If you bought electricity and/or natural gas from Agway Energy Services (Agway) on a promise of savings or being charged a “competitive market-based monthly variable rate” only to find out that you have been charged exorbitant rates, you may have a claim against Agway. Agway is an independent, alternative energy supplier, otherwise known as an Energy Service Company (ESCO), that competes with established local utilities and other ESCOs in New York and Pennsylvania, by purchasing electricity and natural gas at wholesale rates in the open market, which it then sells to consumers at theoretically lower and more competitive rates. Unfortunately, some ESCOs bait consumers into buying energy from them, instead of local utilities, by offering introductory rates lower than local utility rates, and then switching to variable rates far higher than what market conditions warrant upon expiration of the introductory period.
FBFG has recovered tens of millions of dollars for ESCO consumers and we are investigating whether Agway is unlawfully deceiving consumers by employing this “bait-and-switch” tactic. Agway claims that its monthly variable rates are “competitive” and “market based.” However, this may be a deceptive misrepresentation if the rates are, in fact, substantially higher than the rates other suppliers are charging. If you or someone you know is a customer of Agway, or any other independent supplier you believe may have misrepresented the true amount of their electricity or natural gas rates, please contact us to discuss your legal options.