Sign up with Direct Energy?

[Master]

I have gas supply form Enbridge. There are people from Direct Energy that come to the door and ask me to sign up for gas that allows my gas prices to stay the same for 4 years. Is it a good deal? Anyone here sign up with them?

I'm in the GTA area.

[Rehan]

http://www.energyshop.com/prices/on/gason.cfm?ldc_id=2

[JAC]

I refuse to sign with any of those parasites on principle alone. :evil:

[gman]

I refuse to sign with any of those parasites on principle alone. :evil:

Well, I signed with Enbridge's de-regulated branch but it was bought by Direct Energy. In other words, my contract is now with Direct Energy.

By the way, after I signed mine and before it was activated (3 months after I signed it), I thought I was a sucker. Because I signed with about 23 cents and at the time it was activated, there was a even better deal (from the same company).

Now, I checked with the energy shop link above, I guess it was not as bad as I thought.

[grant]

I refuse to sign with any of those parasites on principle alone. :evil:

I'm not from Ontario so I might be missing something, but what's parasitic about buying your gas from different suppliers?

[JAC]

When this whole thing first started, someone came around to my inlaws' place and gave them the "have you signed up for your gas discount? no? sign here" spiel. They said nothing about being a different company. As a result, the inlaws were stuck with one of the "alternate suppliers" for two years.

I'm still getting people banging on my door, trying to sign me up for gas or hydro services. :evil:

But hey, if anyone can explain to me how adding more middlemen brings down costs, I'm all ears.

[gman]

When this whole thing first started, someone came around to my inlaws' place and gave them the "have you signed up for your gas discount? no? sign here" spiel.   They said nothing about being a different company.  As a result, the inlaws were stuck with one of the "alternate suppliers" for two years.

I'm still getting people banging on my door, trying to sign me up for gas or hydro services. :evil:  

But hey, if anyone can explain to me how adding more middlemen brings down costs, I'm all ears.

Adding a middleman may increase the cost but if you buy stuff in bulk in large volume, you save money. I guess the difference is buying it from a retail (regulated Enbridge) or a wholeseller (Direct Energy).

The wholeseller needs to commit a large volume of gas (consider it as Costco) and it needs you to commit that also. The retailer (regulated Enbridge) sells you gas in a variable price (related to market value). That why when I signed my contract, they stated that only that many contracts could be offered for that "lot" of gas.

I think the idea is not bad. It is the practice of these wholeseller was very bad in the beginning. However, most people who complained were eventually saved a lot of money. This does not make the bad salesman right though. When the gas deregulation started, a lot of people complained because the market price of gas dropped after they signed the contract. Hence, they felt they were sucker who was misleaded by the salesman (they were really misleaded). However, one year after, the gas price raised like crazy (remember the winter that the gas price rocketed), the same group of "suckers" were more than happy.

Anyway, I signed a 23.5 cents contract which I once thought it was very bad (the main reason I signed it was the cost of THAT winter and it was Enbridge). But, the price is now 35 cents. I guess I should be happy. Oh yeah! I know people signed 18 cents or less too (that's why I though I was a sucker).

[eXpedite]

If anyone know's what's going on here, I'd like to follow this...

*BUMP*

[JAC]

Adding a middleman may increase the cost but if you buy stuff in bulk in large volume, you save money. I guess the difference is buying it from a retail (regulated Enbridge) or a wholeseller (Direct Energy).  

The wholeseller needs to commit a large volume of gas (consider it as Costco) and it needs you to commit that also. The retailer (regulated Enbridge) sells you gas in a variable price (related to market value). That why when I signed my contract, they stated that only that many contracts could be offered for that "lot" of gas.

Ok, where do Enbridge or D.E. get the gas that they sell to us?

[gman]

Adding a middleman may increase the cost but if you buy stuff in bulk in large volume, you save money. I guess the difference is buying it from a retail (regulated Enbridge) or a wholeseller (Direct Energy).  

The wholeseller needs to commit a large volume of gas (consider it as Costco) and it needs you to commit that also. The retailer (regulated Enbridge) sells you gas in a variable price (related to market value). That why when I signed my contract, they stated that only that many contracts could be offered for that "lot" of gas.

Ok, where do Enbridge or D.E. get the gas that they sell to us?

No idea but I don't think Enbridge produce gas though.

[George W. Bush]

Anyone can produce gas. Eating a can of brown beans is a good way to start, and in no time you are on your way producing gas! :lol:

[NDman]

Do you have nothing better to do again, GWB? Bringing up 2 threads back from Jul!???

[Hairball]

As a former salesperson for Direct Energy, the contract you have with DE is purely financial. There is no difference in the gas provided, it is the same gas provided by Enbridge (gas utility), and emergency services, billing, and such are still provided by Enbridge.

Unless you are confident that natural gas prices will continue increasing, then don't sign. The price they offer for 3 or 5 year contacts is a few cents above the market rate, with rates this high now, you could get burned.

And make sure you read the terms of the contract. Also when you sign, you can get out of it within 10 days of signing it.

EDIT: Blah, I didn't notice that it was some old post.

[gman]

Thanks to remind me that my Enbridge $0.23 contract is pretty good. ;)

[Jono]

Their sales tactics are pretty deceptive. When I moved into my house, the moving truck was still on the driveway when someone from the "gas company" walked up to register me for gas service. I had already contacted Enbridge to start my account with them, so I couldn't understand why I needed to give a complete stranger who walked up to my door my personal info for the gas company. I told him that I couldn't deal with him right now as my movers were still unloading, so he waited on my sidewalk for over an hour until they left so he could pester me again. When I finally got a chance to read what he was asking me to sign, I realized it was not Enbridge, but Direct Energy trying to get me to sign a gas contract. I told him not to bother me again and that I wouldn't be signing something from a company with such deceptive sales practices.

They must be pretty hard up for customers if they resort to this.