Southwest Power & Light Customer Reviews
We've been collecting customer reviews for Southwest Power & Light so you can get the inside scoop on what it's like to be a customer.
Ratings by Star
Featured Review for Southwest Power & Light
Awesome company
Ive been with Southwest Power & alight for years. They have always contacted me more than a month before my contract was up to advise and work with me. Their customer service has been better than any other we have ever used. They offer long-term contracts and kWh has been very competitive, in fact, better than others I shop at each end of contract. Highly recommend.
Alternatives to Southwest Power & Light's Texas Electricity Plans
Texas Electricity Ratings can help you find the best Southwest Power & Light electricity plan. Below are the lowest priced plans, as well as our ratings and reviews.
Houston Plans
| Plan | Term | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| GridEdge 36 | 36/months | 9.9¢/kWh |
| SimpleSaver 12 | 12/months | 10.0¢/kWh |
| SimpleSaver 14 | 14/months | 10.1¢/kWh |
Dallas Plans
| Plan | Term | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| SimpleSaver 12 | 12/months | 10.1¢/kWh |
| SimpleSaver 14 | 14/months | 10.2¢/kWh |
| SimpleSaver 18 | 18/months | 10.3¢/kWh |
Southwest Power & Light Rating and Review Summary
There are 65 total reviews for Southwest Power & Light, with an average rating of 2.1/5.
| Company | Stars | Rating | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Power & Light | 2.1/5 | 65 |
| Star Rating | Ratings and Link |
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| 12 5 star reviews | |
| 8 4 star reviews | |
| 5 3 star reviews | |
| 5 2 star reviews | |
| 35 1 star reviews |
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Recent 5 Star Reviews
Awesome company
Ive been with Southwest Power & alight for years. They have always contacted me more than a month before my contract was up to advise and work with me. Their customer service has been better than any other we have ever used. They offer long-term contracts and kWh has been very competitive, in fact, better than others I shop at each end of contract. Highly recommend.
Thank you for choosing Southwest Power & Light for your electricity needs. We greatly appreciate your business, and positive feedback regarding our service.
— Southwest Power & Light on May 11th, 2022
Great Customer Service
Sierra in Customer service was great. Answered all my questions and was cheerful and professional. Thanks!!!
Thank you for sharing this awesome feedback. Southwest Power and Light strives to always provide top notch customer care and we rank among the best on the State of Texas Scorecard among Retail Electric Providers (5 Circle Score). We are glad to be meeting your expectations.
— Southwest Power & Light on July 27th, 2021
No problems, great rate.
I signed up with them almost 3 years ago after Breeze went under. I used a spreadsheet and simulated my usage over a year with many different plans, including the ones some providers use to try to appear way low on power to choose, but only if you use exactly the 1000 or 2000 KwH amounts.I appreciate that they will bill a credit card without adding fees, which with rewards comes out to an additional 2-3% savings, and allows me another 20 days or so of flexibility as to when I am paying it.My Energy charge has always been exactly what the said and the distribution charges from Oncor have always passed through correctly. I do wish the invoice would itemize the Oncor charges, but using current EFL data from various providers to spot check, the distribution charges are always correct
Thank you for choosing Southwest Power & Light for your energy needs. We greatly appreciate your feedback regarding our service.
— Southwest Power & Light on July 20th, 2021
No problems.
Good price. Never had an issue with billing. Had to call once to get help with my online account. Good service. I really don't care what day they take my payment and I appreciate the discount for auto-pay.
Thank you for choosing Southwest Power & Light for your energy needs. We greatly appreciate your feedback regarding our service.
— Southwest Power & Light on November 11th, 2020
4 years
Been a customer about 5 years. First year had a trial plan. Had no issues. Have a 3600 sqf house, 2 units. Pool, Landscape lights; 3 car garage. Avg about $350 mo. Signed 2 back to back 24 mo plans. Find deregulation confusing, and shopping for a commodity.
Thank you for review of our service and plans. Southwest Power and Light strives to provide outstanding customer care and competitive pricing to win your business year after year. We look forward to continuing to meet all of your expectations in the future.
— Southwest Power & Light on October 13th, 2020
GREAT SUPPLIER
I have been with SWP&L for years and they offer the best rates. I have never had a problem with them and I recommend them all the time.
Pasadena, Texas
I've been using Southwest Power & Light for several years and they are very good. I'm an electrical substation designers and their electricity is as good as anyone else.
They were just fine!
I don't usually have the time to write reviews. Signed up with SW P & L 2 years ago online because of a very attractive rate. I was on autopay. Every month a got a statement showing how much my account was charged. I never had a problem or needed to call for anything. I enjoyed the low rates. As far as I'm concerned it was a no brainer. No problems at all!
8 YEARS of GREAT rates and service!!!
Reading all the bad reviews is surprising! I signed up with SWPL 8 years ago and the highest my bill has EVER been for my 2 bedroom home is $180! And that is only during the summer months in HOUSTON TEXAS! Average bill is well under $100 otherwise. I am pleased with the service and any time anyone shows up trying to get me to switch, I'm told they have never heard of SWPL and then I send them on their way. The only downfall I can list is the high deposit ($390) but once you pay your bill on time for 12 consecutive months w/out a late/disconnect notice generated, they refund half of the deposit back to you! I recommend SWPL to everyone who asks me about power company options. (=
Great
Unsure why people are having problems. Sign up for a term (you know there's a cancelation charge) and pay on time. I have used SWPL for almost 3 years and never had an issue. Saved $ hundreds (if not thousands) in that time v's TXU. Always check each year to compare there rates prior to renewing and they're great.
Economical and friendly
I have had Southwest Power & Light for one year and they were great. Paying my bill online was quick and efficient. If I had to call it in, they were friendly and you were able to speak to a live person fairly quickly. I would recommend. My bill was quite a bit lower than it had been in a while.
Electricity fact sheet
Had a question about the rate on my first bill. I had a fantastic CSR, named Samantha, that explained my rate and even adjusted my bill favorably.
She had a great "can do" attitude.
So far, so good with SouthernPL. Hopefully my next 11 months with them will exceed expectations.
Recent 4 Star Reviews
Always room for improvement but SWPL is a keeper
Only 2 "complaints" I might offer:1. Their auto-billing drafts my checking account 10 days before payment is due. Only reason a company would do this is to play the float game they have our money for 10 days to invest elsewhere. It adds up to quite a lot. Really no call for this from a utility company. But I can live with it, and do, and it's not really a complaint.2. My contract is coming to an end in 5 months. I like SWPL so much I'd like to extend that contract, or, start a new one with them effective 5 months from now. Just trying to get the best price at the moment. But they, like most providers, won't talk contracts until 30 days before expiration. What a shame a decent provider with a good price risks losing a satisfied customer because of what rates may be 4 months from now. Again, not a complaint, but it sure seems like a less than intelligent way to conduct business.
Thank you for choosing Southwest Power and Light. Regarding number 2 in your review, Southwest Power and Light does allow renewing contracts up to 90 days before expiration through a Customer Care agent or at 60 days through your My Account Portal on our website. Our agents are available by calling 866.941.7975, hours of operation are Monday- Friday 8:30am to 5:30pm CST to assist with your account.
— Southwest Power & Light on July 20th, 2021
Great Company
I had this company for 2 years without any problems, however i get these new promotions and decided to change, BIG MISTAKE, southwest is fair and does not give you extra charges, it is what it is all the time, I am going back to this company
No problems with service
I have had SWP for 3 years and have had no problems. No hidden fees and rate is the same as quoted. Payment comes out automatically from checking account each month for a 5% discount and a color chart shows your usage to compare to year prior. Not sure why others are having problems. Have not needed customer service. I am looking for the best rate now as it is time to renew or switch.
No problems so far.
I've had Southwest P&L for about 18 months now. I pay them on-time and they give me electricity at a decent price. It's really not that difficult.
Mickey in NRH
The switch over was seamless and we have yet to encounter a problem. We just renewed at a slightly better rate and probably will next year as well.
Better than TXU
I have been a customer since 09-10 and I've had a 4.5 rating out of 5 experience with this company. The only negative I can say is they call you to remind you your payment is due as if you didn't know this already.
I have spoken with customer service on five ocassions and have had a great experience each time. So, YES I will recommend them to others unless their pricing structure were to get out of hand. After all, most people do kick the cat...
Very nice
I signed up for their 100% renewable 1 year contract about a year ago and have been very pleased so far. I have been able to do everything online so far and have not needed to contact customer service for anything. I know that this has more to do with Oncor than SW P&L, but during the rolling blackouts caused by the major snowstorm this year, my house did not lose power once. The only thing that they could do better in my opinion is to provide an option to not receive paper statements.
Great customer service.
I have been with them for six months and hey have some of the best rates in my area. Customer service is very easy to work with. I have always been able to reach a live person in less than 1 minute and it's NOT someone from some far off land. They are always very friendly and helpful. One note though, they can only be reached during normal business hours. But if it's a power outage or emergency you will be directed to the electric distributor.
Recent 3 Star Reviews
Excessive and Dumb Fees
Not wasting anymore time on this company and that includes this write up so it's short and sweet. I'm in the energy industry and these guys aren't doing some very customer friendly things.
Thank you for choosing Southwest Power and Light. We apologize that we have not met your expectations regarding our service. We encourage you to contact our Customer Care department at 866.941.7975 and allow us an opportunity to address any concerns you may have.<br /><br />
— Southwest Power & Light on July 20th, 2021
Up and Down
First I get a bill (after 1 week and 4 days of service) which has the rate without my discount and plus a service fee. When I call to ask why the bill was so high, the only response got was that I didn't use enough electricity. So I end up having to call every month to find out why my bill was so high, they just gave me the run around. My rate is supposed to be 8.4 yet my bill consistently shows I'm being billed anywhere from 9-11.2. Still no one has an answer!! I was with them a year before this and had no problems. As soon as I renewed it was all downhill. I work part time and in school full time. I'm barely ever home, yet my bill looks like I live in a big house with at least 3 other people. I won't be renewing when this contract it up. I regret every resigning!!
Good interfaces for billing but must read the Fact Sheet, High Pricing
I live alone and use less than 1000 kWh per billing cycle. I get ripped on monthly charges and the highest rates. This would be cost effective, like all other plans, to use 1000 or 2000+ kWh... then you get the advertised rate. However, their online system for billing / payment management is easy and I was able to get a hold of someone whenever I need customer service. My contract ends tomorrow and I'm switcing to a company with better rates. When your contract is up, be prepared that they call endlessly to renew.
Watch your rate on your bill CLOSELY
I was promised 8.6 cents if I signed up for autopay (the discount for autopay was .5 cents). The first month they 'forgot' to put me on autopay and I had to pay 11.9 cents because it was a partial month and I didn't use enough electricity to get the lower rate (I was only with SWPL for a week). I didn't appreciate that they wouldn't prorate it. The second month, I was on autopay and got charged 9.3 cents. They said their system runs a month behind on the autopay credit, so the autopay discount wouldn't take for another month. Another ripoff as far as I'm concerned. They also said that all electric companies require you to use 2,000 kwhs to get the advertised rate, which is why I got charged 9.3 cents instead of 9.1 cents. I didn't print out the original electricity facts label and it has changed several times in the last two months, but I sure don't remember it that way. I've used a half dozen companies in the last fifteen years, this one seems especially devious to me. Also, their website is terrible. Four of the last five times I tried to access my bill, every link I clicked on timed out instead of taking me to the webpages.
No hidden fees, just confusing statement
I've read several reviews here about how this company charges hidden fees. This is not the case. The company breaks down its fees into two categories. One is the category it charges you for your electricity and the other is the "Utility fee" which is the amount it has to pay the company that generates the power. All other companies combine these together for one charge. So at first look, it seems you've been hit with a high fee. But when you examine closer, you see the two fees are simply categorized.
The average poorly educated Texan is incapable of making this distinction and feels they have been ripped off. The company offers very good rates and I was able to lock in a 3-year deal which I am quite happy about.
Recent 2 Star Reviews
Irritated
I
If I dont mail my payment the day the bill arrives I receive a cut off notice every month-irritating at least
Billing and auto pay
By law we have 16 days to pay utility bills. If you have auto pay, for best rates, the due date on your bill complies with the law. However, Southwest takes the money from account a week earlier. My bill indicates for power outage call Center Point. What does Southwest do.....just take your money,
Marvin - Thank you for choosing Southwest Power and Light.
Information regarding the draft date of payments are disclosed on each invoice and included in our Terms of Service (TOS).
Regarding outages, no matter your choice in Retail Electric Provider (REP), the lines, meters and distribution of the electricity is preformed by the TDSP (CenterPoint Energy) and in most cases REPs ask customers' to contact them directly for any outages in order to resolve them as quickly as possible.
If you have any other concerns or would like to speak to an agent bout our service, we are available M-F 830am to 530pm cst at 866.941.7975.
— Southwest Power & Light on September 16th, 2020
Hidden fees, they try to get as much as possible out of you
I would NOT recommend this company!!! They have lots of hidden fees and even just making a payment, there is a charge for that too......talk about a disgusting company to do that to their clients!!! I will NOT do business with a company that charges you a fee to take your payment! Look out for hidden fees and watch your pocket book as they will take as much $$ for anything.....Money hungry and dishonest!!!
Hiddens fees
They charge a Utility Charge every month and it
fluctuates. The charges are not broken down so I
don't know what I am charged for.
Delivery charge is way too high
Look out for the delivery charge it was almost as much as my electricity charge! Cancelled after 1 month despite $175 charge. Ripoff!!!!!!!!!
Recent 1 Star Reviews
Poor provider!
I would give them 'zero' stars if possible. Their customer service depart will not answer the phone nor will they call you back. Invoicing process is inaccurate and online payment process is confusing and expensive.
All lies
Just as others on here have said. My bills keep going up, I watch my consumption very close what my a/c unit is set on etc . I hardly ever run heat. I use my fire place that heats the house , my hot water heater is new I have all energy efficient bulbs, never use light during the day since I have lot windows natural light. I dont see how my bill is $500-$600 now $925 in the past couple months every since I renewed. Before that it wasnt bad but now it is ridiculous. The customer service just transfers me they give me run around etc.
Poor Customer Service
My bill went from $40 to $ 146 due to summer.I was late I called and made 2 payments I was 2 weeks late.Next month same thing$146 bill I made 2 payments I was 1 week late.Now they want to charge a Deposit.Ridisulous!!! They don't even tell you it just shows up on your bill.DO NOT USE THEM HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE.I called today to speak to supervisor held for 8 minutes CS comes back on no supervisor available.So unresolved.
Ticket Management: Expect None
I'll be honest. Service was good, right up until I had to move.
Abstract (TLDR):
Every ticket I submitted was virtually ignored. I had to call to disconnect, and even then communication was muddled and I continued to be charged after I requested that my contract not be renewed.
One of the tickets I submitted even disappeared. I have an email confirmation proving I submitted it and another after I called letting me know the ticket was resolved, but I couldn't find it in either my open or closed tickets.
Full Saga:
Unlike certain public cellular companies that shall not be named, but begin with "V," rhyme with "-erizon" and make it virtually impossible to cancel without incurring penalties, working with this company wasn't quite like making a pact with the devil. However, not being the devil incarnate in regards to one's customer service and the cancellation process is a pretty low bar to surpass.
My contract with this company was set to end in May, while I was planning to move into a new apartment in April. I was well aware of this and had no problem paying for the final month that I wasn't going to be living there. I was hoping to avoid cancellation fees, but alas, I had a lot to learn about properly documenting conversations and choosing my every and each spoken word carefully.
So, I submitted a ticket requesting that my service be disconnected once my contract ended, this initial ticket was submitted a month early in April. I received response that I should call them to resolve the ticket.
While there wasn't a long wait and the rep was friendly, I learned later that we walked away from that call with very different ideas of what my request was and what the next steps were.
I was still receiving invoices three months after my contract ended and had received a disconnect warning notice, as if this was something I hadn't explicitly wanted and requested, in writing, on the initial ticket, months earlier. Well, maybe not exactly. This email specifically requested that I pay the latest bill, which my bank had stopped doing, understandably, since I had a new electricity company.
I submitted another ticket in July, informing them that my disconnect should have happened when my contract ended and that I had moved from the address in April. I received a ticket that it was "resolved," and was, once again, told to call the number provided. I called, and the first person didn't seem to understand why I called and even seemed baffled as to why I wouldn't want to pay the latest bill.
While we did manage to get the service disconnected, she still insisted I should pay the most recent bill. After going back and forth with her about the tickets I submitted and when, and realizing I was going nowhere, I thanked for her time, hung up, and called again.
The next rep was better. I was told they would search for the original call and open an investigation. This didn't stop the emails though.
In one day, I received four invoices for the exact same bill that I hasn't paid yet, as well as more disconnect warning notices. Almost a month later, in August, I called again asking why I kept getting notices for a bill that was under investigation.
The person on the line apologized for the delay and assured me it was still under investigation. Then one fateful day, that very same day at, 5pm on the dot, I received a somewhat unsettling message.
"COLLECTION / PAST DUE BALANCE"
Uh, oh.
"This is a last courtesy attempt to inform you your account is past due and in danger of being sent to collections."
*Le gasp!*
"We value you as a customer..."
Say it's not so!
I would receive a couple calls from the company after the message, but unfortunately I was driving and didn't want to risk death in addition to debt.
Just reading the email was a harrowing experience though and I knew I needed to get this sorted out. After all, the word "today" was highlighted RED in their email.
Since it was after hours Friday, I gave them a call on Monday and requested that the emails be paused while the bill was still under investigation. I was told that they were being sent automatically by the system and there wasn't much they could do, but the rep did give me something for my adrenaline pumped hands to do.
That task was for me to find my first invoice from my new provider and email it to their customer support. This I could do.
No talking, no overthinking my tone of voice, no writing out notes before my next customer service call. Just open my inbox, search for my new electricity company, and forward the invoice. It was invigorating, just thinking about how simple this action would be, I could only long for a cancellation process from any company so simple.
So I did exactly that.
Two days later, I received a call. It was to close out this investigation once and for all.
In this final call, I finally learned what was on the recording of the original call (April, if you made it this far into my story but have forgotten). As mentioned numerous times before, I did indeed request that my service be disconnected when my contact ended.
However, semantics nudged its pesky horns right in.
See, when I called, I didn't verbally state that I was intending to move addresses, only that I would be switching to another provider. Based on that information, the rep said I didn't have to call - the switch would happen automatically when the new company metered in. He then asked if I wanted to cancel after I learned this new information.
And I, the overly trusting and socially clumsy fool, said...no.
Allegedly.
See, I don't remember saying this last part of course, but I can totally believe that I said that.
That, in my delusion that a customer service rep actually read my ticket and understood the details of my situation...
In my hurry to get off the call, especially when my socially anxious ass was reassured I didn't have to call in the first place...
In my innocent, albeit reckless, faith that because I was working with a utilities company - rather than a soul sucking corporation hellbent on lining their pockets with the cash and tears of customers who just wanted a seamless transition out of a service they no longer need - that there was a method to the madness.
Yes, I could believe I said exactly that.
So I apparently said don't cancel. That's on me and I paid the final bill.
But know, their ticket system is shit. They don't read them, they don't care, and evidently tickets will occasionally go missing. If this was a company that cared for the customer experience, canceling or disconnecting service would be as seamless as clicking a button.
Or maybe two buttons. One button to disconnect, another to confirm your cancellation.
The ticketing system wouldn't lose tickets.
Their reps would have the ability to stall automatic emails.
Customer service would *read* and *respond* to their tickets.
But, like most other companies, they will require you to call and explicitly state that you want the service cancelled. That reason alone will make me give any company three stars.
The only thing that keeps me from giving this company one star, is that (most of) the reps I talked to listened and weren't as aggressive/pushy as reps I've talked to from other companies.
But, for the experience of being punished for wanting my request processed in writing, it has been downgraded to two stars. This was a bad experience, update your UI, ticket system, and cancellation policy.
Worst power Company i ever had
My bill has doubled ever since i renewed my contract. they keep trying to blame the summer heat, but my bill is doubled from last summer.they also took money out my account that was not due and i had to wait until it was reversed.dont use autopay!!! they will steal your money. the non autopay fee is an extra $10 tho.its really a lose lose situation
Never again
This has been the worst experience ive ever had with a electric provider. they automatically place you on mnth to mnth lease when your contract expires.and your rates will be raised.also i enrolled in autopay and was charged extra money weeks before my bill was even due..with no type of reason for it.they offered me $25 for the inconvenience but my bill is sooo much higher than normally i dont even want the $25.im just thinking about paying the cancelation fee.which is already too high, as if we aren't already facing enough problems with the pandemic. why am i 1 person in small 1 bedroom paying 200 mnth
Thank you for choosing Southwest Power and Light (SWPL).
Our records indicate that the Customer Care Manager that you spoke with has extended the lower fixed rate on your invoice billed at month to month and provided you with a credit of $42.32, and additionally offered you a $25 bill credit. The Terms of Service (TOS) provided to you at enrollment address your concern regarding continuation of your service after the fixed price term, as well as handling of payments for customers that elect to pay via Autopay.
Southwest Power and Light strives to always provide top notch customer care and we rank among the best on the State of Texas Scorecard among Retail Electric Providers (5 Circle Score).
We encourage you to contact our Customer Care department at 866.941.7975 and allow us another opportunity to further address your concerns.
— Southwest Power & Light on August 10th, 2021
Never again
Not only are their fees excessive, they also will automatically put you on a mnth to mnth lease when your contract expires.also your rates will go up(almost double). horrible customer service and they dont care.it is the hardest company to get in touch with anybody.you will be on hold all day if you want to speak to an actual person
Thank you for choosing Southwest Power and Light (SWPL). <br /><br /><br /><br />We apologize that we have not met your expectations regarding our service. In the Terms of Service (TOS), we disclosure that SWPL is going to continue your service after your fixed price term at the month to month rates at the time of billing. This will ensure you still have service at your location after your term expires, but since Southwest Power and Light does not a fixed price term in place with you we must buy power at a higher month to month rate. <br /><br />Southwest Power and Light strives to always provide top notch customer care and we rank among the best on the State of Texas Scorecard among Retail Electric Providers (5 Circle Score). <br /><br />We encourage you to contact our Customer Care department at 866.941.7975 and allow us another opportunity to further address your concerns.
— Southwest Power & Light on August 10th, 2021
Terrible - nothing else needed to say
Overcharge and takes forever to get anyone to respond with an accurate answer. Not worth it all - Go Elsewhere!!!!!
Gary- Thank you for choosing Southwest Power and Light. We apologize that we have not met your expectations regarding our service. We encourage you to contact our Customer Care department at 866.941.7975 and allow us another opportunity to provide accurate and timely information regarding your account.
— Southwest Power & Light on September 16th, 2020
Do NOT use this company! HIDDEN FEES, Take $$ out 1-2 weeks prior to due date!
You are required to sign up for AutoPay, but then they take out your bill 1 to 2 weeks early! When I asked to change the Auto Draft date, they said they could NOT do this because of when the meter is read. Wth?! Every other company I've worked with for Electricity power, ESPECIALLY if they require you to be on AutoDraft, can move the draft date. Ours was not due until the 2nd thru 5th, which would've been Perfect, but they were drawing it at the end of the month, on the 25th or 26th which was NOT cool! We did not have money in our acct so got charged fees for them drawing it EVEN though I specifically told them it needed to be the beginning of the month. **Another thing, they do Not have an itemized bill so you can not see what is happening. We were shocked with the 2nd bill being twice as much as the 1st & almost 3 times as much as our previous electric companies. They wrote & voicemessaged me back (they said), & said that they would allow me to switch providers withOUT charging me the early termination fee. I asked them to verify how I would be sure that they would keep their word. (well I had it in writing in an email). I switched am so Thankful. But am keeping an eye on my final bill. BEWARE this is TEXPO, Not Just Southwest Power & Light.
Thank you for the review, we are sorry to hear that our service did not met your expectations. At this time we do not offer customer selected due dates, but we will sure make a note for future customer enhancements regarding your feedback. If you have an opportunity to look at a prior invoice we do provide detailed information regarding your billing on page 2 (the back of page 1). This will include all the meter reading information and break down of your charges.
If there is anything we can assist you with further please contact our Customer Care agents at 866.941.7975.
— Southwest Power & Light on September 16th, 2020
HORRIBLE BILLING AND CUSTOMER SERVICE
First they set up two different accounts and tried to charge me for not being on autopay when I was on autopay for the account they sent me via email to set up! Then they billed me twice for the same month of service on both accounts, only one bill came almost 6 weeks later. A manager told me that it was a "delayed bill due to Oncor." When I checked my bills, they had double billed me under both accounts for the same service period, even though I had paid the bill under the wrong account number. Interestingly the billing amounts for the same period were different. I have spent hours on the phone with this group trying to get their billing errors fixed and every time they tell me they finally have it straight, they manage to mess it up again. I regret ever signing up with them.
Horrible company
I went with them about a year ago. Set up for auto pay. My bills due date is the 20th and they pulled out of my acct on the 4th the first 3 months.. turned the auto pay off and I was charged a monthly fee on top of them upping my kilowatt price because I was no longer on auto pay. Wanted to pay the bill through the automated system and you have to use a checking account. Can't use a debit card. And they charge you $10 to pay the bill.. this company is horrible. I will pay the additional charge to switch to a new company... will be doing this first thing Monday morning.
Terrible Customer Service
I have had many unfortunate and disappointing dealings with their customer service. They have very limited hours. To speak to a supervisor they only offer a call back. Each time I call I get a different answer, usually they are all incorrect. The last straw was the change to the new website. The associate I spoke to as I tried to get access told me that as part of the recent change to their site, every client was forced to get a new Username. Either 1) that's true, then this creates a terrible customer experience or 2) it's not true, in that case it just goes to show the bad information you get with this company.
Bait And Switch
SPL has dishonest marketing tactics - Please beware of monthly fees, which they won't disclose to you when signing up. My experience with this service provider is horrible - All they care about is getting your money rather than being upfront with their charges. Need to do a better job to inform subscribers of all fees involved.
Do Not Use SW Power & Light
My house was up for sale when my 2 year contract was soon to expire with SW Power & Light. I called weeks in advance of the contract expiration. I was mistakenly given the impression that it was a good idea to go to a month to month contract since I was moving soon. The customer service rep told me that my rate would go up a fraction of a cent. Instead my rate was doubled. During the period of time I repeatedly got calls from SW Power & Light Sales people who tried to get me to resign a new long term contract and NONE of them warned me that my rate would go up if I did not resign a long term contract (remember it doubled). I ended up switching to another company because they would not credit my bill for the amount they ripped me off.
Joke and a half...
My usage for Nov was down substatially from previous month yet bill was the same amount. Noticed a Smart Meter recovery charge of $40 dollars for the month. Thought that was kinda pricey so called CS to ask about it. She said " oh that charge is only $18.33".....i said how come mine is $40?? Puts me on hold to go ask about it. Waited 30 plus minutes on hold.......I got better things to do. Unpluggin these dolts tomorrow
Disorganized and Inconsistent
I signed up online from the 'power to choose' website. Enrolled in a paperless billing, auto pay 6 month contract for 11.4 cents/kwh, and got an email confirming my turn on date. Well, we get to the house with trailers of furniture, etc and are moving in and we have no electricity. I call and they cannot help. They scheduled my turn on for 7/3, and no one is in the office, "holiday", they said. I have no electricity and loads of things and people needing some refuge. Terrible experience and lack of communicaiton.I get my first bill for 4 days of service and have to pay a minimum usage fee. I understand. You just can't use that much electricity in 4 days. My second bill comes and I am WAAAY overcharged. I finally get a hold of someone and they told me I was not on a contract, I was paying month-to-month at the going rate. All the confirmation emails I got apparently meant nothing. They said they can apply a bill credit to my first bill, the one that used 220 kwh, not the 2nd one that used 2260 kwh.I am done with them. Switched yesterday.
Southwest Power cut off my power one day after I started with the company!!!
Don't choose any company that can be so stupid as to shut down your power one day after starting the service. I bought a home and my sellers moved out on 6/15/15 so I started my service on 6/16/15. I chose Southwest Power so I would be 100% certain that there would not be power interruption because this is the same company used by my home seller. It is inexcusable that this company shut off my power on 6/17/15 after I had full confirmation of my power being started without service interruption.
Poor accounting practices and customer service
I pay my bill through online billing with my bank. My payment was sent and received before the due date. They called me and said it was past due the day after the due date. I called them and they said that they didn't receive it yet to check back in two days. The next day I got a notice of disconnect in 7 days! I called them back. They still have no idea where the payment is. I went ahead and paid it, so, my wife, son and I had electricity. I sent them screen shots of where money was taken from account. That wasn't good enough. The next day i got a copy of the deposited check they put into their bank. They still argued with me saying that didn't show that they received my money. WHAT ELSE COULD I GIVE THEM! Talked to three different people today to try and get my money back. The last person after saying there is nothing they can do, she did some type of inquiry, came back to the phone and said " I found it". It was deposited into someone else's account. NO "SORRY WE PUT YOU THROUGH THIS MESS" NO, "OOPS OUR FAULT". Told me to sign up for auto draft and this wouldn't happen. Tried making me feel like it was my fault. To hell with them!
Very Upset
For 18 months I had service with the company and it was fine. The entire time I was on autopay. I still show that my account is on auto pay. Back in March I cancelled service, no problem. However 2 weeks ago I noticed that my credit score dropped from 805 to 680. The reason SWPL decided to put a collection on me for a final bill. It was only 160. I never received a past due notice, and was on and from the website am still on auto pay. I still have not heard back from the company. I paid the 160 to the collection company and they said they will send me paperwork requesting that it removed from my credit. Still haven't received! I am very upset with the billing practices and the whole reason I was on auto pay is to ensure I never have a late payment. Which was smooth for the previous year and a half!!
Awful service!!!!
This is the worst service I have ever encounter. They first mess up on my bill, because they mess up on the wrong disconnection apt, therefore they were charging me for something I hadn't done. Plus after calling and complaining about the 175 charge they never took care of it. Than they disconnected my light due to unpaid balance , which as of today I have no idea what that extra charge was. Than I call to change my light to our new home. They told me I had to paid 190 plus 215 of this month, which I includes late fees of charges I am unaware of as today. Customer service is at its worst too since they can never give me a explanation of all this. They have by so far made this experience horrible.
Don't fall for their low advertised rate!!
I went with this company because they had a good rate on the Power to Choose website. Their advertised rate did not include "Total Utility Charges" that added on another $50 to my bill. I was with Summer Energy before and now regret switching. They are also charging me a $175 cancellation fee for only a 6 month contract. Customer service was also very rude, stating that I should have read all the fine print. Counting down the days until I can end my business with them.
Horrible Service
I have used Southwest Power & Light for about three years now. Every other month they arbitrarily shut off my power even though the bill has been paid and I have a conformation number. They do not open until 8:30 a.m. CST and when I call I am directed to a call center that takes their calls for them until they open. Of course they can not tell me why the power was shut off. I am then always told to contact Oncor about the issue because they claim Oncor turned off the power. Every time I call Oncor they tell me that they did no such thing. I will be using a new provider soon. I advise you DO NOT use the services provided by Southwest Power & Light.
Get ready for lots of hidden fees and rude service
Do not under any circumstances fall for Southwest Power & Light's "green" tree-planting plans. The customer service is beyond horrible. When you're locked in I guess they don't feel the need to hire polite service reps. They bill you a monthly fee that isn't advertised anywhere, and when you call to complain they claim it's in some agreement I certainly never got a copy of. They charge a "printed correspondence fee" even though I repeatedly signed up for online billing. On every bill you'll see an extra $15 tacked on for no legitimate reason. Do NOT get stuck with this company. Run. It's worth paying a few cents more per kWh just to avoid dealing with their surly customer service reps and crazy add-on fees.
Horrible...worst company in texas
You get billed whenever the meter is read. you can pay a bill one day and have another bill 3 days later. I once was double billed for 1400 in one month. took months for them to reverse it, yet only took a minute for them to take it. customer service horrible and rates are higher then most of the others out there. we left them for Bounce electric and saved tons of money.
Hidden Fees
Do not switch to this power company. Very poor customer service. They have hidden fees which makes your bill far higher. I was with Texas Power prior and really liked them - wish I had not switched.Southwest Power and Light have a nice section of your bill Special Service Fee Charges. They charge you $30 extra just for adjusting your service date. No warnings. They are very unhelpful and cannot speak clear English. I have switched power companies 5 times before now and this is the first time I really regretted it.
Won't post payment to my account
Good thing I was only in Houston for the summer. I made a payment through their website two weeks before my bill was due, got a confirmation email that day and the payment was deducted from my bank account three days later. All of a sudden they are sending emails about my over due account. When I try to find out what is going on, they are nasty and give me inconsistent info about the amount I owe. Won't even bother listening when I try to tell them that the bank sent them their money. They take your money, and don't post it to your account. Won't ever use them again if I come back to Houston.
Unhappy
I have rental properties and when I try to cancel service they always want to call
me back instead of taking care of my service immediately. Called this morning
to cancel a service on a rental property, and they told me the office had not
opened yet, they would have to call me back. The website says office opens at
8:30 I was calling at 8.50. They were eager to help me if I was signing up for
service but not for canceling service. Will not use them again.
SWP&Light Review
I've enjoyed SWP&L's month to month plan and easy to read statements. They don't add on all those "fees" some other companies do. I noticed on my last bill, their rate has gradually gone up (in 2011)from 4.6 cents to 10.5 cents so I called for their best rate and they quoted me 8.0 cents for their 12 month plan. They beat every company I have reseached for my area (FT Worth) as of 26 Nov 2011.
Terrible!
I had a bad week at work, and after calling to set up a payment plan for a high bill, they told me to simply pay the full amount by the 15th. I was not behind on any bills. When I got home from work and paid the bill it was after midnight, so the 16th to them. At 10 in the morning, the local Oncor guy comes and lets me know what's going on. I call the company and they have to get the reconnect approved since the payment was made on the 16th. Oh, and did I mention that this was only 15 days after the due date? Ridiculous company! DO NOT USE!
Unprofessional
I just signed up online and was told that I need to immediately call their number and mention code 350 because of credit fraud. Of course like others said, I got the answering service. It is hard to commit to a 12 month contract, when the company may not clearly tell you everything they are going to charge you for. The website said it was going to check my credit when I click continue. Now someone has my SS number and I know I haven't signed up with them.
I don't like this at all. I would rather pay a half penny more and know what I'm getting into. This is very uncomfortable.
Terrible Customer Service
Billing error not corrected as promised. Called CSR several times and said they would call back. Never called back nor did they correct my account.
Craptastic
They operate under several names including Texpo Power, Texpo Power & Light, YEP, Southwest Power & Light, and who knows what else. Their customer service leaves a lot to be desired. In this day and age where you can get cheap rates and service from nearly anywhere, they're butt heads. Their billing system is retarded. I called to ask that they move the date a couple of days to accommodate when my pay check hits so that they'd stop costing me $35 over draft fees. They actually tried to hit my checking account 7x in 3 days - really racking up the fees with my bank and you HAVE to pay on line to get the best rate. It's taken multiple complaints to the PUC and BBB and it's still not fixed yet!
Failure to fully disclose delivery costs
I signed up thinking I would save on energy costs. After the first short bill I noticed the delivery charge was larger than the amount billed for electricity. I called only to be told that the delivery charge is billed by another company and Southwest Power did not know how this was charged. Unfortunately for me I did not act and now have received my second billing that includes delivery charges of $116 which is almost half of the total charge for electricity used. This is outrageous and unacceptable. I am now considering paying the early disconnect fee to switch to another carrier which will cost more money, but will save in the long run. What happened to full disclosure????????
BIG RIP OFF COMPANY
I move into my place on the 5th of November and my termastat was on 85 all day not to mention I am away from 7 am until 7 pm and my first bill was $116.00. To lower the bill I turned my termastat down to 70 and I am still away twelve hours a day and my second bill is $255.00...how is this possible...this company is a big rip off and I am going to switch to another plan...
These people won't listen.
I called on Wednesday to have my service turned on the next Friday. Then I called on Thursday (the next day) to cancel the service because they would not extend my activation date and they charged me for 5 days. I was not even living in the house when they say I used power. Now they want me to pay for service I never received and they will not call me back to discuss it. These people are fools. They sent me a tape of my voice agreeing to process my request, that took place on that Thursday. I agreed to have it processed, not turned on that day. All I wanted was to have my power on the day I closed on the house. How hard is that?
All Reviews By Date
Poor provider!
I would give them 'zero' stars if possible. Their customer service depart will not answer the phone nor will they call you back. Invoicing process is inaccurate and online payment process is confusing and expensive.
All lies
Just as others on here have said. My bills keep going up, I watch my consumption very close what my a/c unit is set on etc . I hardly ever run heat. I use my fire place that heats the house , my hot water heater is new I have all energy efficient bulbs, never use light during the day since I have lot windows natural light. I dont see how my bill is $500-$600 now $925 in the past couple months every since I renewed. Before that it wasnt bad but now it is ridiculous. The customer service just transfers me they give me run around etc.
Poor Customer Service
My bill went from $40 to $ 146 due to summer.I was late I called and made 2 payments I was 2 weeks late.Next month same thing$146 bill I made 2 payments I was 1 week late.Now they want to charge a Deposit.Ridisulous!!! They don't even tell you it just shows up on your bill.DO NOT USE THEM HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE.I called today to speak to supervisor held for 8 minutes CS comes back on no supervisor available.So unresolved.
Irritated
I
If I dont mail my payment the day the bill arrives I receive a cut off notice every month-irritating at least
Ticket Management: Expect None
I'll be honest. Service was good, right up until I had to move.
Abstract (TLDR):
Every ticket I submitted was virtually ignored. I had to call to disconnect, and even then communication was muddled and I continued to be charged after I requested that my contract not be renewed.
One of the tickets I submitted even disappeared. I have an email confirmation proving I submitted it and another after I called letting me know the ticket was resolved, but I couldn't find it in either my open or closed tickets.
Full Saga:
Unlike certain public cellular companies that shall not be named, but begin with "V," rhyme with "-erizon" and make it virtually impossible to cancel without incurring penalties, working with this company wasn't quite like making a pact with the devil. However, not being the devil incarnate in regards to one's customer service and the cancellation process is a pretty low bar to surpass.
My contract with this company was set to end in May, while I was planning to move into a new apartment in April. I was well aware of this and had no problem paying for the final month that I wasn't going to be living there. I was hoping to avoid cancellation fees, but alas, I had a lot to learn about properly documenting conversations and choosing my every and each spoken word carefully.
So, I submitted a ticket requesting that my service be disconnected once my contract ended, this initial ticket was submitted a month early in April. I received response that I should call them to resolve the ticket.
While there wasn't a long wait and the rep was friendly, I learned later that we walked away from that call with very different ideas of what my request was and what the next steps were.
I was still receiving invoices three months after my contract ended and had received a disconnect warning notice, as if this was something I hadn't explicitly wanted and requested, in writing, on the initial ticket, months earlier. Well, maybe not exactly. This email specifically requested that I pay the latest bill, which my bank had stopped doing, understandably, since I had a new electricity company.
I submitted another ticket in July, informing them that my disconnect should have happened when my contract ended and that I had moved from the address in April. I received a ticket that it was "resolved," and was, once again, told to call the number provided. I called, and the first person didn't seem to understand why I called and even seemed baffled as to why I wouldn't want to pay the latest bill.
While we did manage to get the service disconnected, she still insisted I should pay the most recent bill. After going back and forth with her about the tickets I submitted and when, and realizing I was going nowhere, I thanked for her time, hung up, and called again.
The next rep was better. I was told they would search for the original call and open an investigation. This didn't stop the emails though.
In one day, I received four invoices for the exact same bill that I hasn't paid yet, as well as more disconnect warning notices. Almost a month later, in August, I called again asking why I kept getting notices for a bill that was under investigation.
The person on the line apologized for the delay and assured me it was still under investigation. Then one fateful day, that very same day at, 5pm on the dot, I received a somewhat unsettling message.
"COLLECTION / PAST DUE BALANCE"
Uh, oh.
"This is a last courtesy attempt to inform you your account is past due and in danger of being sent to collections."
*Le gasp!*
"We value you as a customer..."
Say it's not so!
I would receive a couple calls from the company after the message, but unfortunately I was driving and didn't want to risk death in addition to debt.
Just reading the email was a harrowing experience though and I knew I needed to get this sorted out. After all, the word "today" was highlighted RED in their email.
Since it was after hours Friday, I gave them a call on Monday and requested that the emails be paused while the bill was still under investigation. I was told that they were being sent automatically by the system and there wasn't much they could do, but the rep did give me something for my adrenaline pumped hands to do.
That task was for me to find my first invoice from my new provider and email it to their customer support. This I could do.
No talking, no overthinking my tone of voice, no writing out notes before my next customer service call. Just open my inbox, search for my new electricity company, and forward the invoice. It was invigorating, just thinking about how simple this action would be, I could only long for a cancellation process from any company so simple.
So I did exactly that.
Two days later, I received a call. It was to close out this investigation once and for all.
In this final call, I finally learned what was on the recording of the original call (April, if you made it this far into my story but have forgotten). As mentioned numerous times before, I did indeed request that my service be disconnected when my contact ended.
However, semantics nudged its pesky horns right in.
See, when I called, I didn't verbally state that I was intending to move addresses, only that I would be switching to another provider. Based on that information, the rep said I didn't have to call - the switch would happen automatically when the new company metered in. He then asked if I wanted to cancel after I learned this new information.
And I, the overly trusting and socially clumsy fool, said...no.
Allegedly.
See, I don't remember saying this last part of course, but I can totally believe that I said that.
That, in my delusion that a customer service rep actually read my ticket and understood the details of my situation...
In my hurry to get off the call, especially when my socially anxious ass was reassured I didn't have to call in the first place...
In my innocent, albeit reckless, faith that because I was working with a utilities company - rather than a soul sucking corporation hellbent on lining their pockets with the cash and tears of customers who just wanted a seamless transition out of a service they no longer need - that there was a method to the madness.
Yes, I could believe I said exactly that.
So I apparently said don't cancel. That's on me and I paid the final bill.
But know, their ticket system is shit. They don't read them, they don't care, and evidently tickets will occasionally go missing. If this was a company that cared for the customer experience, canceling or disconnecting service would be as seamless as clicking a button.
Or maybe two buttons. One button to disconnect, another to confirm your cancellation.
The ticketing system wouldn't lose tickets.
Their reps would have the ability to stall automatic emails.
Customer service would *read* and *respond* to their tickets.
But, like most other companies, they will require you to call and explicitly state that you want the service cancelled. That reason alone will make me give any company three stars.
The only thing that keeps me from giving this company one star, is that (most of) the reps I talked to listened and weren't as aggressive/pushy as reps I've talked to from other companies.
But, for the experience of being punished for wanting my request processed in writing, it has been downgraded to two stars. This was a bad experience, update your UI, ticket system, and cancellation policy.
Awesome company
Ive been with Southwest Power & alight for years. They have always contacted me more than a month before my contract was up to advise and work with me. Their customer service has been better than any other we have ever used. They offer long-term contracts and kWh has been very competitive, in fact, better than others I shop at each end of contract. Highly recommend.
Thank you for choosing Southwest Power & Light for your electricity needs. We greatly appreciate your business, and positive feedback regarding our service.
— Southwest Power & Light on May 11th, 2022
Worst power Company i ever had
My bill has doubled ever since i renewed my contract. they keep trying to blame the summer heat, but my bill is doubled from last summer.they also took money out my account that was not due and i had to wait until it was reversed.dont use autopay!!! they will steal your money. the non autopay fee is an extra $10 tho.its really a lose lose situation
Never again
This has been the worst experience ive ever had with a electric provider. they automatically place you on mnth to mnth lease when your contract expires.and your rates will be raised.also i enrolled in autopay and was charged extra money weeks before my bill was even due..with no type of reason for it.they offered me $25 for the inconvenience but my bill is sooo much higher than normally i dont even want the $25.im just thinking about paying the cancelation fee.which is already too high, as if we aren't already facing enough problems with the pandemic. why am i 1 person in small 1 bedroom paying 200 mnth
Thank you for choosing Southwest Power and Light (SWPL).
Our records indicate that the Customer Care Manager that you spoke with has extended the lower fixed rate on your invoice billed at month to month and provided you with a credit of $42.32, and additionally offered you a $25 bill credit. The Terms of Service (TOS) provided to you at enrollment address your concern regarding continuation of your service after the fixed price term, as well as handling of payments for customers that elect to pay via Autopay.
Southwest Power and Light strives to always provide top notch customer care and we rank among the best on the State of Texas Scorecard among Retail Electric Providers (5 Circle Score).
We encourage you to contact our Customer Care department at 866.941.7975 and allow us another opportunity to further address your concerns.
— Southwest Power & Light on August 10th, 2021
Never again
Not only are their fees excessive, they also will automatically put you on a mnth to mnth lease when your contract expires.also your rates will go up(almost double). horrible customer service and they dont care.it is the hardest company to get in touch with anybody.you will be on hold all day if you want to speak to an actual person
Thank you for choosing Southwest Power and Light (SWPL). <br /><br /><br /><br />We apologize that we have not met your expectations regarding our service. In the Terms of Service (TOS), we disclosure that SWPL is going to continue your service after your fixed price term at the month to month rates at the time of billing. This will ensure you still have service at your location after your term expires, but since Southwest Power and Light does not a fixed price term in place with you we must buy power at a higher month to month rate. <br /><br />Southwest Power and Light strives to always provide top notch customer care and we rank among the best on the State of Texas Scorecard among Retail Electric Providers (5 Circle Score). <br /><br />We encourage you to contact our Customer Care department at 866.941.7975 and allow us another opportunity to further address your concerns.
— Southwest Power & Light on August 10th, 2021
Great Customer Service
Sierra in Customer service was great. Answered all my questions and was cheerful and professional. Thanks!!!
Thank you for sharing this awesome feedback. Southwest Power and Light strives to always provide top notch customer care and we rank among the best on the State of Texas Scorecard among Retail Electric Providers (5 Circle Score). We are glad to be meeting your expectations.
— Southwest Power & Light on July 27th, 2021
Always room for improvement but SWPL is a keeper
Only 2 "complaints" I might offer:1. Their auto-billing drafts my checking account 10 days before payment is due. Only reason a company would do this is to play the float game they have our money for 10 days to invest elsewhere. It adds up to quite a lot. Really no call for this from a utility company. But I can live with it, and do, and it's not really a complaint.2. My contract is coming to an end in 5 months. I like SWPL so much I'd like to extend that contract, or, start a new one with them effective 5 months from now. Just trying to get the best price at the moment. But they, like most providers, won't talk contracts until 30 days before expiration. What a shame a decent provider with a good price risks losing a satisfied customer because of what rates may be 4 months from now. Again, not a complaint, but it sure seems like a less than intelligent way to conduct business.
Thank you for choosing Southwest Power and Light. Regarding number 2 in your review, Southwest Power and Light does allow renewing contracts up to 90 days before expiration through a Customer Care agent or at 60 days through your My Account Portal on our website. Our agents are available by calling 866.941.7975, hours of operation are Monday- Friday 8:30am to 5:30pm CST to assist with your account.
— Southwest Power & Light on July 20th, 2021
Excessive and Dumb Fees
Not wasting anymore time on this company and that includes this write up so it's short and sweet. I'm in the energy industry and these guys aren't doing some very customer friendly things.
Thank you for choosing Southwest Power and Light. We apologize that we have not met your expectations regarding our service. We encourage you to contact our Customer Care department at 866.941.7975 and allow us an opportunity to address any concerns you may have.<br /><br />
— Southwest Power & Light on July 20th, 2021
No problems, great rate.
I signed up with them almost 3 years ago after Breeze went under. I used a spreadsheet and simulated my usage over a year with many different plans, including the ones some providers use to try to appear way low on power to choose, but only if you use exactly the 1000 or 2000 KwH amounts.I appreciate that they will bill a credit card without adding fees, which with rewards comes out to an additional 2-3% savings, and allows me another 20 days or so of flexibility as to when I am paying it.My Energy charge has always been exactly what the said and the distribution charges from Oncor have always passed through correctly. I do wish the invoice would itemize the Oncor charges, but using current EFL data from various providers to spot check, the distribution charges are always correct
Thank you for choosing Southwest Power & Light for your energy needs. We greatly appreciate your feedback regarding our service.
— Southwest Power & Light on July 20th, 2021
No problems.
Good price. Never had an issue with billing. Had to call once to get help with my online account. Good service. I really don't care what day they take my payment and I appreciate the discount for auto-pay.
Thank you for choosing Southwest Power & Light for your energy needs. We greatly appreciate your feedback regarding our service.
— Southwest Power & Light on November 11th, 2020
4 years
Been a customer about 5 years. First year had a trial plan. Had no issues. Have a 3600 sqf house, 2 units. Pool, Landscape lights; 3 car garage. Avg about $350 mo. Signed 2 back to back 24 mo plans. Find deregulation confusing, and shopping for a commodity.
Thank you for review of our service and plans. Southwest Power and Light strives to provide outstanding customer care and competitive pricing to win your business year after year. We look forward to continuing to meet all of your expectations in the future.
— Southwest Power & Light on October 13th, 2020
Terrible - nothing else needed to say
Overcharge and takes forever to get anyone to respond with an accurate answer. Not worth it all - Go Elsewhere!!!!!
Gary- Thank you for choosing Southwest Power and Light. We apologize that we have not met your expectations regarding our service. We encourage you to contact our Customer Care department at 866.941.7975 and allow us another opportunity to provide accurate and timely information regarding your account.
— Southwest Power & Light on September 16th, 2020
Do NOT use this company! HIDDEN FEES, Take $$ out 1-2 weeks prior to due date!
You are required to sign up for AutoPay, but then they take out your bill 1 to 2 weeks early! When I asked to change the Auto Draft date, they said they could NOT do this because of when the meter is read. Wth?! Every other company I've worked with for Electricity power, ESPECIALLY if they require you to be on AutoDraft, can move the draft date. Ours was not due until the 2nd thru 5th, which would've been Perfect, but they were drawing it at the end of the month, on the 25th or 26th which was NOT cool! We did not have money in our acct so got charged fees for them drawing it EVEN though I specifically told them it needed to be the beginning of the month. **Another thing, they do Not have an itemized bill so you can not see what is happening. We were shocked with the 2nd bill being twice as much as the 1st & almost 3 times as much as our previous electric companies. They wrote & voicemessaged me back (they said), & said that they would allow me to switch providers withOUT charging me the early termination fee. I asked them to verify how I would be sure that they would keep their word. (well I had it in writing in an email). I switched am so Thankful. But am keeping an eye on my final bill. BEWARE this is TEXPO, Not Just Southwest Power & Light.
Thank you for the review, we are sorry to hear that our service did not met your expectations. At this time we do not offer customer selected due dates, but we will sure make a note for future customer enhancements regarding your feedback. If you have an opportunity to look at a prior invoice we do provide detailed information regarding your billing on page 2 (the back of page 1). This will include all the meter reading information and break down of your charges.
If there is anything we can assist you with further please contact our Customer Care agents at 866.941.7975.
— Southwest Power & Light on September 16th, 2020
Billing and auto pay
By law we have 16 days to pay utility bills. If you have auto pay, for best rates, the due date on your bill complies with the law. However, Southwest takes the money from account a week earlier. My bill indicates for power outage call Center Point. What does Southwest do.....just take your money,
Marvin - Thank you for choosing Southwest Power and Light.
Information regarding the draft date of payments are disclosed on each invoice and included in our Terms of Service (TOS).
Regarding outages, no matter your choice in Retail Electric Provider (REP), the lines, meters and distribution of the electricity is preformed by the TDSP (CenterPoint Energy) and in most cases REPs ask customers' to contact them directly for any outages in order to resolve them as quickly as possible.
If you have any other concerns or would like to speak to an agent bout our service, we are available M-F 830am to 530pm cst at 866.941.7975.
— Southwest Power & Light on September 16th, 2020
HORRIBLE BILLING AND CUSTOMER SERVICE
First they set up two different accounts and tried to charge me for not being on autopay when I was on autopay for the account they sent me via email to set up! Then they billed me twice for the same month of service on both accounts, only one bill came almost 6 weeks later. A manager told me that it was a "delayed bill due to Oncor." When I checked my bills, they had double billed me under both accounts for the same service period, even though I had paid the bill under the wrong account number. Interestingly the billing amounts for the same period were different. I have spent hours on the phone with this group trying to get their billing errors fixed and every time they tell me they finally have it straight, they manage to mess it up again. I regret ever signing up with them.
Horrible company
I went with them about a year ago. Set up for auto pay. My bills due date is the 20th and they pulled out of my acct on the 4th the first 3 months.. turned the auto pay off and I was charged a monthly fee on top of them upping my kilowatt price because I was no longer on auto pay. Wanted to pay the bill through the automated system and you have to use a checking account. Can't use a debit card. And they charge you $10 to pay the bill.. this company is horrible. I will pay the additional charge to switch to a new company... will be doing this first thing Monday morning.
Hidden fees, they try to get as much as possible out of you
I would NOT recommend this company!!! They have lots of hidden fees and even just making a payment, there is a charge for that too......talk about a disgusting company to do that to their clients!!! I will NOT do business with a company that charges you a fee to take your payment! Look out for hidden fees and watch your pocket book as they will take as much $$ for anything.....Money hungry and dishonest!!!
Terrible Customer Service
I have had many unfortunate and disappointing dealings with their customer service. They have very limited hours. To speak to a supervisor they only offer a call back. Each time I call I get a different answer, usually they are all incorrect. The last straw was the change to the new website. The associate I spoke to as I tried to get access told me that as part of the recent change to their site, every client was forced to get a new Username. Either 1) that's true, then this creates a terrible customer experience or 2) it's not true, in that case it just goes to show the bad information you get with this company.
Bait And Switch
SPL has dishonest marketing tactics - Please beware of monthly fees, which they won't disclose to you when signing up. My experience with this service provider is horrible - All they care about is getting your money rather than being upfront with their charges. Need to do a better job to inform subscribers of all fees involved.
GREAT SUPPLIER
I have been with SWP&L for years and they offer the best rates. I have never had a problem with them and I recommend them all the time.
Pasadena, Texas
I've been using Southwest Power & Light for several years and they are very good. I'm an electrical substation designers and their electricity is as good as anyone else.
Do Not Use SW Power & Light
My house was up for sale when my 2 year contract was soon to expire with SW Power & Light. I called weeks in advance of the contract expiration. I was mistakenly given the impression that it was a good idea to go to a month to month contract since I was moving soon. The customer service rep told me that my rate would go up a fraction of a cent. Instead my rate was doubled. During the period of time I repeatedly got calls from SW Power & Light Sales people who tried to get me to resign a new long term contract and NONE of them warned me that my rate would go up if I did not resign a long term contract (remember it doubled). I ended up switching to another company because they would not credit my bill for the amount they ripped me off.
Website
The only thing they distinguishes one vendor from another is price and the website. I have found the website to be EXTREMELY slow and unresponsive.
Joke and a half...
My usage for Nov was down substatially from previous month yet bill was the same amount. Noticed a Smart Meter recovery charge of $40 dollars for the month. Thought that was kinda pricey so called CS to ask about it. She said " oh that charge is only $18.33".....i said how come mine is $40?? Puts me on hold to go ask about it. Waited 30 plus minutes on hold.......I got better things to do. Unpluggin these dolts tomorrow
Disorganized and Inconsistent
I signed up online from the 'power to choose' website. Enrolled in a paperless billing, auto pay 6 month contract for 11.4 cents/kwh, and got an email confirming my turn on date. Well, we get to the house with trailers of furniture, etc and are moving in and we have no electricity. I call and they cannot help. They scheduled my turn on for 7/3, and no one is in the office, "holiday", they said. I have no electricity and loads of things and people needing some refuge. Terrible experience and lack of communicaiton.I get my first bill for 4 days of service and have to pay a minimum usage fee. I understand. You just can't use that much electricity in 4 days. My second bill comes and I am WAAAY overcharged. I finally get a hold of someone and they told me I was not on a contract, I was paying month-to-month at the going rate. All the confirmation emails I got apparently meant nothing. They said they can apply a bill credit to my first bill, the one that used 220 kwh, not the 2nd one that used 2260 kwh.I am done with them. Switched yesterday.
Lame
Lame......take my advice.....go somewhere else. Do not use Southwest Power and light. I'm under a contract also and the day that contract is over, I'm switching Energy Providers. I don't need to express my issues......everyone who has rated here before me has told the story. You don't need to hear mine!
Best electricity supplier
I have had swpl&l for about 5 years and could not be happier. I started out with TXU when we moved to Texas, big mistake. bills hovered around $ 300-$400 per month. southwest power is fixed @ 0.0625 cents per KWH. my bills now average around $150.00-$200.00 per month.
Great Company
I had this company for 2 years without any problems, however i get these new promotions and decided to change, BIG MISTAKE, southwest is fair and does not give you extra charges, it is what it is all the time, I am going back to this company
Southwest Power cut off my power one day after I started with the company!!!
Don't choose any company that can be so stupid as to shut down your power one day after starting the service. I bought a home and my sellers moved out on 6/15/15 so I started my service on 6/16/15. I chose Southwest Power so I would be 100% certain that there would not be power interruption because this is the same company used by my home seller. It is inexcusable that this company shut off my power on 6/17/15 after I had full confirmation of my power being started without service interruption.
Poor accounting practices and customer service
I pay my bill through online billing with my bank. My payment was sent and received before the due date. They called me and said it was past due the day after the due date. I called them and they said that they didn't receive it yet to check back in two days. The next day I got a notice of disconnect in 7 days! I called them back. They still have no idea where the payment is. I went ahead and paid it, so, my wife, son and I had electricity. I sent them screen shots of where money was taken from account. That wasn't good enough. The next day i got a copy of the deposited check they put into their bank. They still argued with me saying that didn't show that they received my money. WHAT ELSE COULD I GIVE THEM! Talked to three different people today to try and get my money back. The last person after saying there is nothing they can do, she did some type of inquiry, came back to the phone and said " I found it". It was deposited into someone else's account. NO "SORRY WE PUT YOU THROUGH THIS MESS" NO, "OOPS OUR FAULT". Told me to sign up for auto draft and this wouldn't happen. Tried making me feel like it was my fault. To hell with them!
They were just fine!
I don't usually have the time to write reviews. Signed up with SW P & L 2 years ago online because of a very attractive rate. I was on autopay. Every month a got a statement showing how much my account was charged. I never had a problem or needed to call for anything. I enjoyed the low rates. As far as I'm concerned it was a no brainer. No problems at all!
Hidden Fees and HORRIBLE Customer Service
Stay away! These guys are nothing but crooks who will nickel and dime you to death with fees. There are "monthly fees" and "processing fees". You're not getting the advertised rates at all. If I didn't have a contract, I'd be switching today. They force you to be on auto-pay and charge your account five days after the billing date even though the "due date" is 14 days away. Don't even try the average billing. They don't know how to do a monthly average. They expect you to pay the balance of the average billing all in one payment. Stay Away! They get zero bulbs rating from me. They have the most obnoxious, abusive and unfriendly customer service reps I've ever encountered. Never again.
Bad Customer Service
I signed up for the first time a few months ago and was told that I had the low rate and on auto pay, when I got the bill that was not the case so I had to call to get the issue resolved. I had to call because I received a payment overdue note,I had a very hard time understanding the CSR, possible oriental, and she was not able to help me and told me that I had cancelled the auto pay and I just need to pay the bill. Then she couldn't get into the system and I had to call back but note that my electricity would be disconnected if I didn't pay. It was a mess hopefully this wont be the case during my contract with them.
Very Upset
For 18 months I had service with the company and it was fine. The entire time I was on autopay. I still show that my account is on auto pay. Back in March I cancelled service, no problem. However 2 weeks ago I noticed that my credit score dropped from 805 to 680. The reason SWPL decided to put a collection on me for a final bill. It was only 160. I never received a past due notice, and was on and from the website am still on auto pay. I still have not heard back from the company. I paid the 160 to the collection company and they said they will send me paperwork requesting that it removed from my credit. Still haven't received! I am very upset with the billing practices and the whole reason I was on auto pay is to ensure I never have a late payment. Which was smooth for the previous year and a half!!
8 YEARS of GREAT rates and service!!!
Reading all the bad reviews is surprising! I signed up with SWPL 8 years ago and the highest my bill has EVER been for my 2 bedroom home is $180! And that is only during the summer months in HOUSTON TEXAS! Average bill is well under $100 otherwise. I am pleased with the service and any time anyone shows up trying to get me to switch, I'm told they have never heard of SWPL and then I send them on their way. The only downfall I can list is the high deposit ($390) but once you pay your bill on time for 12 consecutive months w/out a late/disconnect notice generated, they refund half of the deposit back to you! I recommend SWPL to everyone who asks me about power company options. (=
Awful service!!!!
This is the worst customer service ever. They don't listen and obviously lack social skills with people. They had charged me 175 for discconnection which I never authorize. Obviously they had got the wrong apt number. They messed up on my bill because of this and to top it if they disconnected my light due to nonpayment, which I don't understand why and they never gave me an explanation. Plus I bought a house and call to chane my service and told me I had to pay 190 due to late payments which were perhaps a day or two late. I call again to fix the issue and they told me this was not true and the lady was really rude as well.
Awful service!!!!
This is the worst service I have ever encounter. They first mess up on my bill, because they mess up on the wrong disconnection apt, therefore they were charging me for something I hadn't done. Plus after calling and complaining about the 175 charge they never took care of it. Than they disconnected my light due to unpaid balance , which as of today I have no idea what that extra charge was. Than I call to change my light to our new home. They told me I had to paid 190 plus 215 of this month, which I includes late fees of charges I am unaware of as today. Customer service is at its worst too since they can never give me a explanation of all this. They have by so far made this experience horrible.
Don't fall for their low advertised rate!!
I went with this company because they had a good rate on the Power to Choose website. Their advertised rate did not include "Total Utility Charges" that added on another $50 to my bill. I was with Summer Energy before and now regret switching. They are also charging me a $175 cancellation fee for only a 6 month contract. Customer service was also very rude, stating that I should have read all the fine print. Counting down the days until I can end my business with them.
Horrible Service
I have used Southwest Power & Light for about three years now. Every other month they arbitrarily shut off my power even though the bill has been paid and I have a conformation number. They do not open until 8:30 a.m. CST and when I call I am directed to a call center that takes their calls for them until they open. Of course they can not tell me why the power was shut off. I am then always told to contact Oncor about the issue because they claim Oncor turned off the power. Every time I call Oncor they tell me that they did no such thing. I will be using a new provider soon. I advise you DO NOT use the services provided by Southwest Power & Light.
Get ready for lots of hidden fees and rude service
Do not under any circumstances fall for Southwest Power & Light's "green" tree-planting plans. The customer service is beyond horrible. When you're locked in I guess they don't feel the need to hire polite service reps. They bill you a monthly fee that isn't advertised anywhere, and when you call to complain they claim it's in some agreement I certainly never got a copy of. They charge a "printed correspondence fee" even though I repeatedly signed up for online billing. On every bill you'll see an extra $15 tacked on for no legitimate reason. Do NOT get stuck with this company. Run. It's worth paying a few cents more per kWh just to avoid dealing with their surly customer service reps and crazy add-on fees.
No problems with service
I have had SWP for 3 years and have had no problems. No hidden fees and rate is the same as quoted. Payment comes out automatically from checking account each month for a 5% discount and a color chart shows your usage to compare to year prior. Not sure why others are having problems. Have not needed customer service. I am looking for the best rate now as it is time to renew or switch.
Horrible...worst company in texas
You get billed whenever the meter is read. you can pay a bill one day and have another bill 3 days later. I once was double billed for 1400 in one month. took months for them to reverse it, yet only took a minute for them to take it. customer service horrible and rates are higher then most of the others out there. we left them for Bounce electric and saved tons of money.
Up and Down
First I get a bill (after 1 week and 4 days of service) which has the rate without my discount and plus a service fee. When I call to ask why the bill was so high, the only response got was that I didn't use enough electricity. So I end up having to call every month to find out why my bill was so high, they just gave me the run around. My rate is supposed to be 8.4 yet my bill consistently shows I'm being billed anywhere from 9-11.2. Still no one has an answer!! I was with them a year before this and had no problems. As soon as I renewed it was all downhill. I work part time and in school full time. I'm barely ever home, yet my bill looks like I live in a big house with at least 3 other people. I won't be renewing when this contract it up. I regret every resigning!!
Good interfaces for billing but must read the Fact Sheet, High Pricing
I live alone and use less than 1000 kWh per billing cycle. I get ripped on monthly charges and the highest rates. This would be cost effective, like all other plans, to use 1000 or 2000+ kWh... then you get the advertised rate. However, their online system for billing / payment management is easy and I was able to get a hold of someone whenever I need customer service. My contract ends tomorrow and I'm switcing to a company with better rates. When your contract is up, be prepared that they call endlessly to renew.
Watch your rate on your bill CLOSELY
I was promised 8.6 cents if I signed up for autopay (the discount for autopay was .5 cents). The first month they 'forgot' to put me on autopay and I had to pay 11.9 cents because it was a partial month and I didn't use enough electricity to get the lower rate (I was only with SWPL for a week). I didn't appreciate that they wouldn't prorate it. The second month, I was on autopay and got charged 9.3 cents. They said their system runs a month behind on the autopay credit, so the autopay discount wouldn't take for another month. Another ripoff as far as I'm concerned. They also said that all electric companies require you to use 2,000 kwhs to get the advertised rate, which is why I got charged 9.3 cents instead of 9.1 cents. I didn't print out the original electricity facts label and it has changed several times in the last two months, but I sure don't remember it that way. I've used a half dozen companies in the last fifteen years, this one seems especially devious to me. Also, their website is terrible. Four of the last five times I tried to access my bill, every link I clicked on timed out instead of taking me to the webpages.
Bait and switch
It's a bait and switch unless you want to have the payment directly withdrawn each month. The advertised price is for the E plan, automatic draft from your account, but it's not advertised as such. You discover the "discount" rate (advertised rate) when you call to change or renew service. Ridiculous!
No hidden fees, just confusing statement
I've read several reviews here about how this company charges hidden fees. This is not the case. The company breaks down its fees into two categories. One is the category it charges you for your electricity and the other is the "Utility fee" which is the amount it has to pay the company that generates the power. All other companies combine these together for one charge. So at first look, it seems you've been hit with a high fee. But when you examine closer, you see the two fees are simply categorized.
The average poorly educated Texan is incapable of making this distinction and feels they have been ripped off. The company offers very good rates and I was able to lock in a 3-year deal which I am quite happy about.
Hidden Fees
Do not switch to this power company. Very poor customer service. They have hidden fees which makes your bill far higher. I was with Texas Power prior and really liked them - wish I had not switched.Southwest Power and Light have a nice section of your bill Special Service Fee Charges. They charge you $30 extra just for adjusting your service date. No warnings. They are very unhelpful and cannot speak clear English. I have switched power companies 5 times before now and this is the first time I really regretted it.
Great
Unsure why people are having problems. Sign up for a term (you know there's a cancelation charge) and pay on time. I have used SWPL for almost 3 years and never had an issue. Saved $ hundreds (if not thousands) in that time v's TXU. Always check each year to compare there rates prior to renewing and they're great.
Economical and friendly
I have had Southwest Power & Light for one year and they were great. Paying my bill online was quick and efficient. If I had to call it in, they were friendly and you were able to speak to a live person fairly quickly. I would recommend. My bill was quite a bit lower than it had been in a while.
Electricity fact sheet
Had a question about the rate on my first bill. I had a fantastic CSR, named Samantha, that explained my rate and even adjusted my bill favorably.
She had a great "can do" attitude.
So far, so good with SouthernPL. Hopefully my next 11 months with them will exceed expectations.
Won't post payment to my account
Good thing I was only in Houston for the summer. I made a payment through their website two weeks before my bill was due, got a confirmation email that day and the payment was deducted from my bank account three days later. All of a sudden they are sending emails about my over due account. When I try to find out what is going on, they are nasty and give me inconsistent info about the amount I owe. Won't even bother listening when I try to tell them that the bank sent them their money. They take your money, and don't post it to your account. Won't ever use them again if I come back to Houston.
No problems so far.
I've had Southwest P&L for about 18 months now. I pay them on-time and they give me electricity at a decent price. It's really not that difficult.
Unhappy
I have rental properties and when I try to cancel service they always want to call
me back instead of taking care of my service immediately. Called this morning
to cancel a service on a rental property, and they told me the office had not
opened yet, they would have to call me back. The website says office opens at
8:30 I was calling at 8.50. They were eager to help me if I was signing up for
service but not for canceling service. Will not use them again.
SWP&Light Review
I've enjoyed SWP&L's month to month plan and easy to read statements. They don't add on all those "fees" some other companies do. I noticed on my last bill, their rate has gradually gone up (in 2011)from 4.6 cents to 10.5 cents so I called for their best rate and they quoted me 8.0 cents for their 12 month plan. They beat every company I have reseached for my area (FT Worth) as of 26 Nov 2011.
Mickey in NRH
The switch over was seamless and we have yet to encounter a problem. We just renewed at a slightly better rate and probably will next year as well.
Terrible!
I had a bad week at work, and after calling to set up a payment plan for a high bill, they told me to simply pay the full amount by the 15th. I was not behind on any bills. When I got home from work and paid the bill it was after midnight, so the 16th to them. At 10 in the morning, the local Oncor guy comes and lets me know what's going on. I call the company and they have to get the reconnect approved since the payment was made on the 16th. Oh, and did I mention that this was only 15 days after the due date? Ridiculous company! DO NOT USE!
Unprofessional
I just signed up online and was told that I need to immediately call their number and mention code 350 because of credit fraud. Of course like others said, I got the answering service. It is hard to commit to a 12 month contract, when the company may not clearly tell you everything they are going to charge you for. The website said it was going to check my credit when I click continue. Now someone has my SS number and I know I haven't signed up with them.
I don't like this at all. I would rather pay a half penny more and know what I'm getting into. This is very uncomfortable.
Better than TXU
I have been a customer since 09-10 and I've had a 4.5 rating out of 5 experience with this company. The only negative I can say is they call you to remind you your payment is due as if you didn't know this already.
I have spoken with customer service on five ocassions and have had a great experience each time. So, YES I will recommend them to others unless their pricing structure were to get out of hand. After all, most people do kick the cat...
Worst Customer Service Ever
They are liars, and they cheat people in any way possible. They're customer service / answering company will say one thing then the bill will come and when you call to ask about the charge that was suppose to be taken off all they can say is that the person that said that no longer works for the company and there is no way to verify that. Seems like a copout. Steer clear yeah their rates look good but they will make it back in the hidden charges that they apply..
Poor, Unresponsive Customer Service
After my credit card was stolen, I provided SWP&L the number for the replacement card via their online site. During the following 10 days, I received three "payment declined" email notices followed by a "NOTICE OF DISCONNECTION" letter from SWP&L. Upon receipt of each, I replied to the email explaining that I had posted the new credit card info at their site and requested that they acknowledge receipt of the response. None was forthcoming. Additionally, upon receipt of each of the aforementioned emails and letter, I called SWP&L and verbally gave their representative the "replacement" credit card info. Each time I was assured that they had the correct credit card info. Given SWP&L's performance to date, I am fearful that I might have my service disconnected or my credit rating besmirched because of their ineptitude. I plan to terminate service with SWP&L upon expiration of my contract.
Very nice
I signed up for their 100% renewable 1 year contract about a year ago and have been very pleased so far. I have been able to do everything online so far and have not needed to contact customer service for anything. I know that this has more to do with Oncor than SW P&L, but during the rolling blackouts caused by the major snowstorm this year, my house did not lose power once. The only thing that they could do better in my opinion is to provide an option to not receive paper statements.
Poor Customer Service
Try calling and asking for a commercial rep. They only have 3 and I could not get anyone to come to the phone.
Terrible Customer Service
Billing error not corrected as promised. Called CSR several times and said they would call back. Never called back nor did they correct my account.
Hiddens fees
They charge a Utility Charge every month and it
fluctuates. The charges are not broken down so I
don't know what I am charged for.
Cannot understand how they are still in business!
We have had so many problems with this company, I obviously should
have checked the reviews before signing up. It all seems to stem from
one of their customer service reps who seems to either be a complete
moron or on really strong drugs while at work. When we signed up,
he got our address completely wrong, delaying our service. Moving to
a new house, I spoke to what sounded like the same person and
regardless of our 30 minute conversation, he somehow conveniently
'didn't enter' the service request (once again, moron or drug addict?).
Because they outsource all of their after hours calls to an answering
service, these people have no power and are not helpful at all. Thanks
to Southwest we will be spending the first weekend in our new house
cold and in the dark, since they said they won't even be able to
address the issue until Monday. By then, I plan on having a new
provider anyways.
Avoid southwest power and light
They pulled money out of my checking for recurring payments and sent me an email that payment was late. I immediately paid with my credit card and then on the next day they took my recurring payment out of checking. I paid twice for one month. I sent an email to customer service with a screen print from my checkign out hightlighting the debited funds. they dont believe me.
so avoid them at all costs
Worhthless company
Worthless, snotty, rude, and arrogant. Charge hidden fees then laugh at you and say "we don't HAVE to tell you about these fees" Well then guess what "GOODBYE" Don't waste your time with these losers, they get glee out of saying "you now have late fees" never made good on fees to be refunded to me, on and on. WORTHLESS, and don't trust the BBB, they just lied to them and made me out out to be the bad guy. I just wanted electricity and not be charged hidden fees, yeah I am a horrible person.
Craptastic
They operate under several names including Texpo Power, Texpo Power & Light, YEP, Southwest Power & Light, and who knows what else. Their customer service leaves a lot to be desired. In this day and age where you can get cheap rates and service from nearly anywhere, they're butt heads. Their billing system is retarded. I called to ask that they move the date a couple of days to accommodate when my pay check hits so that they'd stop costing me $35 over draft fees. They actually tried to hit my checking account 7x in 3 days - really racking up the fees with my bank and you HAVE to pay on line to get the best rate. It's taken multiple complaints to the PUC and BBB and it's still not fixed yet!
Great customer service.
I have been with them for six months and hey have some of the best rates in my area. Customer service is very easy to work with. I have always been able to reach a live person in less than 1 minute and it's NOT someone from some far off land. They are always very friendly and helpful. One note though, they can only be reached during normal business hours. But if it's a power outage or emergency you will be directed to the electric distributor.
Delivery charge is way too high
Look out for the delivery charge it was almost as much as my electricity charge! Cancelled after 1 month despite $175 charge. Ripoff!!!!!!!!!
Failure to fully disclose delivery costs
I signed up thinking I would save on energy costs. After the first short bill I noticed the delivery charge was larger than the amount billed for electricity. I called only to be told that the delivery charge is billed by another company and Southwest Power did not know how this was charged. Unfortunately for me I did not act and now have received my second billing that includes delivery charges of $116 which is almost half of the total charge for electricity used. This is outrageous and unacceptable. I am now considering paying the early disconnect fee to switch to another carrier which will cost more money, but will save in the long run. What happened to full disclosure????????
BIG RIP OFF COMPANY
I move into my place on the 5th of November and my termastat was on 85 all day not to mention I am away from 7 am until 7 pm and my first bill was $116.00. To lower the bill I turned my termastat down to 70 and I am still away twelve hours a day and my second bill is $255.00...how is this possible...this company is a big rip off and I am going to switch to another plan...
These people won't listen.
I called on Wednesday to have my service turned on the next Friday. Then I called on Thursday (the next day) to cancel the service because they would not extend my activation date and they charged me for 5 days. I was not even living in the house when they say I used power. Now they want me to pay for service I never received and they will not call me back to discuss it. These people are fools. They sent me a tape of my voice agreeing to process my request, that took place on that Thursday. I agreed to have it processed, not turned on that day. All I wanted was to have my power on the day I closed on the house. How hard is that?
Thank you for choosing Southwest Power & Light for your electricity needs. We greatly appreciate your business, and positive feedback regarding our service.
— Southwest Power & Light on May 11th, 2022