Back on December 17, 2008 I wrote a rant in regards to Progress Energy in Pinellas County Florida having a rate hike of almost 25% on Electric utilities. I also posted a Poll on that topic asking everyone if they thought that the Progress Energy Rate Hike was a Joke 90% of you that voted agreed that the massive rate hike was a joke, than of course there were the two losers who probably never even heard of Progress Energy but just had to vote opposite of everyone else. I mean really who the hell would think a 25% rate hike wasn’t a joke? The one who came up with the idea?
While I was at a local breakfast place having the typical 4 egg whites with a side of bacon well done, the server mentioned to me that Progress Energy was pulling back on their rate hike by 12%. How sweet of Progress Energy in these hard economic times to pull back 12% of their almost 25% rate increase to spare the loving people of Florida. Thank you Progress Energy. Thank you. Maybe it was the numerous Progress Energy Complaints that caused Progress Energy to back up a little bit on the big pump they were hookin everyone up with. I actually have to say it’s nice to see that Progress Energy is reacting a little bit to the economic situation we are currently in, I can name a few companies that had rate hikes when fule was going up but those companies have yet to decrease those “fuel surcharges” they had no problem tossing on the bill back than. I mean really, fuel has been down for a while now so shouldnt we be seeing some bill reductions there? Who am I kidding, thats not going to happen but it at least feels good to say it. As a business owner I am also pretty excited about the proposed progress energy price decrease especially with it being Indoor Tanning season and having something like 14 different electric bills overall.
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Well its nice to get even a small break now
Twitter: extremejohn
Yeah only problem is it’s not actually a break, it’s still a price increase.
It's Interesting that some of companies like this are able to overcome the bail out. CEO are the main assets of such companies.
Business is different from anything else, only peoples having “different ways” can win the rice, wishing you all the best.
Derrin posted a comment that is partially true, but not so much if you really think about it… A good CEO keeps companies out of hard times, but how big of a bonus is to be considered enough on top of what is usually a $500k/yr salary before the CEO and the voting board (bored) members decide that your customers deserve a break? Ever run late with Progress Energy? I did… ONCE. I will run late on my credit card before I run 4 days late with Progress Energy again… That was a VERY expensive nightmare. Progress Energy is THE most expensive energy provider in the entire state of Florida, and in the Carolinas. That’s an actual researched and documented fact. Come on people…
Just a thought… When you sign up for Progress energy, they make you put down a deposit. Mine was $500, but for arguments sake let’s say everyone’s was $200. Progress energy has 3.1 Million customers throughout Florida and the Carolinas. Let’s say 3.1 Million TIMES $200 is
$620,000,000 (Six hundred twenty million).
SIX HUNDRED TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS in deposits, of OUR money is collecting someone a nice interest rate. Why don’t we get that interest back as a credit on our bill? Maybe i’m digging here, but it pisses me off.
What about the charges on the actual bill? 2 lines of charges for kw hours, then a few lines down 2 more lines of charges for kw hours. I called and asked about this. The nice lady told me that the first set of charges was to actually manufacture the energy by them. The second charge is what they charge us for it. Wouldn’t that be the same as me ordering a car from Chevy and having to pay them to build it for me, then paying again when I pick it up? Either way, it all makes me sick.
It is amazing that any company could think that would be a smart business plan in the recession. Granted people need energy, but people aren’t going to stand for rate increases excessively like that during these harsh economic times.
i agree with above mentioned against Progress Energy!
I am un-employed, barely can pay my $250 bill and we all know that if you dont pay you have no light, so basicly you have to pay. that should be insurance enough! but no it is not. they want to add an additional $125 for the next 4 months because i couldnt pay my bill! what a joke! If i could hardly pay the bill then, what made them think i could now! I really , really hate Progress Energy and want to rally against them. I want to make a petition against them and start involving their customers. I want to shake them up or ship them out of town! Any ideas how should i go about this?
Progress Energy are an awful company to deal with who have the monopoly over the power usage in this area. For the first time in 5 years I was late on paying my bill and they automatically want another deposit for 2 years. The woman at their collections department was extremely rude and impolite and didn’t give a jot about the fact that we’ve always paid on time and ended up with ‘if you don’t pay you’ll get cut off’ Whatever happened to helping the customer – If I’d missed loads of payments I could understand it but to miss one and get treated like this is disgusting. If I could move to another power company I would without hesitation.
Twitter: extremejohn
Debbie I feel your pain. We’ve had power turned off at a random tanning location here and there before, even with the bill paid. I’ve never seen a company that could care less about it’s customers, customer service and certainly anyone else from the small people to small business owners.
One thing you can count on progress energy for is them to stick it to you as hard as they legally can at the start of each month. Progress Energy is easily the #1 reason I want out of Florida, giving them 1 penny just makes my blood boil. 1 penny, they aren’t even worth that meanwhile they get an easy $150,000+ a year out of me. Worst company of all time. J.D Power and Associates should rate those clowns.
Thanks John, surprising enough, after I made a complaint against the so called customer service lady who dealt with us, they reduced the deposit to $250 – still annoying that they want anything but at least they done something. The really irritating bit is that I have put nearly 30 customers through them in the last 2 years and I have no where else to put them, if only someone else would start a power service they would be certainly getting my business.
Twitter: extremejohn
That’s the biggest part of the problem, it’s beyond corrupt with PE being a monopoly out here there’s no chance any of it’s going to change any time soon. They just keep getting increases and nailing the customer.
@Pamela – Unfortunately, to rally against them is almost impossible. Can be done, but the time and effort would be a big gamble on a slight chance of winning. I have been working on this for years. As with anything else, the way to hurt rich people is to take away their money. The way to hurt them in this case is to eliminate the need for them. How? Create your own electricity that costs you ZERO dollars. I have looked into solar, wind, all kinds of stuff. The best I have found is a type of magnetic generator. It’s somewhat complicated for the average person, but this is where you ask yourself how much of PE is enough? Built properly, this machine can power your whole house and then some. This website has many plans to build all sorts of things. I bought the CD with all the plans for everything they have designed. You have to build it yourself. They can’t sell it because (guess) the government made it illegal for them to sell. This technology has been around since the 50′s. God forbid we let the people sell things that take money away from the government. Cars that don’t need gas OR batteries. Fuel-less generators. The list is long. I have done a ton of research and this, in my opinion, is the way to go. It’s a lot of work, but to be able to call PE and tell them you don’t need them anymore, priceless.
Check it out http://www.fuellesspower.com/
Twitter: extremejohn
I can’t wait until more cost effective options come out for small business owners looking to cut Progress Energy right out of the mix. Sadly for me, unless we sell our six locations in Florida I have to deal with them because the other methods are just too costly and with renting commercial buildings not many of the landlords are going to be in for it.
I feel your pain. I can’t imagine it being much different elsewhere though…
The rate hike is so small when compared to their raise. Even if they will lower that, people will still have 13% more increase.
Twitter: extremejohn
Very true, bottom line they didn’t need any rate hikes and ended up with two or three in the last two years.
Progress Energy is arrogant because it believes it has a monopoly on the power needs of the people of central Florida. Right now, it is right. However, if more people moved toward free energy technology alternatives, like wind, magnetic, and solar energy, we would all be much better off financially, and Progress Energy would have to change to meet our demands or fade into obscurity.
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