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Legislator Warns Seniors About Possible Alternative Energy Supplier Issues

Ed Day discussed utility bills with members of the West Nyack Seniors Club on Monday

 

Within minutes of adjournment at Monday’s meeting of the West Nyack Seniors Club I, a line of three people all with their utilities bills had formed at Bill Kemble’s table.

Kemble, of New City, has spent the last five years researching the fluctuating costs of alternate energy suppliers and for the last three has reported his findings back to the club, as well as the other West Nyack Seniors Club group. Now after meetings, others in the group come up to Kemble and ask him to take a look at their bills. Some even call him at home with questions.


“I’m not going to pay their bills,” he said. “I’m just trying to help people.”

For Kemble, his own experience with alternative energy suppliers started about six years ago. After his rate unexpectedly changed, he started doing his own research to look into other suppliers for his gas and energy. Orange & Rockland’s website had a list of about 40 alternative suppliers that could provide the services, so Kemble called every one. As of Monday night, the list on O&R’s site has 63 alternate suppliers in New York.

As Kemble did more research on alternative suppliers, and told others in the seniors groups about them, he was finding more instances of sudden rate changes and harmful fine print. He began reaching out to Rockland County Legislator Ed Day about the issues.

“Bill has reached out to me on a number of occasions and generally it’s not because of something he’s gone through, but it’s something one of you have gone through,” Day said.

On Monday, at the seniors club meeting, Day spoke to a packed room of more than 100 at St. Francis of Assisi Church in West Nyack about alternate energy suppliers.

“There’s no other solutions other than you paying attention,” Day said.

According to O&R’s website, “alternate energy suppliers are unregulated and are often able to offer customers prices that are lower than O&R energy supply prices.” As for why O&R supports alternative energy suppliers, the site says, “At O&R, we don't make a profit on the sale of the actual electricity or natural gas supply that we buy in the competitive energy market and deliver directly to our customers with no markup. So, whether you buy your energy supply from us or from an alternate energy supplier, we still deliver the energy to you safely and reliably. In a sense, we're just like an express mail service.”

There are other benefits when using an alternative energy supplier. Day said using one can cut down on the county energy tax.

“Under New York State tax law, if you purchase an energy portion of your O&R utility bill from a supplier other than O&R, you are exempt from the energy sales tax on the O&R delivery charge portion of your bill,” he said.

“Real money that cuts that energy tax by 60 percent. So if you have a $10 energy tax, it will become around four, so another reason you should take a look at this.”

But people have also faced issues with alternative energy suppliers, and so they turn to the West Nyack Seniors Club’s expert on the topic. Kemble said a neighbor of his had his bill continually double, ending up at 94-cents after starting at seven-cents.

“Bill’s comments were ‘people are getting ripped off,’” Day said. “Yes they are, but legally. They’re being taken advantage of. Legally.”

Day said if people feel like they’re being taken advantage of, the only agency they can contact is the Public Service Commission.

“The whole matter is really a consumer matter,” he said. “It’s something that you as an educated consumer should take advantage of, but but weary of. That’s the best thing I can tell you.”

Part of being an educated consumer, Kemble said, is making sure you read the fine print. Another person who spoke to Kemble told him they stopped the service and were charged a $12.50 penalty for each month left on contract.

The contracts are another area people have had issues with. Day said he has used alternative energy suppliers himself and was offered a six-month or one-year contract and he decided to try it out because the price was lower than O&R’s. He said he made a note to look up his rates around the time the contracts were supposed to end, and he noticed that not only had his rates gone up to about the same as O&R’s, but he found out he was supposed to get a letter from the company 30-60 days before the end of the contract seeing if he wanted to re-up. He read that if nothing is done, a variable rate plan is set each month.

“You get a variable rate plan if you do not do something with that six- or 12-month term, you do not actively engage in taking yourself out of it,” Day said. “The rate you will get is based on company’s evaluation of the market conditions.”

Day added that the word “market” is key to the whole situation, as that is what has been established through the entire situation.

“That whole notion is supposed to drive prices down,” he said. “We’re now getting into a marketing issue with 60 suppliers. The only entity that can take a supplier off of the grid is the Public Service Commission.”

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Kathleen May 21, 2013 at 08:55 am
CANDLE Night at the Rockland Boulders Game Join CANDLE for a fun(d)raising game on May 23rd as theRead More Rockland Boulders take on the Trois-Rivieres Aigles. Proceeds from tickets purchased through CANDLE* will support programs that educate & empower youth and reduce substance abuse and violence in Rockland County and beyond.
Heywood Jablohme May 21, 2013 at 02:48 pm
I agree with most of your points, but surely you are not implying that teachers are expected toRead More produce funding to correct school roofs, right? I think you got a bit off topic here, but I agree that our educational infrastructure is in disrepair and is in desperate need of rehabilitation. Maybe if our teacher's unions allowed a little more leeway we could allocate funding a little more appropriately and fund the important things instead of overpaying paying dinosaur teachers who lost interest a long time ago and fight any and all forms of teacher benchmarking.
WGMom May 20, 2013 at 09:10 am
It's entirely true that every professional has out-of-pocket expenses. But as someone who worked asRead More a corporate trainer, I can guarantee you I NEVER had to pay out of pocket expenses for supplies to teach classes. Every piece of paper, supply, and even snacks for the participants were fully covered expenses. If I had to spend out of pocket money to procure supplies, I could submit for a reimbursement, and receive it, no questions asked. I am now in school to become a high school teacher and I can see the stark difference in how the education of folks in a corporate environment is incredibly different, and privileged, than the public school environment. I've sat through numerous classes in the Clarkstown and Ramapo districts, doing observations required for my education certification, and while Clarkstown certainly benefits from certain advantages, the shabbiness of being a public school is still there. Furniture, such as teacher desks, that looks like it was purchased in a garage sale 30 years ago... faculty bathrooms that are dark and dingy, nearly crumbling, and sorely in need of updating. Etc. The public expects teachers to have professional training, act professionally, but they lack sometimes basic resources and are expected to function in an environment that feels more like a dungeon than an institution of learning. The citizens of Clarkstown, if they could get a tour of some of the facilities they are expecting children to learn in, and teachers to teach in, would be very surprised. We do supply some great technology, but then we put it in classrooms with windows that won't stay closed when it's windy, as one example. I spent most of my time in South, which is the best of the bunch, facilities-wise. Clarkstown North is a mess, Woodglen's woods are littered with fallen trees no one's cleaned up after Sandy, Laurel Plains had to be shuttered thanks to that whole foul stench... the district is in a situation where there are major capital improvements that are going to be needed. Buildings are aging, and it seems it's only the most basic of upkeep that happens. The district can't even fix the roofs of the buildings without applying for a state grant.
Heywood Jablohme May 18, 2013 at 07:17 am
What professional doesn't spend $500 per year on out of pocket expenses related to their jobs?Read More Staples offering 10% (or 5 in some cases) is hardly an example of the community getting involved. Thankfully, there are other examples of the community and PTA's getting involved and providing needed services. Clarkstown and surrounding areas hardly have substantial unmet needs in their classroom, thankfully.
Truth4all May 16, 2013 at 11:37 am
I guess better late than never. LaCorte is serving his 4th year as Mayor and was Trustee for I thinkRead More 4 years before that. This year is the only time he has brought the idea to the village about participating in this program. He is motivated by the opportunity of getting positive press for his County Executive campaign. The village should have been involved in this program ( as well as the Americorps program) long before this. On a positive note, hopefully the Village will continue this worthwhile partnership for many years to come.
Sunny May 16, 2013 at 03:50 pm
Is there an article on patch about it? I am unable to find except on lohud.com
Green Farmer May 15, 2013 at 08:23 pm
Finally!!
b May 15, 2013 at 07:31 pm
Thank God. It's been a long time coming. Finally someone has paid attention.!!! That man has gotRead More to go.