We combine our user submitted reviews along with other reviews from Google, Facebook, Yelp, and the Public Utility Commission to grade providers.
Be very careful dealing with PowerNext. I was double charged after my meter was upgraded. I contacted PowerNext and was promised a credit on my next bill to resolve this, but the credit never came. I called again and was told they would open a ticket to look into it and respond within 24 - 48 hours. It's been a week and no response so I called again and all they can do is open another ticket. It takes hours to get a hold of anyone in customer service, and it's very hard to communicate with them when you do speak with them. At this point I opened a complaint with the Public Utility Commission of Texas and hopefully that will get some action.
Been with PowerNext for over a year. Account has been set up on autopay the whole time. Received a disconnect notice this week for non payment. Went online and paid the account to keep from getting disconnected. Called PowerNext 2 times and emailed once before they would finally return my call. Come to find out it was there system that did not process the payment. They never bothered to contact me and tell me of their mistake. Later learned it affected numerous customers. They will be quick to disconnect you if they don't get paid,l; however, when the make the error it's ok.
Terrible customer service, long hold times when you call about inaccurate billing. AVOID unless they are the only option. Thankfully they are not for me, switching immediately!
Lame A..... Company. How you going to charge people an early Termination Fee? when they never canceled the service? Seems like the company is canceling your account and is charging you an early termination fee, stating you are the one who terminated the account. This company is a joke, look at the reviews of everyone, learn how to treat your customers fairly, y'all ain't the only company around, and that is why you will keep losing customers to other services companies because y'all try to cheat your customers who have been with you for years.
Our mission is to provide accurate and helpful data and content to help you make an informed decision when comparing energy providers.
Plans and Rates:
We review all available plans from every licensed energy provider. Then we rank the lowest available rate from each provider. Providers then receive a rating based on what percentile their lowest plan ranks.
For example, Provider A has the 3rd lowest-priced plan, while Provider B has the 45th lowest-priced plan out of 46 providers who submitted plans to PUC. Provider A will have a rating of 5, while Provider B will have a rating of 1.
Customer Service:
We scrape online reviews from Google, Yelp, BBB, and Trust Pilot to determine what customers are saying about the provider. The rating reflects the aggregate of all online reviews.
Renewable Options:
The rating system is based on the availability of renewable energy options. A 5-star rating is awarded to entities that offer a fully renewable option, signifying 100% renewable energy usage. A 4-star rating is given to those that provide a mix of energy sources, with more than 50% coming from renewable sources. Entities with renewable energy options exceeding the state average of 31.1% receive a 3-star rating, while those offering less than 31.1% renewable options are rated with 2 stars. Lastly, a 1-star rating is assigned to those with no renewable energy options, indicating a lack of commitment to sustainable energy practices.
PUC Rating:
The Public Utility Commission publishes a rating for each provider based on the number of formal complaints filed against the provider in comparison to how many customers they have.
For example, a provider with 10 formal complaints out of 10,000 customers would have a 1-star rating whereas a provider with 10 complaints and 1,000,000 customers would have a 5-star rating.
The GridHacker rating uses a weighted average that prioritizes rates and customer service over renewable options and PUC rating. We do this because we feel that for most customers price and service are the two most important factors when they are shopping for an electricity plan.
