Summer Energy Customer Reviews
We've been collecting customer reviews for Summer Energy so you can get the inside scoop on what it's like to be a customer.
Ratings by Star

Featured Review for Summer Energy
PERFECT COMPANY TO USE!!
Great rates! Nice people! Terms are clearly stated!
Alternatives to Summer Energy's Texas Electricity Plans
Texas Electricity Ratings can help you find the best Summer Energy electricity plan. Below are the lowest priced plans, as well as our ratings and reviews.
Houston Plans
Plan | Term | Rate |
---|---|---|
GridEdge 36 | 36/months | 9.9¢/kWh |
SimpleSaver 12 | 12/months | 10.0¢/kWh |
SimpleSaver 14 | 14/months | 10.1¢/kWh |
Dallas Plans
Plan | Term | Rate |
---|---|---|
SimpleSaver 12 | 12/months | 10.1¢/kWh |
SimpleSaver 14 | 14/months | 10.2¢/kWh |
SimpleSaver 18 | 18/months | 10.3¢/kWh |
Summer Energy Rating and Review Summary
There are 69 total reviews for Summer Energy, with an average rating of 2.3/5.
Company | Stars | Rating | Reviews |
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Summer Energy | 2.3/5 | 69 |
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16 5 star reviews | |
5 4 star reviews | |
5 3 star reviews | |
6 2 star reviews | |
37 1 star reviews |
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Recent 5 Star Reviews
PERFECT COMPANY TO USE!!
Great rates! Nice people! Terms are clearly stated!
Excellent company with great customer service
These people have been wonderful to us and their rates could not be beat. Since we conserve on our utilities, we rarely go over the 500 kWh per month and they have never charged us that extra fee for not using enough electricity.We have been with them 3 years and I am about to renew for another year.
The best light company
I have had several other companies and Summer beats them in everything. Great pricing, great and super friendly customer service. Its a company that wants to have their customers happy. I will never switch any where else. I have recommended several friends and family to them and they have all been happy as well.
Great company to be with!!!
I signed up with this company about a year ago, after several of months with company and no issues or surprises with my bill, referred it to my mother in law whom she is extremely satisfied with service. I would definitely encourage everyone to try it. One of the few electricity companies that is fair with prices, and excellent customer service.
Great Service, Great prices!!!
I have been using Summer Energy for my electricity at both my home and business for almost two years now and I could not be more satisfied. When calling in to set up my account I was actually able to speak to a human, unlike most companies who make you go through several recordings first. They also were able to get me 2 cents cheaper on my business energy rate! I would recommend them to anyone!!!
Summer Energy is a good company.
I've used over 7 electric companies since moving to Texas. I've been with Summer for over a year now and would recommend them to all shoppers. They have excellent rates when you compare them to other offers. Their rates are all-in rates....while I was with Reliant I got a TDSP charges line item that was routinely 50% or more of my bill. Summer's prices are more in line with what you actually see when you get your bill.
Great decision to switch
I recently switched over to summer energy from a comptetitor and I am truely please with that decision. The service is excelent and the rates are more then fair. When I need to speak to a customer service rep it was easy and thy were very helpful. I would recommend sure energy to any one oft friends or relatives
Complete Company
Low Prices....ANY questions answered in 1st call....multiple terms.....knowledgeable staff.....LOCAL TEXAS COMPANY! I have been with them 2 years and pay online every month with ease. If I ever have a question they answer quickly and correctly. All from a TEXAS based company not like the one from New Jersey or the one in bankruptcy.....
Great promotional rates!
I've had Summery Energy for almost 15 months now. I signed up with them summer 2013 because they had a great 12 month promotional rate. I've had no problems, there have been no hidden fees, I read the Electricity Facts Label and they have billed accordingly. I'm surprised at the reviews on here, not getting bills, not getting notified about rate change, etc. I do auto pay, get a bill every month, was notified in plenty of time when my contract would expire and what the variable rate it would increase to if I did not choose a new plan. I renewed summer 2014 for an additional 3 months because they again had the best rate for a short period and I'v received my renewal notice with plenty of time to renew with them or switch to a new provider. Read your contract, print your documents, you shouldn't encounter any problems with these guys if you do your job.
Fair and Recommend
I used Summer Energy when I bought my first home. I signed up for a fixed contract and got exactly what I signed up for, a fixed 8 cent contract for year. I paid my bills on time and had no problems. I'm leaving them only because another company is offering a 24 month deal, otherwise I would stay with them.
Summer Energy
This company has been excellent at providing customer service and the electric service they have provided..
GREAT EXPERIENCE
I'm very surprised to read some of these reviews. I have been using Summer Energy for my home for a little under a year now and have had nothing but a great experience. The customer service has always been very helpful and polite. They run their business just like any other electricity company. I recommend to everyone.
Summer Energy Is Great
Summer Energy has great commercial fixed prices for business. I also signed up for their residential offering. I've been a customer for the last 6 months and have been very pleased.
Great Experience
Summer Energy has been great for me. I signed up both my home and business on a 12 month fixed price contract 7 months ago. Their Sales people are professional and honest. All of my bills have been correct and on time. They have an excellent referral program their commercial sales guy pushes./
Excellent customer service!
I called their customer service line in regards to my overlooked payment. Representative was very courteous and thorough. Made my payment over the phone at NO charge! I will be renewing in June!
Good experience so far !
I've been with several REPs over the last ten years and came over to Summer Energy in July, 2012 after a truly horrid experience with Proton Energy. Things I like about Summer Energy (besides being nothing like Proton Energy) - 1) no fee for credit card payments; 2) no deposit for those with good credit; 3) paper bill every month, on time; 4) no hidden fees or excessive number of fees tacked on; 5) really good 12 mo. rate of 8.6 cents/kwh. My usage is always over 1000 kwh, so the fee for going under that does not apply to me. I saw from a review prior to mine a complaint about customer service, however, I have experienced nothing but quality customer service, although most of my contacts were back in August, 2012. Everythings been fine to now - Jan, 2013. Also, I found their website simple and easy to use. I dont auto pay so that's not an issue for me like it was for a previous reviewer. No complaints and will stay with them if they continue with good rates and good service - So far, So good.
Recent 4 Star Reviews
Great Customer Service, Great Prices
Have been extremely pleased with the customer service at Summer Energy. All my questions answered in a timely and polite manner. Never seemed to be an inconvenience to the reps, which is how I've felt when dealing to other companies. Great prices. Not paying an arm and a leg for electricity. Would definitely recommend.
Best Customer Service I've Ever Received
Any time I call this company, I am always blown away by how incredibly helpful their customer service staff is. My rates are also not terribly high, though they do have a small one-time minimum usage fee. However, this fee does not apply if you are already an existing customer. If I had any complaint, it would be that you can only set your payment to one credit card, so I have to pay it in full and have my roommate reimburse me in cash.
Pretty much like every other provider I have used
My 12 month contract with Summer Energy is about to expire. During this year, they have given me an excellent electricity rate. The renewal rates are much higher, so I will be switching. That has pretty much been my experience with every electricity provider I have used, so I just get in the habit of changing. It's too bad it has to be that way; they are all pretty much guaranteeing NO customer loyalty.Be that as it may, during this year I have been quite satisfied with Summer. The only time I needed customer service, they were helpful and responsive. Otherwise, they sent bills that reflected the promised rate and I paid them. Easy.
Summer energy
Great promotional deal. Wish that it lasted longer.
Great Customer Service
I personally have had only good experience. Customer service is always so helpful and very patient. I am a single mom who has struggled from time to time to pay my bills and both Jeremy and Damaris work with me and even have waived my fees. I'm happy with Summer Energy and would not switch away.
Recent 3 Star Reviews
Decent, but nothing extraordinary
Good rates to start almost 3 years ago, but in the last 12-14 months I have seen my rate increase by more than 40% with no explanation. Even with their newest renewal options being lower than their rates 3 months ago, it is still a 35% increase in the last 12 months with is ridiculous. I'm going to call and see if they will offer me a rate closer to a year ago before I switch companies as I have already found several in my market that will beat them by almost 25% on average charges on both a 12 and 24 month lock in rate.
Time to eat my words
Yesterday I gave a not so complimentary review of Summer Energy. I was upset because I felt like I had been taken advantage of because of being off contract. I wrote the review here and wrote an email to customer service all within an hour yesterday. Today I recieved a call from customer service wanting to "make it right". Apparently, the system never generated a notice for me that my contract was expiring. Since I wasn't notified Summer Energy's customer service gave me a credit for the overages I was charged and extended my contract at the low rate I was paying until my move date. (We are moving so I had to cancel my service and talk to them about my rate increase in one phone call.) The phone call yesterday got me nowhere, but today a representative called me and we had a pleasant conversation about what the problem was and what they would do to fix it. I was surprised and very thankful for Summer Energy taking the time to read my email, research my situation, then make it right all within one single day. Summer Energy just redeemed themselves in my book, and I take back my review from yesterday. I WOULD recommend Summer Energy but I do suggest you are very aware of your contract end date so you don't have to deal with any change in rates being off contract. Thank you for going above and beyond, Summer Energy.
JV
Haven't had any problems. Had a 12 month contract. No monthly fees as long as you used 500Kwh which wasn't a problem. Time to renew. I understand rates go up but went from 8.9 to 13.3 and now charging a 4.85 base fee on top of 9.95 for anything under 1000Kwh. Even in the summer we don't genereally go over 800, so i would be getting a 10.00 penalty charge for not using enough energy, when everyone preaches save energy? We are switching.
My experience has been pretty goood
No problems. Good rates. But its time to renew and they are offering higher rates to existing customers to renew with them than the rates they are offering to new customers.
No huge complaints...
I've had Summer for the past 6 months, and it has went fairly well--no complaints. The rate I got was great, with no minimum usage charge which is huge to me. However, I will not be renewing because they now do charge the fee for under 1000 kw, so they are no longer the cheapest.They also need a more sophisticated web page--they teased at offering automatic billpay, but I saw one email and no option to sign up. Website was really garbage, but the service was just fine. If the price is right, I would go with them again for sure.
Recent 2 Star Reviews
Shoulda kept looking
1. Large up front deposit. Found out too late that there was a $100 fee to cancel service. Nothing in promo lit about that.
2. When I called to turn off service, was told it took 10 days to process the cancellation paperwork and an add'l 10 days to process the return. 30 days later I called to find out where my refund was. It hadn't been submitted. Apparently, I shoulda placed a separate phone call to start that process. Now I have to wait an add'l 1 - 2 weeks to get my refund. Horrible way to do business. Now I'll call every couple of days to find out where my refund is until I have it in my hot little hand.
Utterly incompetent Billing that only exists to generate fees.
I used online bill pay, like I have with every other company I deal with, and Summer Energy "says" that they didn't receive my money. Every other company will waive fees if there is a mistake, but of course they loaded me up with fees instantly, and generated disconnect notices. I would look for a more reputable company.
The truth about the company
So, I have been a customer for over a year now. I can't really say anything good nor bad. They do pretty much what they say they will do, but they don't always tell you what they are going to do. From observation, their strategy is to get you in the door with a low rate for 3 months. At the end of the 3 months you can expect the "Promotional Contract" to end. At that point the rates will increase somewhere around 40-60% if i recall correctly. Then the kicker is each month your rate will continually increase by a few % or so. EACH MONTH. After 1 year of service my rate is over double where is started. As for the customer service complaints I have read. Meh, half true, half not. I have submitted my payment via their site right on the dead line because i never got the bill but had that thought in the back of my mind its due any day now. I have also let it go past the due date by 1 day once and I have never been hit with a late fee. The customer service lady I have spoken to a few times has been congenial. All in all this is a run of the mill company turning a profit just like any other. As long as you stay on top of them, it is ok I suppose. I'm still switching to a different company though.
Believe the bad reviews
This company will do anything to charge high late and other 'penalty' fees. So what if their price per kilowatt is low-they more than can make up for it with all their miscellaneous high charges. Ditto the negative reviews of other former subscribers.
Extremely Deceptive Business Practices
This company has an extremely poor business model. Be very careful if you use an online bill pay service with this company since they do not accept electronic funds transfers. Your bank has to physically mail them a check and they will not post it until after your due date. They will then proceed to charge you a late fee for not paying on time. I had one bill that I paid on the 12th of the month and they didn't process my check until the 18th. The due date was the 15th of the month. They sent me a disconnect notice on the 18th and charged me a $20 notice fee on top of a late fee. I will not use this company ever again and am switching since I have fulfilled my contract. I will not recommend this company to anyone and in fact I will spread the word to never use such companies that have such deceptive business practices. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY! THEY WILL FIND A WAY TO MAKE YOU PAY LATE EVEN PAYING SEVERAL WEEKS EARLY!
Huge Deposit Charged to My Credit Card
I signed up with Summer Energy online after searching rates through Power to Choose. I disclosed the appropriate info so they could check my credit. I have excellent credit by the way. Without notifying me, they charged my credit card $450 as a deposit.
Recent 1 Star Reviews
Won't honor their contract - had to find another supplier
We signed a 2-year contract with Summer Energy, and about 6 months after that they offered us a 5-year contract extension for a little lower price. Now we are 60 days from the expiration of the original 2-year contract, and they just informed us they won't honor the contract extension. The price is roughly double what our current contract with Summer Energy are.
Avoid this company if possible
I moved out of my last apartment (the new tenant did a lease takeover) I had called them and explained my situation, and the person who barely helped me on the phone said I had to move out of state to avoid an early termination fee. I received a new invoice early today (10/24/22) that I "owe" them money when I have not been at that apartment for A MONTH! And now I was told I could have just provided them my lease... Do better they should have done something to fix it despite their miscommunication and inadequate employee training. Scam of a company
Awful company
I enrolled with this company and they charged over $250 for 2 weeks of usage. So we closed off a large addition, turned off the split wall air unit in that addition, have set the air conditioner much higher continuously and this next two weeks my bill is now actually MORE at $5 over that pervious amount?! I would avoid this company for any energy needs. When I call to talk and ask question they hardly respond, I have to repeat, hello are you there? They are not friendly or helpful and the bill does not even display usage until it is much closer to the due date. I was just told the charges match. If I could give 0 stars I would.
Don't take accountability for mistakes. Defend employees despite their errors and how they impact customers
I don't like to have a rude supervisor call me and blame me for their failure to apply my payment two weeks ago to my account. I had used his company for years and know damn well how to make a payment, yet while I was stuck in the hospital up north their billing department sent me a confirmation of my payment and applied my payment somewhere else and proceeded to blame me for the mistakes they made. I had no power in my apartment for weeks and no idea until I got back on a Saturday evening and could do nothing about it until Monday. And then I was blamed for it. The supervisor was completely rude when I inquired about whether or not they would help pay for the food that was lost because of their error, who instead blamed me and made excuses for his billing people and their system. After I had been a customer for years. Look elsewhere for your power needs. Customer service is terrible I did deal with a nice guy today but unfortunately the supervisor and failure to take accountability destroyed all of that. As I noted on the call to the supervisor before I hung up, I'm very upset that I've wasted my money with Summer energy for years. Especially the way they handle this today when my power was out for 2 weeks because of their failure. By the way they still showed that I owed a balance which I paid on Saturday they didn't offer to reimburse the duplicate payment or to apologize for the duplicate payment. Their billing department is terrible
Worst experiencie with this company
Ive been trying to pay the bill and switch company because everytime I try to pay its impossible, they are charging me more and more everyday without having the service. Please be carefull with this company because this is fraud and it has been a total nightmare.
Summer Energy - Ridiculous fees
I had Summer Energy as my electric provider- Be careful with their fees, if you are one day late on your monthly bill, they will send you a disconnection notice the next day and will charge you a $20.00 late fee and an additional $20.00 for the disconnection notice. I can understand if the bill was not paid within one or two weeks of the due date, but ONE DAY late & you'll GET A DISCONNECTION NOTICE - This only happened to me once, for I made sure I paid the bill before the due date - I was eager for the 3 month contract to end so I could switch electric providers, also made my self a note, never to sign up with this electricity provider again.
Dishonest
Very misleading business practices. Unlike other providers they are not up front about all fees. We were quoted a kwh rate and it was very competitive. Once we started to get billed there were many line items added resulting in a 57% higher rate in total then what we were quoted. They can change these extra line item rates at any time so the base quoted kwh contract is meaningless. They quoted me thousands to end the contract. Stay away
This is not a power company, this is a paperwork company
I spent 2 weeks going in circles with this company trying to get power turned on. They kept asking me for documents about my home and then telling me the documents weren't sufficient so I would send more documents. I eventually gave up and went with a different company with a much higher rate, but at least they are a power company.
Double charging disabled veteran for two plan rates during plan renewal months and higher fees than contract states.
My contract was about to expire. I requested the lowest rate for a disabled, unemployed vet. Summer Energy quoted me a plan that was close to my current rate but still higher, and I agreed. They failed to explain that my rate would now be flexible due to TDU pass-through fees that fluctuate vs. the flat-rate plan I had always had. When I noticed the increase of $150 on this month's bill, I started crunching numbers. I immediately emailed Summer and was responded to informing me of the fee and how it was valid, per contract. I called Summer's fabulous fraudsters and spoke with customer service rep 1, who smugly told me I should understand energy terminology prior to agreeing to verbal contracts. Furthermore, the charges are valid. He said he could pull the audio recording to review. I asked to hear it for myself, and he said that's not possible. Only Summer can listen to it. However, be assured it's correct. REALLY?!?Next, I called back after viewing my contract in detail and learning all the terminology. I explained to the customer service rep 2 that the charges do not reflect the contract. The rate I was charged was 12.9 cents per kilowatt, not 9.1 cents that we agreed to. She told me I was wrong and refused to use her calculator to check the calculations. I questioned her ability to do simple math, and she said I dont have to check it because we have accounting people that will do it. "It's not my job." When I asked to speak with the accounting/billing department, I was told no. She assured me the charges were correct. I questioned the bill stating I wanted an itemized bill since I was being charged for two contract rates and want a statement that shows the break down for both set of days and usage. She told me they do not have to itemize the bill and could use an average. When I questioned how the average is calculated, she couldn't explain any reasoning that matched my current $530 bill with in reason. She just went on and on with the bill is higher because you used more electricity from last month, which has nothing to do with charging me TDU pass-through charges and the fixed-rate and fees. Nothing but excuses due to being ignorant and using traditional reflecting tactics to allude questioning customers. Deceptive practices are highly unlawful and should be reported to the state.Next, I called to speak with the supervisor. This took about 25 minutes of holding. Finally, I found someone who could do simple math calculations and listened. He looked at the bill and understood the problem immediately. The oversight was a known issue that was already addressed with staff that same day via email. He was very apologetic and assured me he would have accounting resolve the issue and credit the account. Check your bills, people! If I hadn't called, I would be out over $150. It makes me wonder how many people are overlooking this each time they re-sign an annual contract. Once my contract is up, we will be parting ways! Nothing worse than being taken advantage of in the middle of a pandemic. Shame on you! Your loyal customer, Karen PS- I hope Summer Energy gives the supervisor a raise. He was on point with his ability to calm the Karen!
Customer Service is a Joke - Read other reviews
Just check out their reviews, 46% 1 star ratings should tell you everything you need to know. Pricing is decent up front, then they fee you to death.I had an issue almost immediately with them denying my Letter of Credit to waive deposit even though I had been with my previous provider for 2+ years with no incident. I have never missed a bill payment but for them to charge a $450 deposit, that will "only be returned as a statement credit" is ridiculous. I basically had to pay for 4-6 months of service up front.Worst company ever, stay away! Check out TriEagle Energy, TXU, or someone else, anyone else!
Unethical business practices
Prices were fair; customer service was polite; overall policies are unethical. We canceled due to moving out of our suite; the form was completed incorrectly by me and Summer Energy; even though we both made a mistake I was required to pay in full for 2 months of power that shouldn't have been in my name. It's par for big companies; it's hard to find good ethics anymore, consumers we have no rights.
HORRIBLE STAY AWAY!!
Teaser rate to hook you and then they fee you to death.....look at their earnings and you will see they make tons on all their fees. Even after 8 years in business they still are losing money? How are they even around?
Mysteriously late arriving bill
My bill arrived 8 days after their bill date but only 7 days before the bill was due. My only option was to pay the bill online and pay their 3.99 processing fee. I called customer service to find out what the problem was and was met with a not their problem attitude and told if the bill was late I would be charged a 10% late fee and it if was 15 days late, I would be served a termination notice. I assured the lady I wasnt planning to be late but was trying to figure out why it took 8 days to get their bill. No response!! I will not be renewing with them.
Worst Electric Co ever
BEWARE OF SUMMER ENERGY ELECTRIC COMPANY, they are by far the worst electricity provider, I don't see how they are even still in business...A moving company recommended them to me, so I guess they are all in it together, but Summer Energy jacks up your bill with hidden fees, disconnect your services before you are even 15 days past due without sending a disonnect notice even if you have never been late on your bill previously (but of course they say the did after 3 days past due), and the customer service is horrible on top of all that! Summer Energy does not value their reputable customers at all.
Liars and Cheats
They sent me a letter saying they were changing the terms of service. They were adding processing fees to pay your bill. The letter said if this is not acceptable you may terminate the contract with no early termination fee if done within 14 Days. I called to verify the letter and informed them I would be terminating the contract. I changed to a different company in less than 14 days but still got a bill for a $200 early termination fee.
Poor customer service
I was on hold for 13 minutes before I spoke with a service rep who could NOT help me. Vastly understaffed customer service center. They charge $1.99 to use a credit card to pay your bill. The payment due date changes almost every month. Not customer friendly. I will change my electric provider as soon as my current contract expires.
Hidden Fees; Terrible Service
I signed up for Summer Energy under the understanding that they had no minimum usage fees. Not the case. I am enrolled in auto pay, so the payment is automatically drafted from my bank account each month. For several months in the Fall they mailed me disconnect notices, then charged my account for the notice. The problem is I had paid each bill on time. They said that because they warned me that it would be disconnected if I didn't pay, I had to pay for the notice fees. Their customer service is awful. They are lazy and don't try to help you. I was told multiple times that my account would be credited and prices would be fixed after they raised our rate in the middle of our plan. They admitted a mistake on their part - that's fine, things happen. It took me 4 charges and almost 2 weeks to get them to set the price back correctly. I was told since this was on their end and I had been asking for 2 weeks prior to bill due date that they would not charge late fees. When I paid my bill there was a late fee.The bottom line is, if you value customer service and don't want to fight tooth and nail for the plan you signed up for, do not sign with Summer Energy! I was excited about a low rate and that simply didn't happen. Our bills are consistently $200+ and we live in a second floor 2 bedroom apartment.
Mails Bills Out Late Than Charges You a Transaction Fee for Electronic Payment
My July bill has an invoice date of July 2 and a due date of July 20. Unfortunately, I did not actually receive the bill in the mail until today, July 14, which is only three business days before the due date. Summer Energy's bill states that I should allow 7 to 10 days for receipt and processing of payments sent by mail. I wanted to make sure my payment would be received on time, so I immediately called Summer Energy's customer service line to pay the bill over the phone. Today, July 14, I was told that I could pay over the phone or over the internet, but there would be a electronic payment transaction fee of $1.99 or 1% of the amount of the bill. I explained that the bill had arrived at my house late, and it did not seem fair that I should be charged a transaction fee when I was doing an electronic payment to make sure that a bill that was received late would still be paid on time. The representative, Mary, reading carefully from her script, said the electronic payment transaction fee cannot be waived under any circumstances. She was both adamant and condescending.
What should we think about a company like Summer Energy that would choose to lose a reliable customer (who always pays his bill on time!) in order to collect a one-time $2 transaction fee?
Of course, I will make sure this bill gets paid on time, whether or not I have to pay the stupid $2 transaction fee. But my contract expires in two months, and I will not renew with a company that thinks my business is worth less than $2.
Avoid this company!!
I used this company for nearly two years, and have had a lot of trouble with them. For most of the time everything ran smoothly, and I had a great contract price. Then in March 2014 I an issue where their online bill pay system acted like it took the payment, but didn't. I input the payment with my saved information on the webpage, and got a confirmation. While I was on vacation they shut off my power! They said that the payment returned, but there was money in my bank account. So I called my bank, and they verified that the transaction had never even gotten to them, so any error was on the end of Summer Energy. Even after verifying this, I still had to call back several time to get all the fees taken off. They refused to let me speak with a manager and had the audacity to tell me that they would never take any fees off my account again, like it was my fault!
In December 2014 they double charged my account when I made my online payment for my November bill. I let this slide since they are so hard to work with, and my bill was only $30 because I was in the process of moving, and was only at the residence half the time.
I was finished moving out in December, but was busy and didn't cancel until the beginning of January. The man I spoke with said he would close out the account and email me my final statement.
Today on January 29, 2015. I get a notice in the mail saying they are disconnecting my service for nonpayment! When I called, they said the account had not been closed, and there were no notes indicating that I had requested it to be closed! The person I spoke with said she would look into it, but my expectations at this point are very poor.
They will take advantage
I signed a short term contract with Summer Energy because I knew I would be moving. My contract ended up ending about a month and a half before my move date. Off contract they have almost doubled my rate per kilowatt. I know they are well within their rights to charge a different rate while you are off contract, but I feel this is excessive. I feel as though I was taken advantage of, and even if I had renewed my contract my rate would have increased from 7 to 8 cents per kilo, while other company's right now are offering as low as a 6.7 cent rate. My off contract rate went up to 13 cents per kilo!!!! That's literally almost double. I expressed my concern to customer service, but of course I get the generic "I'm sorry you feel that way". The lack of concern and their questionable rate increases are enough for me to never use Summer Energy again, nor have anything good to say about my experience with them.
Warning - They have minimum usage fees!
When I originally signed up in 2013, their marketing campaign stressed no minimum usage fee. When I renewed, I was NOT told that they had changed their policy. The first bill included a minimum usage fee totaling $17.38 and a base charge fee of $4.26. These 2 fees are 23% of the bill. That is, 23% of the bill has nothing to do with the electricity I used. OUTRAGEOUS! I will not use Summer Energy again. I do not recommend Summer Energy. Stay away!
Horrible Business practice and customer service
Summer energy does not warn you that contract is going to expire. and when bill shows up it is double or triple what you expect to pay which is not good when you are on a budget. You call customer service to find out what the problem is they tell you that contract has expired and that your stuck paying that bill. This what I get for being with them for a year and paying all my bills on time!!!!! Thank you very much Summer Energy.
Beware of this company
This company offer cheap rates. Scam. You will receive your bill with a different due date every month. Never the same. This is how they get you. You will be charged a late fee and a $20.00 late fee notice on the same day if your bill is not posted to your account by the due date. You can pay your bill, however it will not post to your account until 2 days later and you will be charged a late fee. You will also be charged a $20.00 for a letter that was generated the same day of the due date although your bill was paid days ago. This company is a scam. Beware.
Beware of instant higher rates if your contract expires!
I had Summer Energy for six months at a somewhat decent rate. My first impression was not good, as they sent me a disconnect notice on an account that was on auto pay ?! The second my contract expired they jacked up the price and my next bill was twice as high! I switched to another company immediately, but the damage was done. I pretty much lost any savings I had with their six month offer rate. Not worth it. sneaky!
Deceptive contracting
I signed up for a 3-month contract with Summer Energy on 22-May-13. In my mind, this contract should have run through 22-Aug-13, three months later. Apparently, Summer Energy does their contracting differently. Nowhere on my original confirmation letter does it indicate the expiration date. In very small text on the side of my June bill they indicate my contract expires on 31-July-13. Not only that, but Summer Energy then switched me to the basic plan and increased my rate from $7.5 cents/KWH to $12.5 cents/KWH, an increase of 67%. When confronted with this issue Summer Energy's customer service agents merely said "your expiration date was clearly printed on your June statement". Never going to use this company again.
Sneaky Turds
Partially my fault - when I signed up for the 3 month contract I didn't notice the fine print that said I'd get charged for using less than 1000kwh... That seems like a horrible way to approach electricity. I found myself cranking up the a/c one month just so my bill would be lower. Ridiculous.Then, I get my 3rd bill, and my rate has gone from 6.9 to 11.7! Apparently 3 months doesn't mean 90 days, it means if it starts in May it ends the last day of July. Again, I should have found the date that my contract ended but I never had that issue with any other company. I started my service on May 27th, and they said the contract only covered May, June, and July. Since I expected to still have the low rate in early August, I didn't get around to changing plans until the end of August and then noticed my bill. I wrote to them about it and they said they were in the right. Just really dissatisfied with their service.
Terrible billing practices - don't bother with Bill Pay
Just do yourself a favor and stay away, this crap is not worth it. I have been using Bank of America Bill Bill pay for years and never had an issue until i signed up with this crap scam company, Summer Electric. Payment sent out on 8/5 and on 8/12 i receive an email that i need to make the payment asap by 5pm to avoid $20 fee. Ridiculous. Their website looks like it has not been improved since the 90s'. What a bad choice i made to go with them. Cant wait till my contract is over!!!
Money Hungry Jerks
STAY AWAY AS FAR AS YOU CAN!!! Agree with previous reviews about online bill pay. Check was mailed on time for them to receive. They received the check and still send out a disconnect notice on the same day!!! Even after they confirmed that they have received my check, I get a collection email saying that I needed to pay up!!?? Customer service has EXTREMELY BAD ATTITUDE toward customer. I am running away as fast as I can. Seriously, spending a couple more pennies with other providers, and save a whole lot of headaches and anger with these guys.
It's a scam, in my opinion.
Like another reviewer, I signed up for a 90 day locked rate. They sent me a notice with my first bill that my rate would be going up to about 12 cents just 45 days into the plan. It's a scam.... So, I switched.... Don't need a 12 cent plan, when my rate was supposed to be for 90 days.
Now they are trying to charge me an early disconnect fee because I didn't stay 90 days.?? Really? After they lied about my 90 day "guaranteed" rate? I reported them to the state.
Crooks. Liars. Cheats..... There should be a class action lawsuit against these jerks.
Buyer beware
I sent them a check via B of A bill pay a full 15 days before it was due. Verified with B of A that the payment was delivered a full 5 days before it was due.
Fast Forward 2 weeks..., they claim they haven't received my payment, and, even though I have proof of payment, they refuse to refund the late fees and disconnect fees. Never mind that I wasn't disconnected because I payed AGAIN via credit card.
Threatened to sue me if I didn't pay their late charge.
Also, I signed up for a 90 day lock at a great rate. They only allowed me to keep it for 49 days. Said it was "the way my billing period fell".
These peeps are crooks.
They make their money, IMO, on late fees by not processing payments in a timely fashion.
Also, their rollover rate after day 49 of my 90 plan was to go up to almost .12 per KwH.
Make sure you look at your bill!
This company has the most inefficient billing practices I have ever experienced. Once they receive a payment, it takes THEM 5-7 business days just to process it. They do not mark the payment received until after they process it, so it pretty much guarantees that every customer payment is assessed a late fee. Then, AFTER they process the payment, they send out a "disconnection" notice and charge $20 to the bill for sending the notice. This is AFTER the payment has been received and processed. And good luck getting anything from customer service! I only have a 9-month contract with them and will definitely not be renewing.
Fees fees and more fees
They will send you a $20 fee just for mailing a paper they didn't even need to mail. Horrible customer service. The price and promotions is what drew me in, but beware. Would NOT recommend! Shop elsewhere! I've have a great experience with Star Tex Energy and I'm going back to them!
Bad billing and customer service
In Jan, I accidentally paid my electric bill for $81 twice. I called Summer, and they said the $81 would be credited to my account. My next bill was for $0, and the invoice clearly indicated that this was from the $81 credit...so far, so good. My next bill (the last one I received) was for $53 due April 3rd, which I paid promptly well before the due date. Today, April 8th, I receive a phone call from Summer saying that I owe them $81. They said that they recently discovered that they actually refunded me the $81 in January, despite their specific claim when I called them that they would credit my account for that amount, and that now, 3 months later, they realized I owe them money. Oh, and they claim that the $81 was due on April 3rd, despite the fact that the last invoice they sent me clearly claims I owe $53 and that I haven't received any other notification of this until the phone call this morning, and that my account is now overdue. I told them that they explicitly told me, and that my invoices reflect, that I had an $81 credit; I explained that I plan out my bills and expenses carefully, and that I don't simply have an extra $81 laying around to pay them for the lies they told me on the phone when I contacted them 3 months ago about this. They told me they would send me to collections if it isn't paid by April 11th.
REALLY??!!
Did a lot of research. Read a lot of reviews. Summer Energy appeared to be safe to sign up for a short term (3 month) service policy to see how they were...I have been a Reliant Energy customer for 6 years. I applied on-line, but was told via email I needed to call an 800 number to sign up for service. When I called the given number, there was no voice prompt for signing up as a new customer...REALLY? I made a random selection regarding connection to service, and did get a live one on the line. When I explained why I was calling, the customer service rep had no idea why I would have such a prompt to call this particular 800 number...REALLY? She put me on hold for a moment, came back on the line and told me the ONLY way to apply for new service was online ONLY, and that did not have the ability to take an application by phone...REALLY? Oh, and then she told me that their site ONLY supported Internet Explorer browser...REALLY?? When I told her I was on a Mac computer, and that Internet Explorer NO LONGER SUPPORTED MAC, she was like...REALLY???!!! So much for my experience w/ Summer Energy. I will not be back nor will I ever recommend them to anyone...REALLY!!!
Horrible customer service, outrageous charges
DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY unless you want to deal with RUDE customer service agents and want to be charged fees that are not disclosed. They are dishonest!
Horrific Customer Service and poor Account management
Under no circumstance should you ever consider this company. The customer service is horrific.
They specifically stated that we would receive electricity on a certain day to which we didn't get electricity for over week after they stated they would supply it.
They changed the terms and conditions of service frequently increasing fees.
Finally, after the last terms and conditions change, I found I had the right to decline and be released from service. After waiting 30 minutes on hold, attempting to reach a customer service represented, I stated that I would like to decline the new terms and be released from my contract. The agent promised that I would not be charged an early cancellation penalty. Upon, the next bill, there was clearly an early cancellation charge. Then I had to wait yet another 30 minutes on hold before getting the response of "We'll look into it."
Further observations:
Price is reasonable, probably because they lack customer support.
Website is all but useless. It's cumbersome and poorly designed. The site contains no autopay ability and also no ability to store a form of payment requiring you to enter your information in every time you want to pay a bill.
Conclusion: DO NOT EVER CHOOSE THIS COMPANY. IT'S NOT WORTH THE PRICE.
No disclosure
Summer did not disclose their connection charge on their web site nor through a CSR what it would be. I didn't ask, because I didn't know.hat they would charge $14.14 for a connection charge they say "Centerpoint is allowed to charge...". Also, it it is TOTALLY OFFENSIVE that part of the billing summary (my charges) are in Spanish - I don't even know what they are! I will watch my bill very closely in order to deflect unauthorized charges. When I called to ask about these issues, I encountered another company with a rude, unprofessional CSR who would rather talk than listen.nauthorized charges
All Reviews By Date
Won't honor their contract - had to find another supplier
We signed a 2-year contract with Summer Energy, and about 6 months after that they offered us a 5-year contract extension for a little lower price. Now we are 60 days from the expiration of the original 2-year contract, and they just informed us they won't honor the contract extension. The price is roughly double what our current contract with Summer Energy are.
Avoid this company if possible
I moved out of my last apartment (the new tenant did a lease takeover) I had called them and explained my situation, and the person who barely helped me on the phone said I had to move out of state to avoid an early termination fee. I received a new invoice early today (10/24/22) that I "owe" them money when I have not been at that apartment for A MONTH! And now I was told I could have just provided them my lease... Do better they should have done something to fix it despite their miscommunication and inadequate employee training. Scam of a company
Awful company
I enrolled with this company and they charged over $250 for 2 weeks of usage. So we closed off a large addition, turned off the split wall air unit in that addition, have set the air conditioner much higher continuously and this next two weeks my bill is now actually MORE at $5 over that pervious amount?! I would avoid this company for any energy needs. When I call to talk and ask question they hardly respond, I have to repeat, hello are you there? They are not friendly or helpful and the bill does not even display usage until it is much closer to the due date. I was just told the charges match. If I could give 0 stars I would.
Don't take accountability for mistakes. Defend employees despite their errors and how they impact customers
I don't like to have a rude supervisor call me and blame me for their failure to apply my payment two weeks ago to my account. I had used his company for years and know damn well how to make a payment, yet while I was stuck in the hospital up north their billing department sent me a confirmation of my payment and applied my payment somewhere else and proceeded to blame me for the mistakes they made. I had no power in my apartment for weeks and no idea until I got back on a Saturday evening and could do nothing about it until Monday. And then I was blamed for it. The supervisor was completely rude when I inquired about whether or not they would help pay for the food that was lost because of their error, who instead blamed me and made excuses for his billing people and their system. After I had been a customer for years. Look elsewhere for your power needs. Customer service is terrible I did deal with a nice guy today but unfortunately the supervisor and failure to take accountability destroyed all of that. As I noted on the call to the supervisor before I hung up, I'm very upset that I've wasted my money with Summer energy for years. Especially the way they handle this today when my power was out for 2 weeks because of their failure. By the way they still showed that I owed a balance which I paid on Saturday they didn't offer to reimburse the duplicate payment or to apologize for the duplicate payment. Their billing department is terrible
Worst experiencie with this company
Ive been trying to pay the bill and switch company because everytime I try to pay its impossible, they are charging me more and more everyday without having the service. Please be carefull with this company because this is fraud and it has been a total nightmare.
Shoulda kept looking
1. Large up front deposit. Found out too late that there was a $100 fee to cancel service. Nothing in promo lit about that.
2. When I called to turn off service, was told it took 10 days to process the cancellation paperwork and an add'l 10 days to process the return. 30 days later I called to find out where my refund was. It hadn't been submitted. Apparently, I shoulda placed a separate phone call to start that process. Now I have to wait an add'l 1 - 2 weeks to get my refund. Horrible way to do business. Now I'll call every couple of days to find out where my refund is until I have it in my hot little hand.
Summer Energy - Ridiculous fees
I had Summer Energy as my electric provider- Be careful with their fees, if you are one day late on your monthly bill, they will send you a disconnection notice the next day and will charge you a $20.00 late fee and an additional $20.00 for the disconnection notice. I can understand if the bill was not paid within one or two weeks of the due date, but ONE DAY late & you'll GET A DISCONNECTION NOTICE - This only happened to me once, for I made sure I paid the bill before the due date - I was eager for the 3 month contract to end so I could switch electric providers, also made my self a note, never to sign up with this electricity provider again.
Dishonest
Very misleading business practices. Unlike other providers they are not up front about all fees. We were quoted a kwh rate and it was very competitive. Once we started to get billed there were many line items added resulting in a 57% higher rate in total then what we were quoted. They can change these extra line item rates at any time so the base quoted kwh contract is meaningless. They quoted me thousands to end the contract. Stay away
This is not a power company, this is a paperwork company
I spent 2 weeks going in circles with this company trying to get power turned on. They kept asking me for documents about my home and then telling me the documents weren't sufficient so I would send more documents. I eventually gave up and went with a different company with a much higher rate, but at least they are a power company.
Double charging disabled veteran for two plan rates during plan renewal months and higher fees than contract states.
My contract was about to expire. I requested the lowest rate for a disabled, unemployed vet. Summer Energy quoted me a plan that was close to my current rate but still higher, and I agreed. They failed to explain that my rate would now be flexible due to TDU pass-through fees that fluctuate vs. the flat-rate plan I had always had. When I noticed the increase of $150 on this month's bill, I started crunching numbers. I immediately emailed Summer and was responded to informing me of the fee and how it was valid, per contract. I called Summer's fabulous fraudsters and spoke with customer service rep 1, who smugly told me I should understand energy terminology prior to agreeing to verbal contracts. Furthermore, the charges are valid. He said he could pull the audio recording to review. I asked to hear it for myself, and he said that's not possible. Only Summer can listen to it. However, be assured it's correct. REALLY?!?Next, I called back after viewing my contract in detail and learning all the terminology. I explained to the customer service rep 2 that the charges do not reflect the contract. The rate I was charged was 12.9 cents per kilowatt, not 9.1 cents that we agreed to. She told me I was wrong and refused to use her calculator to check the calculations. I questioned her ability to do simple math, and she said I dont have to check it because we have accounting people that will do it. "It's not my job." When I asked to speak with the accounting/billing department, I was told no. She assured me the charges were correct. I questioned the bill stating I wanted an itemized bill since I was being charged for two contract rates and want a statement that shows the break down for both set of days and usage. She told me they do not have to itemize the bill and could use an average. When I questioned how the average is calculated, she couldn't explain any reasoning that matched my current $530 bill with in reason. She just went on and on with the bill is higher because you used more electricity from last month, which has nothing to do with charging me TDU pass-through charges and the fixed-rate and fees. Nothing but excuses due to being ignorant and using traditional reflecting tactics to allude questioning customers. Deceptive practices are highly unlawful and should be reported to the state.Next, I called to speak with the supervisor. This took about 25 minutes of holding. Finally, I found someone who could do simple math calculations and listened. He looked at the bill and understood the problem immediately. The oversight was a known issue that was already addressed with staff that same day via email. He was very apologetic and assured me he would have accounting resolve the issue and credit the account. Check your bills, people! If I hadn't called, I would be out over $150. It makes me wonder how many people are overlooking this each time they re-sign an annual contract. Once my contract is up, we will be parting ways! Nothing worse than being taken advantage of in the middle of a pandemic. Shame on you! Your loyal customer, Karen PS- I hope Summer Energy gives the supervisor a raise. He was on point with his ability to calm the Karen!
Customer Service is a Joke - Read other reviews
Just check out their reviews, 46% 1 star ratings should tell you everything you need to know. Pricing is decent up front, then they fee you to death.I had an issue almost immediately with them denying my Letter of Credit to waive deposit even though I had been with my previous provider for 2+ years with no incident. I have never missed a bill payment but for them to charge a $450 deposit, that will "only be returned as a statement credit" is ridiculous. I basically had to pay for 4-6 months of service up front.Worst company ever, stay away! Check out TriEagle Energy, TXU, or someone else, anyone else!
Unethical business practices
Prices were fair; customer service was polite; overall policies are unethical. We canceled due to moving out of our suite; the form was completed incorrectly by me and Summer Energy; even though we both made a mistake I was required to pay in full for 2 months of power that shouldn't have been in my name. It's par for big companies; it's hard to find good ethics anymore, consumers we have no rights.
HORRIBLE STAY AWAY!!
Teaser rate to hook you and then they fee you to death.....look at their earnings and you will see they make tons on all their fees. Even after 8 years in business they still are losing money? How are they even around?
Decent, but nothing extraordinary
Good rates to start almost 3 years ago, but in the last 12-14 months I have seen my rate increase by more than 40% with no explanation. Even with their newest renewal options being lower than their rates 3 months ago, it is still a 35% increase in the last 12 months with is ridiculous. I'm going to call and see if they will offer me a rate closer to a year ago before I switch companies as I have already found several in my market that will beat them by almost 25% on average charges on both a 12 and 24 month lock in rate.
Utterly incompetent Billing that only exists to generate fees.
I used online bill pay, like I have with every other company I deal with, and Summer Energy "says" that they didn't receive my money. Every other company will waive fees if there is a mistake, but of course they loaded me up with fees instantly, and generated disconnect notices. I would look for a more reputable company.
PERFECT COMPANY TO USE!!
Great rates! Nice people! Terms are clearly stated!
Mysteriously late arriving bill
My bill arrived 8 days after their bill date but only 7 days before the bill was due. My only option was to pay the bill online and pay their 3.99 processing fee. I called customer service to find out what the problem was and was met with a not their problem attitude and told if the bill was late I would be charged a 10% late fee and it if was 15 days late, I would be served a termination notice. I assured the lady I wasnt planning to be late but was trying to figure out why it took 8 days to get their bill. No response!! I will not be renewing with them.
Worst Electric Co ever
BEWARE OF SUMMER ENERGY ELECTRIC COMPANY, they are by far the worst electricity provider, I don't see how they are even still in business...A moving company recommended them to me, so I guess they are all in it together, but Summer Energy jacks up your bill with hidden fees, disconnect your services before you are even 15 days past due without sending a disonnect notice even if you have never been late on your bill previously (but of course they say the did after 3 days past due), and the customer service is horrible on top of all that! Summer Energy does not value their reputable customers at all.
Excellent company with great customer service
These people have been wonderful to us and their rates could not be beat. Since we conserve on our utilities, we rarely go over the 500 kWh per month and they have never charged us that extra fee for not using enough electricity.We have been with them 3 years and I am about to renew for another year.
Liars and Cheats
They sent me a letter saying they were changing the terms of service. They were adding processing fees to pay your bill. The letter said if this is not acceptable you may terminate the contract with no early termination fee if done within 14 Days. I called to verify the letter and informed them I would be terminating the contract. I changed to a different company in less than 14 days but still got a bill for a $200 early termination fee.
Crooks
Customer Service was OK, but they have so many hidden fees its ridiculous, there a rip off, I switched to amigo energy and my bill was cut in half, actually more than half, all the good ratings must be from their employees.
Poor customer service
I was on hold for 13 minutes before I spoke with a service rep who could NOT help me. Vastly understaffed customer service center. They charge $1.99 to use a credit card to pay your bill. The payment due date changes almost every month. Not customer friendly. I will change my electric provider as soon as my current contract expires.
The best light company
I have had several other companies and Summer beats them in everything. Great pricing, great and super friendly customer service. Its a company that wants to have their customers happy. I will never switch any where else. I have recommended several friends and family to them and they have all been happy as well.
Hidden Fees; Terrible Service
I signed up for Summer Energy under the understanding that they had no minimum usage fees. Not the case. I am enrolled in auto pay, so the payment is automatically drafted from my bank account each month. For several months in the Fall they mailed me disconnect notices, then charged my account for the notice. The problem is I had paid each bill on time. They said that because they warned me that it would be disconnected if I didn't pay, I had to pay for the notice fees. Their customer service is awful. They are lazy and don't try to help you. I was told multiple times that my account would be credited and prices would be fixed after they raised our rate in the middle of our plan. They admitted a mistake on their part - that's fine, things happen. It took me 4 charges and almost 2 weeks to get them to set the price back correctly. I was told since this was on their end and I had been asking for 2 weeks prior to bill due date that they would not charge late fees. When I paid my bill there was a late fee.The bottom line is, if you value customer service and don't want to fight tooth and nail for the plan you signed up for, do not sign with Summer Energy! I was excited about a low rate and that simply didn't happen. Our bills are consistently $200+ and we live in a second floor 2 bedroom apartment.
Mails Bills Out Late Than Charges You a Transaction Fee for Electronic Payment
My July bill has an invoice date of July 2 and a due date of July 20. Unfortunately, I did not actually receive the bill in the mail until today, July 14, which is only three business days before the due date. Summer Energy's bill states that I should allow 7 to 10 days for receipt and processing of payments sent by mail. I wanted to make sure my payment would be received on time, so I immediately called Summer Energy's customer service line to pay the bill over the phone. Today, July 14, I was told that I could pay over the phone or over the internet, but there would be a electronic payment transaction fee of $1.99 or 1% of the amount of the bill. I explained that the bill had arrived at my house late, and it did not seem fair that I should be charged a transaction fee when I was doing an electronic payment to make sure that a bill that was received late would still be paid on time. The representative, Mary, reading carefully from her script, said the electronic payment transaction fee cannot be waived under any circumstances. She was both adamant and condescending.
What should we think about a company like Summer Energy that would choose to lose a reliable customer (who always pays his bill on time!) in order to collect a one-time $2 transaction fee?
Of course, I will make sure this bill gets paid on time, whether or not I have to pay the stupid $2 transaction fee. But my contract expires in two months, and I will not renew with a company that thinks my business is worth less than $2.
Avoid this company!!
I used this company for nearly two years, and have had a lot of trouble with them. For most of the time everything ran smoothly, and I had a great contract price. Then in March 2014 I an issue where their online bill pay system acted like it took the payment, but didn't. I input the payment with my saved information on the webpage, and got a confirmation. While I was on vacation they shut off my power! They said that the payment returned, but there was money in my bank account. So I called my bank, and they verified that the transaction had never even gotten to them, so any error was on the end of Summer Energy. Even after verifying this, I still had to call back several time to get all the fees taken off. They refused to let me speak with a manager and had the audacity to tell me that they would never take any fees off my account again, like it was my fault!
In December 2014 they double charged my account when I made my online payment for my November bill. I let this slide since they are so hard to work with, and my bill was only $30 because I was in the process of moving, and was only at the residence half the time.
I was finished moving out in December, but was busy and didn't cancel until the beginning of January. The man I spoke with said he would close out the account and email me my final statement.
Today on January 29, 2015. I get a notice in the mail saying they are disconnecting my service for nonpayment! When I called, they said the account had not been closed, and there were no notes indicating that I had requested it to be closed! The person I spoke with said she would look into it, but my expectations at this point are very poor.
Disconection every month
This was the worst service i have ever had. They cashed a check and then made me pay with a credit card and every month this would happened and sent me a bill and the bottom said do not pay this is not a bill and also made me stop payment and then sent me a disconnection every month and i would have to explain my story all over again and i had it set up where they would take it out my bank every month and nope they didn't do it
Great company to be with!!!
I signed up with this company about a year ago, after several of months with company and no issues or surprises with my bill, referred it to my mother in law whom she is extremely satisfied with service. I would definitely encourage everyone to try it. One of the few electricity companies that is fair with prices, and excellent customer service.
Great Service, Great prices!!!
I have been using Summer Energy for my electricity at both my home and business for almost two years now and I could not be more satisfied. When calling in to set up my account I was actually able to speak to a human, unlike most companies who make you go through several recordings first. They also were able to get me 2 cents cheaper on my business energy rate! I would recommend them to anyone!!!
Summer Energy is a good company.
I've used over 7 electric companies since moving to Texas. I've been with Summer for over a year now and would recommend them to all shoppers. They have excellent rates when you compare them to other offers. Their rates are all-in rates....while I was with Reliant I got a TDSP charges line item that was routinely 50% or more of my bill. Summer's prices are more in line with what you actually see when you get your bill.
Great Customer Service, Great Prices
Have been extremely pleased with the customer service at Summer Energy. All my questions answered in a timely and polite manner. Never seemed to be an inconvenience to the reps, which is how I've felt when dealing to other companies. Great prices. Not paying an arm and a leg for electricity. Would definitely recommend.
Great decision to switch
I recently switched over to summer energy from a comptetitor and I am truely please with that decision. The service is excelent and the rates are more then fair. When I need to speak to a customer service rep it was easy and thy were very helpful. I would recommend sure energy to any one oft friends or relatives
Complete Company
Low Prices....ANY questions answered in 1st call....multiple terms.....knowledgeable staff.....LOCAL TEXAS COMPANY! I have been with them 2 years and pay online every month with ease. If I ever have a question they answer quickly and correctly. All from a TEXAS based company not like the one from New Jersey or the one in bankruptcy.....
Time to eat my words
Yesterday I gave a not so complimentary review of Summer Energy. I was upset because I felt like I had been taken advantage of because of being off contract. I wrote the review here and wrote an email to customer service all within an hour yesterday. Today I recieved a call from customer service wanting to "make it right". Apparently, the system never generated a notice for me that my contract was expiring. Since I wasn't notified Summer Energy's customer service gave me a credit for the overages I was charged and extended my contract at the low rate I was paying until my move date. (We are moving so I had to cancel my service and talk to them about my rate increase in one phone call.) The phone call yesterday got me nowhere, but today a representative called me and we had a pleasant conversation about what the problem was and what they would do to fix it. I was surprised and very thankful for Summer Energy taking the time to read my email, research my situation, then make it right all within one single day. Summer Energy just redeemed themselves in my book, and I take back my review from yesterday. I WOULD recommend Summer Energy but I do suggest you are very aware of your contract end date so you don't have to deal with any change in rates being off contract. Thank you for going above and beyond, Summer Energy.
They will take advantage
I signed a short term contract with Summer Energy because I knew I would be moving. My contract ended up ending about a month and a half before my move date. Off contract they have almost doubled my rate per kilowatt. I know they are well within their rights to charge a different rate while you are off contract, but I feel this is excessive. I feel as though I was taken advantage of, and even if I had renewed my contract my rate would have increased from 7 to 8 cents per kilo, while other company's right now are offering as low as a 6.7 cent rate. My off contract rate went up to 13 cents per kilo!!!! That's literally almost double. I expressed my concern to customer service, but of course I get the generic "I'm sorry you feel that way". The lack of concern and their questionable rate increases are enough for me to never use Summer Energy again, nor have anything good to say about my experience with them.
Great Compant, Great customer service.
I have been with this company for two year, no issues at all.
Even when I forgot to pay my bill and they send me a cancelation notice, they charged me a cancelation notice fee and a late payment fee, I called the customer service and the waived the charges even it was my mistake.
Summer Energy experience
I would NOT recommend Summer Energy, they slammed me for a much higher rate than I signed up for.
Best Customer Service I've Ever Received
Any time I call this company, I am always blown away by how incredibly helpful their customer service staff is. My rates are also not terribly high, though they do have a small one-time minimum usage fee. However, this fee does not apply if you are already an existing customer. If I had any complaint, it would be that you can only set your payment to one credit card, so I have to pay it in full and have my roommate reimburse me in cash.
Great promotional rates!
I've had Summery Energy for almost 15 months now. I signed up with them summer 2013 because they had a great 12 month promotional rate. I've had no problems, there have been no hidden fees, I read the Electricity Facts Label and they have billed accordingly. I'm surprised at the reviews on here, not getting bills, not getting notified about rate change, etc. I do auto pay, get a bill every month, was notified in plenty of time when my contract would expire and what the variable rate it would increase to if I did not choose a new plan. I renewed summer 2014 for an additional 3 months because they again had the best rate for a short period and I'v received my renewal notice with plenty of time to renew with them or switch to a new provider. Read your contract, print your documents, you shouldn't encounter any problems with these guys if you do your job.
Fair and Recommend
I used Summer Energy when I bought my first home. I signed up for a fixed contract and got exactly what I signed up for, a fixed 8 cent contract for year. I paid my bills on time and had no problems. I'm leaving them only because another company is offering a 24 month deal, otherwise I would stay with them.
Pretty much like every other provider I have used
My 12 month contract with Summer Energy is about to expire. During this year, they have given me an excellent electricity rate. The renewal rates are much higher, so I will be switching. That has pretty much been my experience with every electricity provider I have used, so I just get in the habit of changing. It's too bad it has to be that way; they are all pretty much guaranteeing NO customer loyalty.Be that as it may, during this year I have been quite satisfied with Summer. The only time I needed customer service, they were helpful and responsive. Otherwise, they sent bills that reflected the promised rate and I paid them. Easy.
Summer Energy
This company has been excellent at providing customer service and the electric service they have provided..
Warning - They have minimum usage fees!
When I originally signed up in 2013, their marketing campaign stressed no minimum usage fee. When I renewed, I was NOT told that they had changed their policy. The first bill included a minimum usage fee totaling $17.38 and a base charge fee of $4.26. These 2 fees are 23% of the bill. That is, 23% of the bill has nothing to do with the electricity I used. OUTRAGEOUS! I will not use Summer Energy again. I do not recommend Summer Energy. Stay away!
The truth about the company
So, I have been a customer for over a year now. I can't really say anything good nor bad. They do pretty much what they say they will do, but they don't always tell you what they are going to do. From observation, their strategy is to get you in the door with a low rate for 3 months. At the end of the 3 months you can expect the "Promotional Contract" to end. At that point the rates will increase somewhere around 40-60% if i recall correctly. Then the kicker is each month your rate will continually increase by a few % or so. EACH MONTH. After 1 year of service my rate is over double where is started. As for the customer service complaints I have read. Meh, half true, half not. I have submitted my payment via their site right on the dead line because i never got the bill but had that thought in the back of my mind its due any day now. I have also let it go past the due date by 1 day once and I have never been hit with a late fee. The customer service lady I have spoken to a few times has been congenial. All in all this is a run of the mill company turning a profit just like any other. As long as you stay on top of them, it is ok I suppose. I'm still switching to a different company though.
Summer energy
Great promotional deal. Wish that it lasted longer.
GREAT EXPERIENCE
I'm very surprised to read some of these reviews. I have been using Summer Energy for my home for a little under a year now and have had nothing but a great experience. The customer service has always been very helpful and polite. They run their business just like any other electricity company. I recommend to everyone.
Horrible Business practice and customer service
Summer energy does not warn you that contract is going to expire. and when bill shows up it is double or triple what you expect to pay which is not good when you are on a budget. You call customer service to find out what the problem is they tell you that contract has expired and that your stuck paying that bill. This what I get for being with them for a year and paying all my bills on time!!!!! Thank you very much Summer Energy.
Beware of this company
This company offer cheap rates. Scam. You will receive your bill with a different due date every month. Never the same. This is how they get you. You will be charged a late fee and a $20.00 late fee notice on the same day if your bill is not posted to your account by the due date. You can pay your bill, however it will not post to your account until 2 days later and you will be charged a late fee. You will also be charged a $20.00 for a letter that was generated the same day of the due date although your bill was paid days ago. This company is a scam. Beware.
Very Pleased
I am very surprised by all the negative reviews. I have been with Summer Energy for over a year and have found them to be nothing but professional and forthright. Their rates have been competitive and my bills arrive on time and have always been accurate. Any time I have had a question and spoken with one of their customer service representatives they have always been courteous and helpful. I will continue to use Summer Energy and can only say that people shouldn't be swayed by the negative comments and give them a chance.
Thank God I read before I signed!!
I was ALMOST talked into changing to Summer Energy today by a woman who came to my door. After reading all the reviews online, THANK GOD I didn't! I almost switched my parents' account too, since I do their finances. My mother pays her bill the day it arrives at her mailbox, she would have had a fit if she was charged a late fee! Thanks for keeping the review online!!
Beware of instant higher rates if your contract expires!
I had Summer Energy for six months at a somewhat decent rate. My first impression was not good, as they sent me a disconnect notice on an account that was on auto pay ?! The second my contract expired they jacked up the price and my next bill was twice as high! I switched to another company immediately, but the damage was done. I pretty much lost any savings I had with their six month offer rate. Not worth it. sneaky!
Great Customer Service
I personally have had only good experience. Customer service is always so helpful and very patient. I am a single mom who has struggled from time to time to pay my bills and both Jeremy and Damaris work with me and even have waived my fees. I'm happy with Summer Energy and would not switch away.
Cheap tricks to get $20!
This company does not even send a bill or able to set up auto pay online, then send an overdue account notice at 2:20 pm via e-mail stating if the bill is paid in full by 5:00 pm they will waive the $20 notice fee. By the time I see this e-mail it is already after 5 and calling the number gets you nowhere since it is after hours. Does anyone know how these cheap underhanded tactics can be dealt with? How about contacting the Texas Electrical Commissioner to report these business practices?
Deceptive contracting
I signed up for a 3-month contract with Summer Energy on 22-May-13. In my mind, this contract should have run through 22-Aug-13, three months later. Apparently, Summer Energy does their contracting differently. Nowhere on my original confirmation letter does it indicate the expiration date. In very small text on the side of my June bill they indicate my contract expires on 31-July-13. Not only that, but Summer Energy then switched me to the basic plan and increased my rate from $7.5 cents/KWH to $12.5 cents/KWH, an increase of 67%. When confronted with this issue Summer Energy's customer service agents merely said "your expiration date was clearly printed on your June statement". Never going to use this company again.
Do not use them
Moved to the area from out of state. Bought a house and selected this energy company. The day we were to move in, there was no power. Called them up, they said it would be on by close of business that day. Two days later (in the middle of July) they finally had the power on. Fast forward a couple months - I am paying my bills well in advance like with all my utilities. Today I got an email about my payment being late. The check was mailed over a week ago to an address a few miles from my house, so I know it got there several days ago. They want to charge me late fees because they can't be bothered to check the mail? Do not use these people. Pay more and know what you're going to owe. Wish I had just gotten TXU or Reliant.
Sneaky Turds
Partially my fault - when I signed up for the 3 month contract I didn't notice the fine print that said I'd get charged for using less than 1000kwh... That seems like a horrible way to approach electricity. I found myself cranking up the a/c one month just so my bill would be lower. Ridiculous.Then, I get my 3rd bill, and my rate has gone from 6.9 to 11.7! Apparently 3 months doesn't mean 90 days, it means if it starts in May it ends the last day of July. Again, I should have found the date that my contract ended but I never had that issue with any other company. I started my service on May 27th, and they said the contract only covered May, June, and July. Since I expected to still have the low rate in early August, I didn't get around to changing plans until the end of August and then noticed my bill. I wrote to them about it and they said they were in the right. Just really dissatisfied with their service.
Confused if I should switch to Summer Energy
I was going to switch to Summer Energy, but after reading these horrible reviews, I'm not sure.
Does their corporate office ever look at these reviews? Or do they even care?
Everyone is saying the same thing and it relates to their deceptive billing practices.
With a 16 day payment due from billing date is very tight and combined with a slow payment processing time on their end...it looks like they use this gimmick to attack the customer with their $20.00 penalty.
Terrible billing practices - don't bother with Bill Pay
Just do yourself a favor and stay away, this crap is not worth it. I have been using Bank of America Bill Bill pay for years and never had an issue until i signed up with this crap scam company, Summer Electric. Payment sent out on 8/5 and on 8/12 i receive an email that i need to make the payment asap by 5pm to avoid $20 fee. Ridiculous. Their website looks like it has not been improved since the 90s'. What a bad choice i made to go with them. Cant wait till my contract is over!!!
Money Hungry Jerks
STAY AWAY AS FAR AS YOU CAN!!! Agree with previous reviews about online bill pay. Check was mailed on time for them to receive. They received the check and still send out a disconnect notice on the same day!!! Even after they confirmed that they have received my check, I get a collection email saying that I needed to pay up!!?? Customer service has EXTREMELY BAD ATTITUDE toward customer. I am running away as fast as I can. Seriously, spending a couple more pennies with other providers, and save a whole lot of headaches and anger with these guys.
Believe the bad reviews
This company will do anything to charge high late and other 'penalty' fees. So what if their price per kilowatt is low-they more than can make up for it with all their miscellaneous high charges. Ditto the negative reviews of other former subscribers.
Extremely Deceptive Business Practices
This company has an extremely poor business model. Be very careful if you use an online bill pay service with this company since they do not accept electronic funds transfers. Your bank has to physically mail them a check and they will not post it until after your due date. They will then proceed to charge you a late fee for not paying on time. I had one bill that I paid on the 12th of the month and they didn't process my check until the 18th. The due date was the 15th of the month. They sent me a disconnect notice on the 18th and charged me a $20 notice fee on top of a late fee. I will not use this company ever again and am switching since I have fulfilled my contract. I will not recommend this company to anyone and in fact I will spread the word to never use such companies that have such deceptive business practices. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY! THEY WILL FIND A WAY TO MAKE YOU PAY LATE EVEN PAYING SEVERAL WEEKS EARLY!
JV
Haven't had any problems. Had a 12 month contract. No monthly fees as long as you used 500Kwh which wasn't a problem. Time to renew. I understand rates go up but went from 8.9 to 13.3 and now charging a 4.85 base fee on top of 9.95 for anything under 1000Kwh. Even in the summer we don't genereally go over 800, so i would be getting a 10.00 penalty charge for not using enough energy, when everyone preaches save energy? We are switching.
Summer Energy Is Great
Summer Energy has great commercial fixed prices for business. I also signed up for their residential offering. I've been a customer for the last 6 months and have been very pleased.
It's a scam, in my opinion.
Like another reviewer, I signed up for a 90 day locked rate. They sent me a notice with my first bill that my rate would be going up to about 12 cents just 45 days into the plan. It's a scam.... So, I switched.... Don't need a 12 cent plan, when my rate was supposed to be for 90 days.
Now they are trying to charge me an early disconnect fee because I didn't stay 90 days.?? Really? After they lied about my 90 day "guaranteed" rate? I reported them to the state.
Crooks. Liars. Cheats..... There should be a class action lawsuit against these jerks.
Enjoyed 6 Mo Rate
Two residential accounts with Summer Energy on 6 mo rate from mid July 2012 through mid Dec - avg 7.6/kWh. One more hold over month on MTM rate of 7.75/kWh (price set for first month of MTM).
No problems that I recall.
My old emails indicate they didn't offer paperless billing until Dec 2012.
One account was accidentally paid late and a $20 fee was charged, doesn't seem outrageous.
Moved on for cheaper rates.
Huge Deposit Charged to My Credit Card
I signed up with Summer Energy online after searching rates through Power to Choose. I disclosed the appropriate info so they could check my credit. I have excellent credit by the way. Without notifying me, they charged my credit card $450 as a deposit.
Buyer beware
I sent them a check via B of A bill pay a full 15 days before it was due. Verified with B of A that the payment was delivered a full 5 days before it was due.
Fast Forward 2 weeks..., they claim they haven't received my payment, and, even though I have proof of payment, they refuse to refund the late fees and disconnect fees. Never mind that I wasn't disconnected because I payed AGAIN via credit card.
Threatened to sue me if I didn't pay their late charge.
Also, I signed up for a 90 day lock at a great rate. They only allowed me to keep it for 49 days. Said it was "the way my billing period fell".
These peeps are crooks.
They make their money, IMO, on late fees by not processing payments in a timely fashion.
Also, their rollover rate after day 49 of my 90 plan was to go up to almost .12 per KwH.
Great Experience
Summer Energy has been great for me. I signed up both my home and business on a 12 month fixed price contract 7 months ago. Their Sales people are professional and honest. All of my bills have been correct and on time. They have an excellent referral program their commercial sales guy pushes./
Make sure you look at your bill!
This company has the most inefficient billing practices I have ever experienced. Once they receive a payment, it takes THEM 5-7 business days just to process it. They do not mark the payment received until after they process it, so it pretty much guarantees that every customer payment is assessed a late fee. Then, AFTER they process the payment, they send out a "disconnection" notice and charge $20 to the bill for sending the notice. This is AFTER the payment has been received and processed. And good luck getting anything from customer service! I only have a 9-month contract with them and will definitely not be renewing.
Fees fees and more fees
They will send you a $20 fee just for mailing a paper they didn't even need to mail. Horrible customer service. The price and promotions is what drew me in, but beware. Would NOT recommend! Shop elsewhere! I've have a great experience with Star Tex Energy and I'm going back to them!
My experience has been pretty goood
No problems. Good rates. But its time to renew and they are offering higher rates to existing customers to renew with them than the rates they are offering to new customers.
Absolutely the worst
These people have absolutely no right to be in business. Yes, you will receive your electricity as normal. That is still provided by and maintained by Oncor. Summer Energy is nothing but a billing company - a middleman. But they know nothing about proper business methods. They frequently skip sending out statements (both paper and email), then send a threatening letter to cut off service. When contacted, they say it is the customer who is at fault, not them. After months of receiving no statements, they finally acknowledged that they keyed the wrong email address into their system. How could they not have known this, since the emails would have bounced? They promised to correct this. Then, 21 days later (long after a payment was due), I finally got an invoice by email. Fortunately, I had gotten so fed up, I made multiple advance payments which far exceeded my charges, so I didn't get any more cut-off threats. And the following month's bill arrived by email 18 days after the amount was due. Then, emails stopped, and I have never received a paper bill, even though I never opted out of paper billing. Now, it seems that they have somehow once again messed up my email address, because when I try to log into my account, I can't, because they don't recognize my email address as being a valid customer's email address. There is no other way to access my account except to call, and speak to an inept customer service rep. No huge loss at not being able to log into my account, since their website doesn't work for half of the listed "features". I can't wait until my contract expires. But I expect a big hassle getting a refund of the amount that I have overpaid.
Bad billing and customer service
In Jan, I accidentally paid my electric bill for $81 twice. I called Summer, and they said the $81 would be credited to my account. My next bill was for $0, and the invoice clearly indicated that this was from the $81 credit...so far, so good. My next bill (the last one I received) was for $53 due April 3rd, which I paid promptly well before the due date. Today, April 8th, I receive a phone call from Summer saying that I owe them $81. They said that they recently discovered that they actually refunded me the $81 in January, despite their specific claim when I called them that they would credit my account for that amount, and that now, 3 months later, they realized I owe them money. Oh, and they claim that the $81 was due on April 3rd, despite the fact that the last invoice they sent me clearly claims I owe $53 and that I haven't received any other notification of this until the phone call this morning, and that my account is now overdue. I told them that they explicitly told me, and that my invoices reflect, that I had an $81 credit; I explained that I plan out my bills and expenses carefully, and that I don't simply have an extra $81 laying around to pay them for the lies they told me on the phone when I contacted them 3 months ago about this. They told me they would send me to collections if it isn't paid by April 11th.
REALLY??!!
Did a lot of research. Read a lot of reviews. Summer Energy appeared to be safe to sign up for a short term (3 month) service policy to see how they were...I have been a Reliant Energy customer for 6 years. I applied on-line, but was told via email I needed to call an 800 number to sign up for service. When I called the given number, there was no voice prompt for signing up as a new customer...REALLY? I made a random selection regarding connection to service, and did get a live one on the line. When I explained why I was calling, the customer service rep had no idea why I would have such a prompt to call this particular 800 number...REALLY? She put me on hold for a moment, came back on the line and told me the ONLY way to apply for new service was online ONLY, and that did not have the ability to take an application by phone...REALLY? Oh, and then she told me that their site ONLY supported Internet Explorer browser...REALLY?? When I told her I was on a Mac computer, and that Internet Explorer NO LONGER SUPPORTED MAC, she was like...REALLY???!!! So much for my experience w/ Summer Energy. I will not be back nor will I ever recommend them to anyone...REALLY!!!
Excellent customer service!
I called their customer service line in regards to my overlooked payment. Representative was very courteous and thorough. Made my payment over the phone at NO charge! I will be renewing in June!
Horrible customer service, outrageous charges
DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY unless you want to deal with RUDE customer service agents and want to be charged fees that are not disclosed. They are dishonest!
Good experience so far !
I've been with several REPs over the last ten years and came over to Summer Energy in July, 2012 after a truly horrid experience with Proton Energy. Things I like about Summer Energy (besides being nothing like Proton Energy) - 1) no fee for credit card payments; 2) no deposit for those with good credit; 3) paper bill every month, on time; 4) no hidden fees or excessive number of fees tacked on; 5) really good 12 mo. rate of 8.6 cents/kwh. My usage is always over 1000 kwh, so the fee for going under that does not apply to me. I saw from a review prior to mine a complaint about customer service, however, I have experienced nothing but quality customer service, although most of my contacts were back in August, 2012. Everythings been fine to now - Jan, 2013. Also, I found their website simple and easy to use. I dont auto pay so that's not an issue for me like it was for a previous reviewer. No complaints and will stay with them if they continue with good rates and good service - So far, So good.
No huge complaints...
I've had Summer for the past 6 months, and it has went fairly well--no complaints. The rate I got was great, with no minimum usage charge which is huge to me. However, I will not be renewing because they now do charge the fee for under 1000 kw, so they are no longer the cheapest.They also need a more sophisticated web page--they teased at offering automatic billpay, but I saw one email and no option to sign up. Website was really garbage, but the service was just fine. If the price is right, I would go with them again for sure.
Horrific Customer Service and poor Account management
Under no circumstance should you ever consider this company. The customer service is horrific.
They specifically stated that we would receive electricity on a certain day to which we didn't get electricity for over week after they stated they would supply it.
They changed the terms and conditions of service frequently increasing fees.
Finally, after the last terms and conditions change, I found I had the right to decline and be released from service. After waiting 30 minutes on hold, attempting to reach a customer service represented, I stated that I would like to decline the new terms and be released from my contract. The agent promised that I would not be charged an early cancellation penalty. Upon, the next bill, there was clearly an early cancellation charge. Then I had to wait yet another 30 minutes on hold before getting the response of "We'll look into it."
Further observations:
Price is reasonable, probably because they lack customer support.
Website is all but useless. It's cumbersome and poorly designed. The site contains no autopay ability and also no ability to store a form of payment requiring you to enter your information in every time you want to pay a bill.
Conclusion: DO NOT EVER CHOOSE THIS COMPANY. IT'S NOT WORTH THE PRICE.
No disclosure
Summer did not disclose their connection charge on their web site nor through a CSR what it would be. I didn't ask, because I didn't know.hat they would charge $14.14 for a connection charge they say "Centerpoint is allowed to charge...". Also, it it is TOTALLY OFFENSIVE that part of the billing summary (my charges) are in Spanish - I don't even know what they are! I will watch my bill very closely in order to deflect unauthorized charges. When I called to ask about these issues, I encountered another company with a rude, unprofessional CSR who would rather talk than listen.nauthorized charges