TXU Consumer Reviews

DAKLLAS, TEXAS -- Wednesday, December 23, 2009. TXU executives enthusiastically embrace and TXU falsely claims, in violation of the Texas DTPA "Clear, straightforward terms of service with billing you can understand and trust" and "Responsive, knowledgeable customer care agents available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week." This is a blatant lie, because I had a difficulty understanding, TXU's foreign customer service representatives, lack of familiarity with the billings, and their ineffective responses to my inquiries.

My new electric bill this month went from $ 83.96 to a whopping $ 181.15 without any temperature settings changes and I was not even home for ten days of the month. I proceeded to dispute my bill in accordance with State and Federal laws including charges such as advanced meter surcharge and an Oncor rate change? Why Oncor I am with TXU? So yesterday I tried to call customer service @ 972-791-2888 and for almost two hours their automatic answering service recycled my call, then after three or four cycles I had to redial the number never getting through.

Today 12/23/09 after trying again on my third attempt I got through to three (3) different customer service centers which were located in 1- Guatemala, 2- Manila, then # 3 located in El Salvador to my surprise I was told that there are no call centers located in the US and all TXU customer service operations are at overseas call centers. The fourth agent told me he was in Guatemala. I asked him if he had anybody that could speak better English because his command of the English language was difficult to understand and had a strong accent and was told by him I should redial the phone number and or try 800-242-9113.

After 5 attempts and still not getting anybody that could speak good English the agent told me that he was having a hard time understanding my accent. Then he told me that I could hang up and call again. I said no, I had been on the phone for about 2 hours and 45 minutes and if I called back I would only get someone else with an accent that I could not understand. He then hung up on me!

So I tried again and when I got to the Manila based service desk I told the lady there that I needed to speak with a manager and had hoped it would be an American she asked me the same questions again and told me I would be on hold 3-4 minutes. Guess what I was wrong, the Supervisor manager was also a foreigner and she wanted to know the details of my complaints and I told her the issues and that I wanted to speak to a US customer service person, to which she replied it will take 24 hours for that to happen, agreed and @ 15:23:22 we hung up and I am waiting.

What TXU executives who make these decisions do not realize is that Time is precious, and what customer wants to spend an inordinate amount of time in an often vain attempt to communicate with a company contact employee who is halfway around the world and cannot speak English effectively with having difficulty in navigating their electronic phone response systems, with excessive telephone hold times, and agents improperly trained to adequately handle service problems?

It is easy to measure the savings TXU gets by farming out customer-service jobs to countries whose median income is an eighth of what it is in the U.S. to people that cannot speak our language. It is simply to say that working on the front lines of customer service means, first, being able to understand what the customer needs and then meeting those needs efficiently and TXU is showing profound disrespect for us the Texas consumer by violating their own statements about customer service and they do not understand that this practice does not help their reputation. I hope I will get my callback in the next twenty three hours.

My best advice to anyone thinking about using TXU is not to do it. They smack of false advertising and poor customer service. And I am not prejudiced but I feel that with a recession in progress in the US, with as many people out of jobs, we could and should open Customer Service up to those people here in the USA!

TEXAS -- I currently have one of the new "smart meters" installed in my home. Over the last two billing cycles my electricity usage, according to the meter, more than doubled. During this time period I made no additions or changes in the way of appliances or heating / AC units that would explain the enormous load reported by my meter. I called TXU to request an inspection, and the representative did everything except admit that there might be a problem with my meter. I was quizzed about every appliance in my home, my current water heater and thermostat settings, etc - as if I am oblivious to factors that may affect my electricity usage.

The rep suggested that I did not know how to read the meter correctly, although after a vague and confusing explanation, we agreed that I was reading the meter correctly. (By the way: I was going to post a link to the TXU website explanation of how to read your new "smart meter" but it turns out that no such instructions exist on the web - more outstanding customer service.) The representative on the phone treated me as if she knew more about my home and electricity usage than I do. I was also informed that I would have to pay Oncor myself to have an inspection on the meter.

Finding this answer unacceptable I consulted my own electrician who gave me all the steps to shut off power entirely to my home, which I did. Turns out that even after shutting down each circuit breaker and the main breaker to the home the meter still gives a current load of 28.59 Kw (I was informed that this is enough of a load to adequately power four homes equal to the size of mine at the same time). So much for the "smart meter."

Now, after informing TXU of this new information, I have to wait up to 5 days for an Oncor representative to inspect my meter. They made no effort to apologize for the way I was treated in the initial phone call, and I was told that I may have to pay an additional fee to have the technician inspect the meter. This situation was frustrating enough without the addition of poor customer service. I honestly don't know if I will remain a TXU customer after this - I will update with the end result so that other consumers can see how TXU handled the situation.

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Update: TXU sent out a service technician (from Oncor) to inspect the meter. I put in a specific request to be present when the tech was at my home (I gave the TXU phone rep two contact numbers), and what happened? Of course, I got no call. When I called TXU on the 5th day to see why I had not heard from the technician, I was informed that there had already been an inspection and that there was nothing wrong with the meter.

I immediately asked to speak to a supervisor to request another inspection - one where I could supervise the technician and shut the power off in front of him to prove that the meter still shows a usage. Instead, after placing me on hold for an extended amount of time, the TXU phone rep offered to take $400 off of my current bill. Now, why would any company offer to cut the bill by more 60% if nothing was wrong with their equipment??? I immediately went outside to the meter only to find that now it is working properly.

I now have no proof to show that my last month's bill was due to equipment malfunction. This is the single most deceitful situation I have ever experienced from any company. I'm changing providers as soon as possible. Hope this post keeps some other person from signing up with TXU and experiencing a nightmare like mine.

TEXAS -- Read to the end for contact info to get your issues resolved... but their customer service is still just awful! Well my journey through the TXU customer service debacle started some 4 yrs. ago when I moved to Rockport TX. After 2.5 months in my new place I got a phone call from their customer service asking where I would like my bill sent. I suggested it go the same place they were delivering the power!

The bill arrives with, you guessed it, LATE FEES. So I called to have them removed. After a couple hours on the phone and speaking to supervisors, they agreed to remove 1. Turns out, according to them, it is my responsibility to chase down my bill. I kept fighting it and ultimately got them waved and a $50 credit for my time. But after 8 hrs. on the phone with these fools, I was not liking my hourly wage in my new unwanted role as customer service consultant. So I pressed the issue. And I pressed. Well let me assure you you will NEVER get satisfaction calling their customer service toll free line.

So I finally looked up their corporate hdqs online and called their directly. I finally found a guy who cared. They sent me a check for my time and suffering. $200! But it was not over. I have since had issues getting on their website which it only took them like a yr. to fix. Stuck on the phone with all sorts of people on that go round. They are mostly not helpful and mostly incompetent.

Last week was the final straw. I called to find out about a $5.95 monthly fee. I got 2 different answers from the same CSR. He was basically just talking out his ass. Probably made it up. Then I made the mistake of asking him what I paid per kwh last month. OMG! He couldn't tell me. He kept talking about the energy multiplier and told me it was 4 cents. I finally gave up on him and divided the $ by the kw and got just under 12 cents. I asked for his supervisor. I had been on the phone at least 25 min by then. Seriously. I asked her about the monthly fee. Got answer number 3.

I am now demanding an explanation as to why it is OK for their customer service reps to be unable to answer the most rudimentary billing questions. Remember, we are approaching the 1 hr. mark at this point. They are on my clock! This woman kept interrupting and explaining to me how truly competent and excellent their staff is. I had had enough so she transfers me to America!! The escalation dept. at the CEO's office. This gal quickly tells me where to find the cost of a kwh and gives me answer number 4 about the monthly charge.

I complain about how their customer service dept, although admittedly bad now for yrs is still as bad. She told me they have weekly meetings and they talk about fixing it at each meeting. TALK IS CHEAP huh? Well that was 1.5 hrs. of my life I will never get back and so I start climbing the ladder to get compensation for my time. I sent emails which no one will follow up on when they say they will and this time around they REFUSE to give me a credit for my time pain and suffering.

The conclusion I am drawing is that they are very sorry, but they are now OK with stealing my time in spite of their admissions that their CSR that started this whole debacle sucks so bad they yanked him off the phone to train him. Touch crap for me. And I got that during a TWENTY minute call with their COO. I have had it. I sent their CEO an email and his reply was to have his lackey COO call me to placate me with an official apology from way up the food chain. Money talks and ** walks. I am done.

As I told the COO I could probably drag their butts into small claims court and find a very sympathetic jury, but why waste more time. I see I am in good company here! Here is some helpful information. There is a customer service escalation dept. The director is ** at 972.868.8287. Please call him and give him your feedback. He is laboring under the false belief there is a high percentage of customer satisfaction among those dealing with the customer service dept.

One of his people in the escalation dept. is **, TXU Energy, Manager - Office of the CEO. Office: (972) 868-8287. When all else fails, you can email the CEO directly at jim.burke@txu.com. He seems to think things are just peachy as well. He thinks it isn't broken!! LMAO.

DALLAS, TEXAS -- I view my previous bill with TXU and the KWH 12.5 and I knew if I called them, I would not grant the opportunity to a lower rate. My contract had expired moreover, I did not want to renew with them. I contact other providers and receive a rate of 8.6 without the 150.00 enrollment fee. I was perfectly happy with this rate and would not have considered anymore offer from another company.

On June 6, I receive a call from a TXU representative stating my KWH rate of 5.4 if I enroll within TXU's Plan - Residential Choice 12. On first, I was very concerned about the rate and asked three times to verify the rate. I asked her for a moment while I obtain a pen and paper to write down all the information given me.

I knew her name and three times, she quoted to 5.4 KWH rate. She explains it was special offer for maintaining customers. I was leery about the enrollment, but decided to save money this summer. She stated the enrollment within the Residential Choice 12 program would allow for the 5.4 rate. After the conversation had ended, I immediately retrieved my account to check things out for myself. My account rate of was enrolling for 9.8. When I saw this I went through the roof and called them immediately, first speaking to a representative with an attitude that would make anyone get on a plane and fly to Dallas and smack her between her pearly whites.

She made the comment stating I would have to pay the cancellation fee of $150 if I cancel the account. Under the circumstances, I am receiving unprofessional treatment, especially when TXU has contact me to maintain my business. At this point, the conversation was not getting anywhere, and I asked to speak to a supervisor. I was transferred to a supervisor. I specially asked if she was with the Customer Retention Department. Her response was she was a Supervisor and we agreed that I would not be charged $150 cancellation fee.

I advise I would pay my final payment and discontinue service with TXU. I advise the supervisor of remarks from representatives regarding my account. I also mentioned I was misinformed in addition, training on how to overcome objections is necessary. Again another failure of customer service, representing a huge corporation. I think the way customer service is being handle today I would rather deal with a computer system-taking bids instead of dealing with incompetent and unprofessional representatives.

HOUSTON, TEXAS -- 2007 We terminated service with TXU electric and sent in our final payment. We were never contacted by them again. 2010 They offered a good electric rate and we contacted them for service. We received a letter from them rejecting us. We have never had a credit rejection in 40 years and were shocked. We always pay extra on our electricity to avoid owing a large amount in December. I made 5 or more calls to their foreign customer service office trying to get information. I received answers like we don't know or they hung up on me. I was also left hanging for a supervisor why they laughed and talked in their language and after 10 min I hung up.

I was told they had no home office by their customer service. Finally through the internet I found their home offices in the usa. They claimed we owed a balance of $400. I said we sent you our last payment in 2007 and never received any bills or calls stating we owe money. They asked me if I had the checks. I did have the last one stating final payment, but that was not good enough. They wanted all of the 2007 ones which I no longer had. This is the first business I have ever heard of who fails to send bills or notify a customer about (alleged) money owed.

I asked why if this was a genuine debt they did not do this. They had no answer and we did not trust them and felt their records were incorrect. Txu reported to all the credit bureaus that they wrote off a bad debt in 2010 never mentioning that this alleged bill was a 2007. This has. Brought down our credit ratings and we cannot resolve it. Credit bureaus have no interest in the individual problem. To say we detest TXU is an understatement. Beware***

After 2 weeks of using TXU my electricity was cut off before the first bill even arrived! I signed up for TXU electric, and my credit approved me for a $150 credit gift of service for signing up with them. The terms were $150 of service for free, $0 deposit depending on credit (which the website agreed after entering my social, and having to call to verify over the phone the representative said no deposit, and $0 installation fee. As I was young (20 yrs. old my credit was impt to me.) After 2 weeks of having electricity I come home from work and there is no electricity!

I was outraged and called TXU immediately, they said I failed to pay my first bill. I informed them I had only had their service less than 2 weeks and did not receive a bill. The man continued by saying I never paid my $300 deposit and that is my balance! (Why would they hook up the service before the deposit I asked? LOL.) I told the man I have every email and screenshots and the saved html pages from the website and had the phone conversations recorded to PROVE that I was not lying. That's the FIRST time I was hung up on.

I recorded every conversation on the phone and had all my paperwork bc I would rather take them to court than let them take advantage of me. Eventually one of these people admitted TXU was wrong but they refused to reinstate my service. TXU told me I would have to pay the $300 deposit, a fee for have service disconnected and another fee for having service continued (totaling around $400 then I could resume service within 2 DAYS of paying that!)

Even with all the evidence I had I would have to miss work to go to court and so I sent the deposit and told them NOT to resume my service and if I did not have my deposit back within the 2 weeks that was agreed upon I would go to court. And that is only half of the mess.

Immediately after getting off the phone with TXU I called Reliant energy and had them hook up service within the hour. It's been 2 years now and I have been happy with Reliant but TXU will NEVER get a dime from me or my family EVER. Till this day I still keep any and all copies of agreements and record every conversation with ANY company because next time I won't be a 20 yr. old kid that is too busy working 60 hour weeks and afraid to lose money for missing work for court. Bottom line TXU are liars that try to take advantage of people and I will always tell anyone to never use TXU.

I complained about the bill being way too high for December as I have lived here 28 years. They told me the bill was right and that I had a new advanced meter that could be read with a computer. That was lie. I came home and read the old meter with the dials and called them back today. They then denied the conversation on Jan 14 about the new meter. The guy told me they could read it with binoculars after I informed him my yard has no access due to a pool. Right. So maybe it has never been read.

I told him I read the meter and it would mean I had only used 385 units of power since January 4 (their last reading.) He then told me I don't know how to read a meter. Really, I guess being Phi Beta Kappa and an honors grad means I am an idiot. He kept telling me it was correct. Well, in three hours a guy shows up to install a new meter. I took down his truck number and license number. Let's see them deny this. Was this a coincidence? I think not.

I filed a complaint with the PUC but I am sure I will get a nice form letter back. TXU is crooked as the day is long. I will switch back to Reliant. I also had the highest summer bills in 28 years and have a new air conditioner. I highly doubt they have ever read the meter in all the time I have had this joke of a company (one year.)

I have been a TXU customer for one and half years. Never missed a payment. Today I got a call from the guy that cleans the backyard pool about power being off in my house. I called TXU and asked what's going on. I was told I did not pay my bill in full and they disconnected my service. I was driving and did not have access to bills and payments. So, I went ahead and made payment in full on my cc. The representative that took the payment told me they would restore power by midnight. Just to be sure asked to speak with a supervisor - she told me it would not be restored until tomorrow.

It's about 100 degrees where we live and TXU does not care. They have access to my phone and e-mail - they could have easily given me a heads up before taking the extreme measure of disconnecting power. I pay about $1200/month during summer. Tomorrow we need to throw out about $1000 worth of stuff from the freezer/refrigerator. I came home and saw my dog very uncomfortable and possibly dehydrated now that's very upsetting. I will talk to my state representatives about re-regulating the industry.

ARLINGTON, TEXAS -- In my entire life, I have never seen such BS and double talk from an electric company. I've lived all over the world, so I know what I'm talking about. They LIE, CHEAT, and I swear, double bill their customers. I have spoken to the stupidest people ever to have inhabited earth on their so-called customer service lines. Please, if you're a customer switch services, they're cheating you!!! Call them and see if you are able to get a SIMPLE, STRAIGHT ANSWER FROM THEM. It won't happen, I promise.

We live in a No Soliciting Neighborhood. The TXU people Keep Coming around knocking on my door and ringing the bell. I tried to tell the young man that I'm not interested but he keeps coming around. If I ever do business with this company it won't be with a Door to door sales person, I'll use my computer. My husband and I are ill and we don't want to be bothered with Sales people, even if it's FREE! I've stopped answering the door, but he does not take the hint.