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I read with interest the story of people in Berks County seeing their electric bills going from $150 to almost $500 after they changed electric service providers and the charge for a Kw hour of electricity kept climbing each month.

I was almost sucked into the “benefits” of deregulation when it happened. Like everyone else I got a mailbox full of offers from “electric companies” offering me a lower rate than PP&L (my electric company where I used to live).

My rate at the time with PP&L was about .079 Kw hour if memory serves me correctly. Some of the letters I received offered me a rate as low as .06 Kw hour. Most were around .07 Kw hour.

The thing with me is, I actually read the fine print when I get something I’m considering.

Most were teasers. 60-90 days at the lower rate, then a jump to .085, or being subject to a variable price per Kilowatt hour, which according to the literature would likely (never guaranteed) save me money, because they would pass on lower electric prices to me. The biggest catch to many of them was that I would be locked in with them for a full year. If I changed providers before my contract with them expired I would be charged a “disconnect fee” – as if they actually did any type of connecting in the first place.

They all went in the trash.

So, now I live in West Easton and my provider is Met-Ed. I still get occasional offers from electric service providers and they still go in the trash.

I’m not a genius, but I try to remember one thing. If it sounds too good to be true, it’s probably going to get you screwed.

I also asked myself when reading those offers, how it was possible that there were suddenly so many new companies offering electricity rates for so much less than the existing electric companies? I also have a deep seated suspicion of anything new that comes about due to deregulation. The consumer always seems to get screwed when an industry is deregulated – contrary to what the government tells me.

This is where I love Google to help me explain things.

While Channel 69 did a report on electric provider Pennsylvania Gas & Electric and AG Kathleen Kane looking into the massive rate hikes, they didn’t go far enough into investigating this company and its background.

It seems Pennsylvania Gas & Electric is under the same umbrella as other electric providers in other states, including Connecticut. Only in Connecticut they call themselves, Connecticut Gas & Electric. In Kentucky, Kentucky Gas & Electric. You get the idea.

All of these companies, named using the states they operate in are under the parent company of, U.S. Gas & Electric.

U.S. Gas & Electric doesn’t seem to be hurting for money. In August 2013 they announced they were moving into a new location. A 50,000 sq. ft. of office space that will occupy the top 3 floors of the Space Coast Credit Union building located in Mirimar, Florida. The lease includes naming rights of the building. Think they might name it, U.S. Gas and Electric?

What everyone needs to do is watch the NBC Report from a Connecticut news station that can be found below. You’ll learn a lot more in 7 minutes than I could write here and you may decide you’re better off going back to Met-Ed (or your original electric provider), rather than staying with a company that might hike rates on you without warning. Just be sure to check your contract. Make sure there is no fee for changing providers.

If you have a complaint about your bill, here are the three state agencies that want to hear from consumers:

PA Public Utilities Commission

1-800-692-7380

PA Attorney Generals Office

1-800-441-2555

PA Office of Consumer Advocate

1-800-684-6560

If the video doesn’t load properly, you can view it HERE.