Arcadia Power Reviews

When we first signed up for Arcadia power we were indeed getting 50% of our energy from wind. That percentage has now fallen to 5% from wind. Sometimes the billing gets screwed up - which creates it’s own set of problems.

I love the idea of using alternative energy. But, I’m beginning to wonder if Arcadia is up to the task of delivering wind energy at scale.

~P.

Every state is a little different. I'm in Rhode Island. The first couple of months were fine. I got a statement with 10% off my bill. Then suddenly I got charged double what my utility bill should have been. I called their customer service and they made no sense, claiming that the utility didn't bill correctly a couple of months ago. It made no sense at all.

The most important thing to know is that when you get an email from them saying they're getting ready to charge your card, you have about 3 days to check your utility bill from your utility to see what you're being charged for. Check your original utility bill carefully, you can't trust Arcadia to charge correctly.

Signed up then got double billed with Xcel energy for 5 months!!

And where were the savings??

The 5 months that I received bills from both Arcadia and Xcel, the bills were not exactly the same, but in the end there was no savings.

(the sales person guaranteed at least $50 cheaper bills than Xcel)

WE signed up with Arcadia Power while living in

Colorado. We advised them of our relocation to

New Mexico and was told they could transfer the

savings, etc.

Thirty-one (31) months later I call and try

explaining the "service" wasn't available in NM.

and again explained we'd moved and asked for a

refund. I was told they couldn't do refunds and for the money ($454.34) we got a "Dashboard" showing imaginary savings certificates.

Bottom line, unless you can't use a few extra dollars in your pocket or don't have a better local charity to support in the West and Southwest you might just as well light a match to your money.

This offer from Arcadia is probably complicated by the fact that we have fifty states, and each state has its own regulations for utilities. I'm in Illinois, and my local electric company, Ameren, is required by state law to cooperate with independent power companies that 'assist' in providing electricity, and consumers can choose those companies if they want to (usually at a better price).

I just now heard about Arcadia so I don't know much about it.

If you live in one of the backward Republican states where they only want to support coal, oil and nuclear, then your state government is probably not doing anything to help you use a company like Arcadia.

I will pull up short of saying this is a scam. Just closed my account, requested a full refund and feeling deceived and cheated atm, and agitated that I fell for it. The concept is very appealing, very simple. Barrier of entry for doing something 'good' is low... I mean, all you have to do is sign up, link with your utility, and supposedly your immediately participating in greener energy production. But, functionally it doesn't work... in my experience. Mainly because my utility company was "not compatible" with their system, so they say, and so I never got to see if this would actually work. What I thought was a system that would ultimately result in my utility bill getting paid (primary objective), while also contributing to 'green' power generation (secondary objective), turned into my paying a monthly subsidy for the privilege of support a wind farm in Oregon. Spoke to my utility company this morning and not a penny paid by Arcadia against my electric. Complete and utter failure of primary objective, and the one thing that keeps my home operation. This is a glaring flaw, and where the deception comes into play for me... they should not be signing people up if there is 'system incompatibility.'

Word to the wise... ready careful, understand completely, do not sign up for Evergreen unless you merely want personal satisfaction and nothing else, and monitor it closely to make certain your utility is receiving payment and your power doesn't get shut off.

While it is a feel-good about clean power, I have yet to see any savings. In fact, my bill is 12$ higher w budget billing, after a " wind power " charge.?

That should take care of the 100$ gift card I received for Wegmans.

I've been with Arcadia for over 1 year. My local utility provider is locked in to contracts mandating coal powered electricity with little alternative. I emailed Arcadia a question about offsetting my consumption and received a response within the hour:

"We are purchasing wind energy in the form of renewable energy credits. Let me explain.

In order to say that you're using renewable energy, you must purchase both physical electrons as well the corresponding Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). Those two things together are what make up renewable energy. If you were to sign up with us, your utility would be providing the physical electrons, and we would be providing the RECs.

When you buy RECs (or when we buy them on your behalf), you are taking ownership of wind energy that's being fed onto the grid. Once energy reaches the grid, it mixes together with the energy from coal plants, hydroelectric plants, solar farms, etc. Utility companies then pull indistinguishable electrons off the grid and deliver them to homes and businesses. It is impossible to determine where the electrons came from - all consumers can do is ensure that wind energy is being fed onto the grid to match their personal consumption.

Wind farms rely on the revenue from RECs in order to offer their energy at a price that is competitive against fossil fuels. Anybody who says they're using renewable energy - even big companies like Google - are purchasing both physical electrons from the grid and RECs.

By purchasing RECs, you're increasing the demand for clean energy - which expands access and availability, helps the environment, and reduces our reliance on fossil fuels - without having to install and maintain your own equipment."

I do think their advertising is misleading, however, as in my case - I am still using and supporting dirty fossil fuels so it isn't exactly giving up one for another.