Need to vent about a terrible experience with an energy advisor we hired to handle our contract renewal with Duke Energy Ohio. This guy came highly recommended and we paid him $8,000 upfront to negotiate our new three-year deal. Long story short, he locked us into a rate that's 2.3 cents higher than what we were paying before, didn't understand our demand profile at all, and somehow got us switched to a worse rate class. We're now paying an extra $15,000 annually and stuck in this contract for two more years. Anyone have experience getting out of a contract when the advisor screwed up this badly?
Energy advisor completely botched our contract renewal
Cecilia, that's awful. Did you have a written agreement with the advisor specifying what he was supposed to deliver? If he guaranteed savings or promised to beat your current rate, you might have grounds for a malpractice claim. I'd start by documenting everything - all communications, the original proposal, and evidence of the financial damage. You might also want to contact Duke Energy to see if there are any options for early termination based on the circumstances.
This is exactly why I always recommend getting multiple quotes and understanding the details yourself before letting anyone sign contracts on your behalf. That said, what's done is done. Check your state's regulations on energy service agreements - some states have cooling-off periods or allow cancellation under certain circumstances. Also review the advisor's professional liability insurance. If he has errors and omissions coverage, this might be the kind of mistake that would be covered.
You might want to contact the Ohio Public Utilities Commission too. While they can't break your contract, they sometimes have resources for customers who feel they were misled by advisors or brokers. At minimum, filing a complaint creates a paper trail that could help if you end up in litigation. Also check if the advisor is licensed or registered with any professional organizations - if so, they might have disciplinary processes for members who don't meet professional standards.
Before you go the legal route, try working directly with Duke Energy's commercial account managers. Explain the situation and see if they have any flexibility. Utilities sometimes work with customers who can demonstrate they were misrepresented by third parties. It's worth a shot and costs nothing to try. The worst they can say is no, but I've seen cases where utilities helped customers who were clearly taken advantage of by unscrupulous advisors.
Thanks for all the suggestions. I talked to Duke Energy yesterday and while they can't cancel the contract, they confirmed that the rate class we're on is completely wrong for our demand profile. The account manager said she's never seen anyone with our usage pattern on this particular rate schedule. She's documenting everything and said it might help if we pursue legal action against the advisor. I'm definitely going to look into his errors and omissions insurance.
Cecilia, document everything the Duke Energy rep told you about the rate class being wrong. That kind of expert testimony could be very valuable if you end up in court or arbitration. Also pull your old bills and compare the rate structures side by side. If you can show that any competent professional should have known the new rate was worse, it strengthens your case for negligence. Hope you can get some resolution - $15K annually is serious money.
This thread is a perfect example of why due diligence is so important when hiring energy advisors. I always tell clients to verify any advisor's track record, check references thoroughly, and never give anyone authority to sign contracts without your explicit approval for each deal. The energy consulting business attracts some great professionals but also some real cowboys who are in it for quick money. Sorry you got burned, Cecilia.
Just saw this thread and wanted to chime in. Cases like this are why I always recommend clients understand their own energy usage patterns and rate options before working with any consultant. An advisor should be explaining their recommendations in detail, not just saying 'trust me, this is better.' Cecilia, if you need help analyzing your situation or preparing documentation for a potential claim, feel free to reach out. Sometimes a second opinion can help clarify whether the advisor's actions were truly negligent or just unfortunate timing with market changes.