While we’re talking about IDT Energy and Con Ed and Midtown Promotions and DS-MAX, let’s learn about another acronym, ESCos, which stands for “energy service companies” (the kind of company IDT Energy is).
utilities
Consumerist Undercover At IDT Energy: The Job Interview
By 5.31.07
Midtown Promotions has no yellow pages entry, no website, and no apparent internet job postings. Cruising their profile on Rip Off Report, a site where, natch, consumers file complaints against companies they feel ripped them off, I found a number for Midtown Promotions main office. It took several discussions with the editor of The Consumerist before we felt we nailed down the approach to the first phone call…
Always Be Closing: IDT Energy Salesmen Interrupt Man In Shower
By 5.30.07
Max from Queens tells us what it’s like to have IDT Energy knocking on your door:
My front buzzer rang a little while ago while I was in the shower. I figured it was UPS, and that my roommate would go out to get it. A short while later, the bell on my apartment went off, and I guessed that he had forgotten to grab his keys on the way out. So I grabbed a towel, and went to let him in. Instead of my roommate, there was some dude with a binder.
Consumerist Undercover At IDT Energy: Day One
By 5.30.07
For months, readers have told The Consumerist of fake Con Edison employees showing up on their doorstep. The story is always the same; they open their door to find people in Con Ed outfits almost demanding that the customer sign a form to save 7% on their bills. The “Con Ed” employee then demands to see the bill and thrust their fingers at the part where it says you can save by switching to an alternate energy supplier. But they don’t actually work for Con Ed; in fact, they work for IDT Energy.
The Consumerist Goes Undercover At IDT Energy
By 5.29.07
For nearly a year, we’ve told you about door-to-door salesmen trying to get New Yorkers to switch to IDT Energy, pretending to work for ConEd.
IDT Energy Scamming Spreads Past New York City
By 5.3.07
IDT Energy, which specializes in going door to door and lying to customers in order to get sales, has expanded its reach past NYC and is now conning the good citizens in Albany, NY, according to this reader Peter’s letter:
How To: Make A Cellphone Charger Box
By 4.9.07
Organizing the chargers for your cellphone, PDA, Nintendo DS, etc. can be hugely annoying and expensive. Why expensive? When you leave chargers plugged into the wall, they’re still drawing electricity—even when your phone isn’t plugged in.
Attention: You Cut Your Electric Bill By Almost Half!
By 3.22.07
Reader Melissa writes in to tell us that using tips from Consumerist and other sites, she cut her (admittedly outrageous) electric bill down to size. Melissa writes: I cut my electric bill nearly in half.
Illinois Electric Bills Skyrocket Up To 170%
By 3.5.07
When Illinois’ 10-year price freeze ended January 1st, people were told to expect an increase of around 22-55%, according to BusinessWeek. Now the legislature is looking into why some Amren customers are paying on average up to 170% more than before the price freeze melted:
How Much Does It Cost To Leave Your Computer On?
By 2.20.07
Lifehacker points us to a post on Coding Horror that details how to determine the cost of leaving your computer on all the time. Unsurprisingly, it involves the use of the Kill-a-Watt (power meter), but the post also gives some tips that anyone can use to cut the costs involved in keeping that computer running. —MEGHANN MARCO
12 Ways To Save On Utilities
By 2.1.07
“One thing (of many) that stood out to me is that we’ve spent an average of $141/month on utilities (gas, water, electric) during that period (it was much lower early on, and considerably higher more recently). That doesn’t sound like a huge amount, but consider this… Over a ten year period that works out to roughly $17k — that’s a pretty nice chunk of change.”
ConEd Customer's Personal Info Highly Vulnerable To Online Theft
By 1.30.07
ConEd customer’s personal information is in grave danger. ConEd’s online account system is easily crackable, only requiring entering an account number.
Scammed By IDT Energy? News 12 Wants To Talk
By 1.9.07
If you were scammed by IDT Energy into switching over your contract, live in Brooklyn or the Bronx, and are willing to appear on-camera, email news12bx@news12.com with your contact info and story.
Conserve Energy By Watching Hourly Rate
By 1.8.07
For more information about the program check out the Community Energy Cooperative. Save Money! —MEGHANN MARCO
NYC’s Water Bills So Messed Up, City Can’t Collect Millions
By 12.12.06
New York City’s billing system is so screwed up that the city can’t collect millions of dollars in overdue payments.
Kill-A-Watt: Learn Which Appliances Are Costing You
By 12.6.06
J.D. at Get Rich Slowly has a review of a nifty little device that tells you how much electricity appliances draw. You can use it to calculate how much money you’d save by turning things off/unplugging them. Cool!
Save 50% On Utility Bills
By 11.29.06
MyMoneyBlog found a great way to save on home energy expenses, The Home Energy Saver online calculator.
HOWTO: Dispute a Utility Bill
By 10.26.06
While it doesn’t compare to Michelle’s $27,933.55 bill, last year we received what can only be called a totally bullshit $170 electric bill for a month when everyone was out of town. The problem was–we had no idea how to dispute it. Call in our Uncle Mickey? Scream colorful metaphors into the telephone?
