, TXU then adds a deposit 3X the amount to your next bill and demands payment.

Question: If the consumer is struggling to pay the basic electric bill, what makes you think they can now fork up 3X that amount for a deposit?

Here is WHY this is a RIPOFF...TXU failed to disclose this information upon signing up. Had they disclosed this important detail upfront, the consumer would have stayed with Reliant. Another fact: Electricity is a necessity, and in the current economy, people are struggling to make ends meet, if charging consumers high deposits after signing on keeps them in business, they shouldn't be in business, that is a rip off!

Warning: This same exact scenario is happening to a lot of consumers, please research TXU before signing up with them, they prey on the vulnerable, and you will be next if you sign up with them. If you are reading this...please inform everyone you know about this company, they need to be held accountable for their actions. 

Thank you

First of all it is good that it worked out for you with the deposit.  But your comments basically proved the point that your 800 credit score may not be truly as spotless as you want to indicate.

I am NEVER late on bills that effect my credit.  TXU does not report monthly to a credit report.
- This statement basically says that because you know that you won't get reported by certain companies you are less vigilant on paying those bills.  This in turn does not show your true payment history.

While I am sure you will totally dismiss this suggestion, but hopefully you take this as a "wake-up call".  Realizing that companies even though they don't report to various credit reporting agencies they still may keep internal history.  So if you continue to be late, or need arrangements, there will eventually be a point where they no longer are going to be willing to waive things such as deposit requirements.

TXU Contacted me and removed the deposit. They appologized and corrected the error...Guess I am sticking with them! Thank You Greg at TXU for doing the right thing.

I was ten days late TWICE!!! I called them both times and they were made aware of that. I dont understand your logic...but I guess you would have to have some.  I was late twice this year...the two years prior were fine becuase we had a two income home.  I was GIVEN a 10 day extension twice in one year...that is what prompted the deposit. I was NEVER over 30 days on the things that effect my credit.  That is why Reliant is not charging me a deposit to switch my service because I have good credit. I am NEVER late on bills that effect my credit.  TXU does not report monthly to a credit report.

I really dont care if you dont believe me...that is why I mad the report because I WAS NEVER over 30 days on my bill. Matter of fact...if I were over thirty days they would have turned the power off. They dont allow your utilities to get behind for months! It is a Utility Company not a credit card company or finance company. Maybe you are thinking of that becuause you allow the bills that effect your credit to get over thirty days but you dont have to be current on utilities to have a good credit score. It only effects your credit if they charge it off, utilities companies do NOT report monthly to your credit report.  Research before you judge!

I never had an issue of paying my bill...
- That would mean that you paid your bill ON-TIME every time.  But by your own admission you have been late.  In fact in 3 years according to you have been more than 10 days late twice.  You also state you have never been more than 5 days late, of course you don't say how many times.  But guess what 1 day late is still late.

Furthermore, just so you know I work for a large Corporation that acutally sells materials to TXU and many other electric providers and TXU NEVER pays sooner than 45 days and ALWAYS tries to take their discounts...which they have 15 day terms.
- So what does that have to do with your due date?...NOTHING.

believe me I have an 800 credit score
- Sorry don't believe this is the entire story.  A person with an 800 credit score is not going to have to make arrangements to pay a utility bill.  The only reason I could see you having the score you do is because you know that you can't be reported late until you are at least 30 days late.  So as long as you pay before that 30 day mark you figure you are okay because it won't show up anywhere.  But in reality you found out that each company keeps it's own "internal" history and knows what your real history is for them..thus TXU decided you have become a higher risk and now require a deposit.

But the good news is that, the deposit is still your money and if you maintain a positive payment history they will return it after a certain amount of time.  Generally it is about 12 consecutive months of ON-TIME payments(that is on or before the due date..not 2-3 days after).

I have done all of those things and more and I have always paid my bills. I have been a customer for almost three years and have been late twice. Both times I called and made arrangments to pay. I have never tried to beat them out of a penny. I am upset because they never told me that I would be charged another deposit for making arrangements with them. I became their customer when they actually became a customer of the company I work for. The comment that they have bills too..well thats correct and they are our customer. The only problem is they have 30 day terms to pay their invoices and they pay 45 days AND ALWAYS try to take their discounts...which they get if they pay within 15 days. They even told me one time, that they are TXU and thats hows it going to be. My point is that Corporations do not care about the people that keep them in business.

I never had an issue of paying my bill...I pay my bills, believe me I have an 800 credit score.  I have never been more than 5 days past due and I have always called them to make arrangements to do so. I have been late twice, no more than 10 days past the due date and I have been a customer for 3 years. The person I spoke with on the phone with TXU agreed that I should not have to pay a deposit for only being late twice.  Furthermore, just so you know I work for a large Corporation that acutally sells materials to TXU and many other electric providers and TXU NEVER pays sooner than 45 days and ALWAYS tries to take their discounts...which they have 15 day terms so please dont act like I am this horrible low life that doesnt want to pay his bills. I have cut every d**n light off in my house and have cut everywhere possible. I dont think an additional $380.00 deposit is fair and neither did the people at TXU, but the person that I talked to stated that once the systems adds this they cant remove it which I find absurd. I left Reliant when TXU became customers of ours and that is the only reason.  I am not out for anything free and I sure as hell am not out to screw anyone out of a penny. I am upset that I was never told that those arrangements would cost me an additional deposit for trying to do the right thing.

Gary,

I am sorry to hear about your issue. I would like to see if I could help. 

Please email me at greg@txu.com so we can discuss.

Thank you,
Greg
TXU Energy

Does TXU charge you more per kwh than other people?

Do they make you pay on time and others don't have to?

Are they providing unreliable service?

I didn't think so.

".. could not believe what I was seeing. I called and right away I was told that it was on there and there was no one or way it was coming off. I cant believe that in todays economy where there are people who cant afford to pay their bill period I am being punished because of bad economy essentially."

Why do you consider it punishment to be asked to pay your bill...on time? 

"To take a family that is struggling to buy groceries even, who have been customers for years and tell them that they must take two weeks of grocery money to give to them to hold on to is obsured and wrong"

What in the world does this have to do with you owing for the energy YOU'VE used?

"These people should be ashamed!"

If companies forgave money owed them or charged YOU less, others have to make it up...but perhaps you prefer socialism.  That's where people with a bit more money than you pay extra to cover for you.

These "people" have NOTHING to be ashamed of in protecting their assets.  To do otherwise would soon put them out of business.

Truly sorry for your hard times, but nobody owes you special treatment.  If you have any way to lessen your energy usage, you should look into it.

try shutting lights when room is empty, turn down the a/c and or heat, tsake shorter showers, make sure Dish washer and or washing machine are full before running, many ways to conserve and save money

remember, the llectric company has expenses also, there vendors will not wait for payment, the retorement plans of the workers, fica, insurance, trucks, maintance of grid....all takes $$$$