SOUTHAMPTON, Pa. (WPVI) — Action News Troubleshooters have a warning about a fraudulent practice called “crashing” that could cost you big money.
A Pennsylvania mother and business owner believes she was a victim.
Kathryn Aleksa is a survivor.
She was able to reopen her fitness studio, Motivators Personal Training, in Southampton, Pa., after the COVID-19 shutdown while caring for her husband during his cancer journey.
But now, she worries that this trick could shut her down,
“I like to think, ‘How is this possible?'” she says.
Aleksa opened her gym almost 10 years ago, but she hasn’t been able to pay her electricity bill, which suddenly rose from hundreds to thousands of dollars a month.
When Aleksa called PECO, she was shocked to learn that her electricity supplier had switched to Pure Energy, a third-party electricity provider.
And Pure Energy was charging her 32 cents per kilowatt compared to PECO’s 9 cents per kilowatt.
“I said, ‘No, no, I never signed up for this. I never agreed to this,'” she recalled.
Aleksa believes she was the victim of a crash, which occurs when your electricity supplier is switched without your permission.
Normally, if you change supplier, you should receive two notifications — one is a confirmation from the new supplier and the other from your local utility.
“I got nothing,” she said. “
“Are you absolutely sure you haven’t switched to clean energy?” asked Nydia Han.
“There is no way I could have done this,” said Aleksa.
Aleksa said that after she canceled her account with Pure Energy, the company promised to send her a check for the price difference she had paid.
“But there’s no check in my mailbox to reimburse me,” she said. “That’s why I reached out to you. I’m not going down without a fight.”
“I’m so sorry you’re in this situation. I’m so, so glad you contacted us,” Han said.
“You guys are our last hope. Someone told us to take care of the people, take care of the community,” said Aleksa.
Troubleshooters contacted the company and learned it was in New York City and has an “F” rating with the Better Business Bureau.
“They have 18 complaints filed by consumers over the last three years,” said Claire Rosenzweig with the Better Business Bureau. “And there are no 11 answers.”
Some consumers claim to have run into those BBB complaints, like Alexa. Others say Pure Energy failed to deliver the price it promised.
The Public Utilities Commission tells us that out of about 2,000 complaints annually, it received 39 complaints against Pure Energy in 2022 and 29 in 2023.
It is still reviewing its data for 2024.
“I never got anything until I contacted you guys,” Alexa said.
The good news is even though Pure Energy never gave the Troubleshooters a response, it did eventually send Alexa her refund.
To protect yourself from getting hit, never say “yes” on the phone if a new electricity provider calls. This way an unscrupulous company cannot claim that you have verbally approved the change.
Be sure to share that tip with anyone who might answer the phone at your home or business.
To catch the bump as soon as possible, look at your bills and investigate the reasons why they may have increased.
Check each month to see who your supplier is and “price to compare” so you can see how the supplier’s rates compare to those of your services.
And if you realize you’ve been hit, contact your original electric supplier as well as your new one in writing and file a complaint with the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission.
If you are looking to switch electricity providers, check whether the price offered is a fixed or feed-in tariff.
Many entry fees skyrocket after the introductory period is over. Also, when you make a change, get all terms and conditions in writing.
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