You sent me a message at 8:11 am today (Sunday) telling me I have $4.27 Positive Balance, lasting approximately 1 day. Moments later you text me I have until 8pm tonight to make a payment or avoid disconnection. I have tried unsuccessfully to login online. And your phones and chat are not available until 9am Monday (I tried both). I WANT to make a payment but am unable to by your deadline. Since you are closed Sunday, customers should not be disconnected until they have a chance to make a payment when you reopen on Monday. Current policy is bad customer service.
Response: Hi Pamela- Your comments state that you received confusing and contradictory messaging which threated disconnection on a Sunday . We understand how alarming this would be and we can offer some clarification. First please note that we do not disconnect on Saturday or Sunday. Also, if you do need to reach us on Sunday you can do so by email between 11:00 AM and 8:00 Pm however our phone lines are closed on Sunday. Also, the alarming message you received is known as a low balance warning and we are required by the Public Utilities Commission to send these out if a customer is within a few days of depleting their balance. It reads as follows: “URGENT: Your balance is critically low and will only last 1 day or less. Please make sure your balance is positive to prevent service interruption. Request an extension online or by phone for additional time. If the extension is approved, you will have until 8PM to make a payment and avoid disconnection.” Even though you received this on a Sunday, what it is stating is that an extension can be requested through your portal or our automated phone system and if granted will be applied until 8:00 PM. Another tip… during the week, disconnection orders are not sent to AEP Central after 3:00 so a protection until 8:00 PM will protect you for the whole day. I hope this helps. Published on June 28, 2024
Watch out for this company! Payless Power will not honor a contract when rates go up between the time you sign up and when the contract begins. I received an email on 4/4/2024 stating that I needed to pay by June 27th at 6 pm for the contract to begin. I paid on 5/29/2024 and was sent a text on 6/03/2024 stating a refund is being processed . Called customer service, they are worthless, trying to talk over you, not listening, etc. I asked to speak to someone else. The next lady I spoke to was nice, though she gave me a new rate that was above the rate I had contracted. Then that rate was not an actual rate according to the sales person I spoke to. Below is a copy of the email I received stating when the payment needed to be made. Watch out, watch out, watch out! This place stinks. On Apr 4, 2024, at 8:32 AM, [email protected] wrote: Hello, Thank you for your inquiry. We understand this is an important matter. We show that the selected start date is 6/27. Please be advised that to ensure same day services, an initial payment must be made before 6:00 pm that day. Regards, Customer Care
Response: Mr Hummel- Your review states that Payless Power refused to honor the rates you signed up for . We can understand why this situation would be concerning to you and we’ve reviewed your account to see what occurred. Our records show that you enrolled for service at the beginning of April but did not make your payment to start service until the end of May. Please note that once the enrollment process has started for pre-paid service, the customer has 30 days to activate the account. This requires the initial payment. If the initial payment is not posted within 30 days of the enrollment process being started, the account will be cancelled. In this case your account was cancelled at the beginning of May. You posted a payment nearly a full month after the account had been cancelled so our system automatically generated a full refund to you. You are warmly invited to start a new account, but the rates would be at the current market price and not the rates offered the first week of April. Please visit www.paylesspower.com for current rates in your area. Published on June 28, 2024
always can’t login my account. this error massage pop out every time. Blocked for Fraud Prevention: Call 1-866-963-9353 for assistance. You have to call
Response: Hello- A supervisor will contact you to assist on this matter. Published on June 28, 2024
This is by far the worst experience I have ever had I have been without power since 9 pm last night it is now 8:00am, there is no way to contact anyone after 5 pm which is absurd! How are you running a business that way there should always be an emergency line for your customers from what I’ve read reconnection takes about 2 hours it’s been 9 hours in my case the balance is constantly going down I’m being charged almost $20 a day for electricity I choose this company because I need a no deposit option but it was clearly one of the worst decisions I’ve made you all should be ashamed charging these rates in this economy and providing horrible customer service!
Response: Hello- Your comments stated that you were without power but could not contact anyone after 5:00 PM. You also feel that your rates are excessive. Being without power can definitely be frustrating and upsetting so your reaction is understandable. Please note that while our Customer Care department closes at 5:00 PM, we do offer email support for emergency situations until 9:00 PM Mon-Fri and from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM on Sundays. It is also important to note that per your “Your Rights as a Customer” document that was provided in the welcome kit that you received upon enrollment, outages can be reported 24/7 either to Centerpoiint directly or by being transferred to Centerpoint by calling the automated phone system . Any maintenance and repairs needed to polls, lines, meters etc would be handled by Centerpoint, the owner of the grid. In relation to your rates, your rate is actually very competitive compared to what is available in your area presently ( competitors are currently charging about 14.5 cents ). This is based on plans displayed for your address on powertochoose.org. You do use a lot of energy though which has caused your daily charges to be pretty high . This is not a new trend at your address though. Historical usage over the year prior to when you started with Payless Power also shows very high usage for an apartment. You may want to reach out your property manager to have them check your HVAC system or thermostat. 888-963-9363. Published on June 28, 2024
Trash Company these people are thieves I did a payment on May 17 of 55.00 on the 20 of this month my balance was was 34.88 then on the 21 my balance is 2.00 they told me cause of the reconciliations usage first of all I had no power at all due to the storm we had a pole fell in my neighborhood I dint get power to Sunday afternoon makes no sense how they charge you when you don’t have power at all it shows what kind of trash company this is
Response: Ramiro- You review states that you were upset because you were charged for usage during the time that you had no power during the storm. Please note that Centerpoint generates estimates each day that a meter does not report usage back because their system assumes that power is being used but not reported. This happens even during outages due to weather etc. This can be very impactful to pre-paid customers who are billed daily instead of once per month so when this occurs we have options for customers until Centerpoint makes the usage adjustments at the end of your monthly billing cycle. In this case, account protections were in place for extended periods of time . I can also see that you received a credit on the account die to this on 6/20/24. This adjustment covered any overbilling that occurred between 5/13/24 and 6/12/24. Published on June 28, 2024
We have been without service from a tornado. Haven’t had power since may16th and it is now 20th. I’m still being charged daily. Which makes me think how many times have they added charges or made up the meter because we have no power at all on the block and I getting emails that’s 34kwh is being used . Also I had my wife call to try to figure it out the lady was so rude and wouldn’t help my wife because she’s not on the acct. I’m really considering changing light company’s. 4 days without power and water and there reps are so rude to there customers.
Response: Mr. Ramirez- your review states that you were without power in May due to the tornadoes and storms that struck the Cypress/Houston area, and you were still being charged daily even though you were without power for a week. First let me say how sorry we are that you have been impacted by the severe spring weather that hit Texas. We also acknowledge how concerning the continued daily billing is for customers in these types of scenarios . Please note that if the electric grid in an area is damaged, Centerpoint‘s systems are programmed to act as if power is still consumed but the meter is just failing to report the usage. Due to this , estimates are generated, and our system generates charges due to this. This sounds alarming but this does not mean that your money is being taken from you. There are also safeguards programmed into Centerpoint’s system to adjust your usage at the end of your billing cycle which would result in a credit back to your account . Based on how long it is until your next monthly meter read, we will either place a temporary credit on the account until your adjustments post, or we will place an extension until the adjustment posts. Either way you will receive relief until the billing is able to be corrected , I hope this helps. Published on June 28, 2024
They seem to spike usage everytime I leave my house. I religiously turn off all my lights when I leave home yet according to my bill that’s when I use the most??? Make it make sense??
Response: Ms Zambrano- Your comments state that you are frustrated because your usage seems to increase when you are not home and that does not make sense to you. This is very understandable but Payless Power does have some tools to help you. Please note that we cannot tell you what exactly uses power at your home each day. However, you can go to your Payless Power customer portal and select the “hourly” view of the usage graph on the bottom of the page . This can show you what time of the day power is being consumed and help your pinpoint what is consuming power by process of elimination. For example, on May 14, it shows that you had moderate usage from midnight until around 11;30 AM. Then it drops to almost no power consumption at all until about 8:30 PM . Ultimately what this indicates is that you do indeed turn everything off when you leave but something runs overnight . You can also confirm your daily usage in 15 minute increments at www.smartmetertexas.com . 888 963 9363 Published on May 16, 2024
What was suppose to only be one $20.68 payment, I eventually made 2 payments of $20.68 to avoid disconnection and it’s not posting to my account and im on the verge of disconnection by NOON and again I made 2 PAYMENTS and they TOOK IT!
Response: Mr. Ford- We apologize for the invoice . There were issues affecting customer payments on 5/9/24 . We voided all payments that were approved but which did not post to customer accounts and also halted disconnections for the remainder of the week in an effort to eliminate any inconvenience to customers . Published on May 16, 2024
I’ve had nothing but problems and over billed with this company. They have put a switch hold on our account for months now stating someone tampered with the meter which is untrue and charged out account $600 plus , further now we are a cash only account meaning we can’t pay by phone or online , we are being charged $90 every two days even though we use almost no electricity but the gouging never stops. We are a poor family and electricity is shut off at least once a week and on top we are charged a $20 reconnect fee and can’t switch companies bc of their switch hold. My family suffers daily due to Payless and Young Energy. We can’t afford an attorney or I would have one but all money goes to them. Sitting here with no lights watching my children sweat is heartbreaking and infuriates me. I’ve begged and begged to no avail. Just FU and pay these insane amounts to get your electricity back. We are broke now and can’t afford this so again my family suffers.
Response: Mr. Shoop- Your comments state that you are extremely upset at being charged for tampering fees that you feel you are not responsible for. You are also unhappy because a cash only flag has been placed on your account, making it inconvenient for you to post payments. These concerns are understandable, and anyone would feel the impact of such charges and restrictions. Please note that Payless Power does not determine whether or not a meter was tampered with. In your case that would be , Oncor, who owns and maintains the meter. Once Oncor detects tampering they will have a technician investigate . If their evidence confirms a likelihood of tampering, Oncor will calculate the fees and bill these fees to Payless Power who in turn collects the charges from the consumer. Oncor will also place a switch-hold on the account until Payless Power reports that the fees have been paid in full. A customer charged with tampering does have the right to dispute and Oncor will review the claim. If their evidence contradicts the customers version of events, then the charges will stand. The customer can also file a complaint with the Public Utilities Commission if they are not satisfied with the results of the investigation . The PUCT will then review the customer’s statement and the evidence to make their determination. A review of your account shows that any fees related to tampering have been paid off. Payless Power will place a cash only flag to block credit card payments if a customer’s account is associated with credit card fraud, identity theft. If you feel that you have been unjustly tagged as cash only, you can call us and we can review whatever documentation you have. In the meantime you can use your credit card to make payments to Payless Power through www.moneygram.com. You can do this by using receive code 14715. Please see the Moneygram website for the fees involved. Published on May 16, 2024
Too expensive. Have no help for customers when lights are being disconnected. Don’t offer much help when in need, would never use them again. Pogo energy offers great choices if your electric service goes off.
Response: Thank you Latasha for the feedback. You stated PaylessPower does not help when customers are disconnected and do not offer much help when needed. We do offer extensions until 8pm same day and also a deferred payment plan. After reviewing your account, both these options were already utilized once they are utilized a payment is required. We also do advise best option is to pay off Deferred payment early incase you'll need another one in the future as we can only apply one at a time. Please contact us if you have anymore questions or concerns. Published on April 23, 2024