Gone are the days of having customers undergo a QC phone call. Instead, they may confirm their identities during the Stream Energy online enrollment process, thereby saving themselves valuable time.

The purpose of the Customer Quick Check is to confirm the customer’s identity in order to help avoid identity theft, fraudulent energy accounts, or slamming attempts. This identity verification process is not a credit check and does not affect your customer’s credit score.

Customer Quick Check At a Glance:

• Customer Quick Check is in place for Northeast customers only. (Coming soon to Texas and Georgia.)
• The last four (4) digits of your customer’s Social Security Number are required during the enrollment.
• For ID Verification, the customer may be presented with four multiple choice questions during the enrollment.
• When finished with the enrollment, customers should record their 10-Digit Reference Number.
• REMEMBER there is no Automated Quality Control Call!
• If Stream Energy needs anything to finalize the enrollment, The OnBoarding Group at Stream Energy’s corporate office will contact your customer within one business day.
• Customer Points and MEI will be rolling in quicker than ever!

Please note that the multiple choice questions are formulated and confirmed by Experian and are selected from their Public Record database. Some questions may not apply to your customer and, if so, “None of the Above” is an option for all questions.

Maryland

Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE) Customers
1-877-778-2222
Hurricane Outage Information

Potomac Electric Power (Pepco) Customers
1-877-PEPCO-62 (1-877-737-2662)
Hurricane Outage Information

New Jersey

Atlantic City Electric Customers
1-800-833-7476
Hurricane Outage Information

Jersey Central Power & Light Customers
1-888-544-4877 (1-888-LIGHTSS)
Hurricane Outage Information

PSE&G Customers
1-800-436-PSEG (1-800-436-7734)
Hurricane Outage Information

Pennsylvania

Duquesne Light Customers
1-888-393-7000
Hurricane Outage Information

MetEd Customers
1-888-544-4877
Hurricane Outage Information

PECO Customers
1-800-841-4141
Hurricane Outage Information

PPL Customers
1-800-DIAL-PPL (1-800-342-5775) – When prompted, press 1 for electrical emergency
Hurricane Outage Information

As the calendar switches to September, exciting events return to the horizon. Stadiums welcome the return of frenzied fans, parkways of summer green evolve to autumn auras, flashing school zones emerge from summer hibernation and Mother Nature ushers in relief from summer’s grasp.

Whatever your preferred part of autumn’s arrival, the fall feels refreshing. As cooler breezes blow and temperatures begin to drop, Stream Energy is refreshing our rates.

Effective last week, Stream Energy dropped rates in most of our service areas across Texas, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey. The perfect beginning to fall is already in full force.

In Texas, fall is still in its infancy as many cities saw temperatures topping 100º for much of last week. As a cold front arrived, so did lower Texas rates. Lower rates were also seen in the Northeast territories, as well as in Georgia.

So as September succulence begins to sink in, Stream Energy customers can keep focused on pigskin players, pumpkins and helping with homework.

As your best friend’s energy company, we know your time is precious because we’re husbands and mothers, too. So, get back to what’s important and we’ll take care of your energy needs with great rates that you don’t have to think twice about and customer service you’ll want to brag about.

From our family to yours, enjoy the upcoming autumn and don’t forget to start off your September succulence with a great new low rate from Stream Energy—your best friend’s energy company.

When Stream Energy and Ignite launched in 2005, it was not only the beginning of an innovative energy company, but an opportunity to be a part of something truly unique.

As Stream Energy and Ignite grew in both size and maturity, the firm adopted certain “mantras” that shaped the internal culture. The mantras encompassed an overall feeling and attitude that the firm was not just a great company, but a great family.

Although the two entities had two different logos, they both represented one company and one team with one goal.

To help make that point, Senior Director of Marketing Darryl Smith had an idea: merge the family-like atmosphere of Stream Energy with the team aspect of football into a visual representation of the firm’s support of the thousands of Ignite Associates around the country.

“Stream Energy and Ignite are a team,” Darryl said. “Supporting our Ignite Associates in the field is something every Stream Energy employee does on a daily basis. We are a very competitive group, and we have great passion and love for this firm – the same passion and love that many have for their hometown sports teams.”

“I wanted to take a symbol of that love and passion of each of our states and bring it back to the home office,” Darryl said. “It’s a symbol that we are always thinking about our IAs in all these areas, and a little piece of them is always represented in our office.”

Stream Energy and Ignite’s history can be seen in a unique visual timeline along one wall inside Stream Energy’s corporate office.

Each jersey represents when Stream Energy and Ignite entered a certain state or area. Each jersey has a number on the back of it which represents when we entered that particular state:

• Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans – the founding of the firm in Texas in 2005.
• Atlanta Falcons – Stream Energy’s first expansion efforts reached Georgia in 2008.
• Philadelphia Eagles – the firm first entered the Pennsylvania market in the Philadelphia area in 2010.
• Pittsburgh Steelers – the firm expanded their Pennsylvania service to the Pittsburgh area in 2011.
• Baltimore Ravens – Stream Energy began offering service in Maryland also in 2011.

“As a lifelong, die-hard Cowboys fan, my office sits between the Eagles and the Steelers,” Darryl said smiling. “It’s not easy looking at those colors every day.”

Near the end of 2011, Stream Energy and Ignite expanded to a fifth state in the Northeast. To avoid confusion (and also because he just couldn’t bear hanging any blue and white jersey other than the Cowboys) Darryl decided to utilize a different sport to represent Stream Energy’s latest market.

•  New Jersey Devils – the entrance into Stream Energy’s fifth state in 2011.

But what comes after New Jersey? An empty spot resides next to New Jersey’s colors. We are anxiously awaiting a jersey to represent the loyal Associates in a brand new Stream Energy market.

“I don’t know what we’ll do if we ever go to Montana,” Darryl said jokingly.

The next jersey may be unknown, but what is certain is that Stream Energy and Ignite will continue to achieve huge long-term success as long as we work together as one team.

About eight years ago, a small group of people led by Rob Snyder and Pierre Koshakji put into action a ground-breaking business plan. The idea was to adopt a multi-level network marketing approach similar to those used by extremely successful direct-selling companies like Avon and Mary Kay, and apply that strategy to the recently deregulated energy market in Texas.

As details began to take shape, new investors committed to the idea; a PUC license was obtained; and a small amount of office space was leased in one of the most recognizable buildings in Dallas – the INFOMART. As a basic framework became operational, Stream Energy and Ignite were born.

In the more than seven years since Stream Energy was awarded a PUC license to operate in the state of Texas, Stream Energy has grown to over half a million customers in five states (Texas, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey), employed hundreds of exceptional people at the headquarters in Dallas, and allowed thousands of Independent Associates the opportunity to seize control of their financial future and build relationships that can last a lifetime.

Along this journey, Rob, along with the executive staff and more than 260 Stream Energy employees, has been graciously thanked countless times by IAs who appreciate the vision, dedication and commitment to the plan first conceived in 2004.

While Stream Energy and Ignite have enjoyed record success in our short time, none of it could have been possible without the hard work and dedication of thousands who have worked to ensure our success.

The Stream Energy headquarters in Dallas employs more than 260 employees on a daily basis. When needed, these employees have worked weekends, overnight and incredibly long hours to ensure the success of Stream Energy and Ignite. They believe in this business—in helping people succeed. To the employees of Stream Energy: thank YOU.

Thousands of IAs bought into the idea of warm marketing and asking friends and family for their business. They have done so with such success that Stream Energy is in the record books as one of the fastest-growing companies in American business history. The success of this firm and the employment of over 260 Stream Energy employees would not have been possible without the hard work of our thousands of dedicated Associates. To the Ignite Independent Associates: thank YOU.

As most people know, the success or failure of a company hinges on its customers. Stream Energy and Ignite are in the business of helping our customers save money on one of life’s necessary commodities (energy) and doing it with a successful business model. With variety of different service providers offering energy service, customers in deregulated service areas are free to choose any service provider they like. To the loyal customers who continue to choose Stream Energy as their service provider of choice: thank YOU.

The hundreds of thousands of IAs who have joined us along the way, have attended at least one business presentation in a variety of venues to get more information on Ignite’s award-winning success model. Managers and owners of restaurants, hotels and motels have opened their doors to Ignite. Homeowners have opened their homes to new and prospective Associates. To all those who allowed the Ignite Opportunity and the Stream Energy story to be told: thank YOU.

There are countless people who have contributed in some form or fashion to the success of our business. To anyone who has contributed to this business; to anyone who has positively affected our firm; to everyone who remains loyal, committed and dedicated to the continued success of Stream Energy and Ignite: thank YOU.  

Although our achievements and successes are exciting, inspirational and motivational, Stream Energy and Ignite still have a lot of unfinished work. With over a half-million customers in five states, Stream Energy has proven it is a powerful and permanent force in the deregulated energy market.

What began as a simple business plan eight years ago has emerged into a business that has changed and bettered the lives of so many. With our spectacular team, Stream Energy is primed to continue our national expansion for a long time come.

Please see below for the emergency contact numbers for your area. Take precautions now to be safe and secure.

Maryland

Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE) Customers
Report emergencies immediately, including downed power lines, by calling 1-877-778-2222.

Potomac Electric Power (Pepco) Customers
Report emergencies immediately, including downed power lines, by calling 1-877-PEPCO-62 (1-877-737-2662).

Pennsylvania

Duquesne Light Customers
If you have an electric emergency, call Duquesne Light immediately at 1-888-393-7000.
They are available 24/7 to answer your emergency call.

MetEd Customers
If you have an electric emergency, call MetEd immediately at 1-888-544-4877.
They are available 24/7 to answer your emergency call.

PECO Customers
If you have a electric emergency, call PECO immediately at 1-800-841-4141.
They are available 24/7 to answer your emergency call.

PPL Customers
Report emergencies immediately, including downed power lines, by calling 1-800-DIAL-PPL (1-800-342-5775).
When prompted, press 1 for “electrical emergency.”

Texas

Oncor (TXU service area)
888-313-4747
(Oncor can link to five different phone numbers with your ESID to speed restoration when you call to report outages. Call 888-313-6862 to set it up.)

CenterPoint (Reliant service area)
800-332-7143

AEP Central (CPL service area)
866-223-8508

TNMP (First Choice service area)
888-866-7456

AEP North (WTU service area)
866-223-8508

Georgia

If you smell gas, quickly get away from the area. When you can no longer smell the gas, call Atlanta Gas Light (AGL) at its 24-hour emergency number: 1-877-427-4321 (outside metro Atlanta) or 770-907-4231 (in metro Atlanta).

Or, call 9-1-1 if you can’t remember the AGL number.

Visit www.safegas.org for more gas safety tips.

Be Prepared: Hurricane Irene

The Weather Channel classified Irene a powerful storm capable of causing extraordinary affects in the Northeast. This storm is real. It is large and very powerful.

Stream Energy recommends heeding all government warnings and advisories.

We’re dedicated to assisting our customers in weathering the affects of this dangerous storm. Although evacuations to areas out of the direct path of the storm are advised, here are a few steps to help you prepare for Hurricane Irene as it approaches.

Have a Storm Kit

This includes everything from a week’s worth of canned food, flashlights, batteries, bottled water, sleeping bags and pillows, personal hygiene items, a battery-operated radio and first aid supplies. When weathering a dangerous storm, it’s best to be over prepared.

Keep Local Emergency Numbers Handy

Not only does this include 911, but also your energy company, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and your insurance company. Having these numbers handy will provide great assistance after the storm has passed.  

Stay Informed

Local news stations, as well as The Weather Channel are providing round-the-clock, real-time updates on television as well as their websites. Stay informed with the most current information on the storm’s projected path and intensity. Remember, this storm is very large and capable of causing “extraordinary affects” for millions of people along the eastern seaboard.

Government websites also provide very useful information for helping prepare for weather emergencies. Here is a list of a few helpful websites that offer more information on how to be well prepared for Hurricane Irene:

http://www.ready.gov
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov
http://www.cdc.gov
http://www.weather.gov

One way we can all make a difference is to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It is a call to action that Stream Energy takes seriously. In keeping with our commitment to promote environmental health, we are pleased to offer renewable energy products to our customers that also aim to provide energy savings – Stream’s Green & Clean Plan family of electricity rates.

Customers who enroll on Stream’s Green & Clean Plan receive electricity derived from renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, biogas, and low-impact hydro, which Stream Energy purchases through the procurement of Renewable Energy Credits (REC).

Why Renewable Energy?

Wind renewable and solar renewable energy are clean, make no noise and are 100% renewable sources of energy. The wind, although not ever-present, and the sun’s energy are never going to disappear. Customers can always count on energy from the sun, and to a lesser extent, from wind. Stream Energy is now offering renewable energy credits to its customers in Georgia, Texas, Pennsylvania and Maryland.

Non–polluting renewable energy generators collect on the added value of their products. Renewable energy generators produce and sell their energy in the same market as any other generator of electricity, but renewable generation is also given a renewable energy credit (REC) for every megawatt of power it produces to recognize the cleaner energy it produces. This means that every time a green or renewable energy is produced, its renewable energy credits are created and sold to companies like Stream Energy and then resold to the ultimate consumer who chooses to be more socially conscious, rewarding the renewable product generator for not polluting.

Stream Energy purchases these renewable energy credits to help supply their customers who want a green product. This way Stream Energy’s customers can feel confident that they are making a positive impact on the environment.

Why does Stream Energy do this? Because it believes in helping the planet to remain sustainable for future generations and in helping support its customers who want to turn to green renewable energy for their electricity needs.

Thanks to the advent of energy deregulation, Stream Energy and Ignite were founded to deliver energy services and a unique business opportunity to Texas, Maryland, Georgia and Pennsylvania residents and business owners. The opportunity has led to competitive energy service rates and unlimited income potential for Ignite Independent Associates along with numerous recognitions.

Across the United States, more and more states are deregulating their energy markets. What does this mean for the consumer? It means that more companies can now offer you energy service in places such as Maryland, Texas, Georgia and Pennsylvania. Many energy markets are no longer dominated by huge corporations that can charge anything they want because no one else has been allowed to sell energy at competitive rates.

The deregulation of energy has created the opportunity for companies such as Stream Energy to offer customers many options and plans to choose from when selecting their energy services. Before deregulation, people usually only had one or two companies from whom they could receive energy service. Thanks to deregulation, however, more choices for consumers equal more competitive rates for consumers.

Stream Energy has earned a name for itself by being recognized by Direct Selling News as the largest direct seller of energy in the world for 2010, as well as being named a finalist for the Platts Global Energy Awards multiple times, along with many other honors. 

Deregulation of energy has offered the opportunity to many entrepreneurs to build energy network marketing companies such as Stream Energy / Ignite.  Energy network marketing companies pass the opportunity to you, the consumer, which gives you the ability to generate extra income by reselling deregulated energy to friends and family. This is a great opportunity for consumers who live in Texas, Georgia, Maryland and Pennsylvania to choose who they want to receive competitive energy rates from and make additional income.

Stream Energy, a deregulated energy services provider founded by chairman Rob Snyder, serves customers in Texas, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Maryland and has been recognized for its outstanding customer service.

Stream Energy currently offers deregulated energy to four states. One of the reasons for its success is its nearly impeccable customer care and service.  The company is easy to reach if you ever have a question about its services, or your bill, or just for information.

At Stream Energy, the goal is to make sure that customers are treated with the utmost care and provided with world-class service.  The company’s webpage offers a facts and questions section, how to contact Stream Energy in an emergency, payment options and questions and answers about energy services offered.

Stream Energy’s Customer Service is always polite, professional and knowledgeable.  The company puts a premium on service, because it understands who the boss is – namely, you, the customer.

The company prides itself on a staff of great listeners who take the time to identify what the customer needs by asking the right questions and listening to the answers.  Stream Energy’s customers receive undivided attention and are greatly appreciated. 

If a customer needs systems explained, Stream Energy will explain it. The company will not direct you to another site. It wants all the customers to understand what they are receiving from Stream Energy.

Additionally, the company says “yes” as often as possible.  It is always looking for ways to help customers.  When you have a request, Stream Energy will do everything in its power to honor that request and come up with a fair resolution.

At Stream Energy, customers are the number one priority.  The company is an award-winning team who intends on continuing to improve in all areas.

The Present

A prevailing issue in the move from regulatory compact to competition is overcoming the paranoia of losing reliability without all of the regulation-required redundancy that is built into our electricity grid operations. As long as electricity consumers see our product as being in the same class as air and water, they will be willing to pay for 99.9999% reliability. But with near real-time energy markets, the need for ancillary service capacity markets will dwindle, and I predict that other than the ever-present need for the “regulation” capacity market, and the ability to buy energy-only products in near real-time, the responsive and non-spinning reserve markets will be done away with.

Second point, ERCOT showed in the extreme freeze of 2011, that the current system works like clockwork. ERCOT should be lauded for its success in maintaining grid reliability by using rolling black outs. The cost of being any more reliable, not just in ERCOT but in any region, would quickly reach the point of diminishing returns and cost consumers billions more than the current system.

Now, there is a marked difference in how Stream Energy currently does business in Texas and in the Northeast. In Texas, Stream Energy does the billing in a manner called Supplier Consolidated Billing, where Stream has possession of the customer relationship via the bill and a large portion of the customer contacts. 

ERCOT

–      65% Smart Meters, 100% by 2013

–      ERCOT settles Imbalance Market with Suppliers based on Load Profiles, settlement process disconnect from smart meter data

–      Supplier Consolidated Billing Model

In the Northeast we are privileged to be a virtual subcontractor to the incumbent utilities, while they maintain the billing and usually the first contact with the customer on most issues that require the customer to ask a question. Some retail electricity providers are very satisfied with this process because it simplifies their life and places issues like credit management and bad debt as minor or non-existent issues.

I do not see the long-term benefits of a utility consolidated billing model outweighing the risks. It is imperative to maintain the customer relationship through the billing and customer service channels in order to become the “lifestyle products” vendor in the future.

PPL

–      95% Smart Meters

–      Smart Meter Actual Use Data used for determining supplier’s exposure to the PJM Imbalance Market

–      Utility Consolidated Billing Model, Supplier loss of contact hinders customer relationship

Currently, there are operational disconnects in both Texas and the Northeast that must be overcome to allow AMI/AMR to become a driving force in the creation of an efficient smart grid.

In Texas, our imbalance market is settled using by ERCOT-generated customer profiles and not the reality of our customer’s real-time energy usage. 99.999% of the time, in a steady-state environment, the error generated using this method is acceptable; but a few of our smaller retail electric providers had issue with this process in the massive freeze ERCOT experienced in 2011. 

One retailer in South Texas saw a huge number of power outages for its customers – they were not consuming power at all; some even had empirical data from smart meters that verified their non use. But ERCOT’s profile-driven process stated that there was consumption in every 15-minute settlement period of all the settlement periods where the empirical data showed no usage.

On top of that issue, 1) the ERCOT weather-adjusted profiles showed excess usage over and above the supply hedges the retailer had in place, and 2) the imbalance market clearing price was pegged at the maximum of $3000 per MWh. So, that retailer paid a premium for energy that was not actually consumed, instead of being compensated for the difference between the supplier’s actual load, which was lower, than its scheduled load.

Lower Prices and Innovative Products

As for deregulation and lower prices, with the assistance of a former PUCT manager turned consultant, I was able to piece together this slide. The question for Stream’s Chairman Rob Snyder from the Dallas Morning News on a panel of experts which included PUCT Chairman Barry Smitherman was, “Has the ERCOT region of Texas seen a drop in residential electricity prices since state-mandated deregulation occurred in 2001?”

As you can see, we needed to take into account two things in our conversion: 1) the cost of Natural Gas, which is the fuel source for electricity at the margin 100% of the time in Texas; and 2) the Consumers Price Index stating actual inflation over those 8 years. The answer is a resounding “YES.” 

And if you look at 2011 data, you can see gas prices have gone down, inflation has gone up and we have seen another 10% decline in the electricity rate TXU Energy currently offers. 

May 2011 TXU Published Rate

• 10.2 Cents per kWh
• January 2010 to March 2011 Average Inflation Rate = 1.83%
• Natural Gas Price $4.30

I use TXU Energy data because they still serve three million residential meters. If a consumer is willing to do some research, they can find more and differing products at lower costs from reputable suppliers.

The original question was, “Has deregulation lived up to its promise of lower prices and innovative products?” I believe that the inefficiencies that the regulatory compact has perpetuated have been squeezed out of the deregulated markets (with market power issues being the remaining issue) and that the “still regulated” markets are taking notice and doing their best to eliminate the inefficiencies in order to stave off being deregulated. 

Has deregulation offered innovative products? I think yes, mostly in the renewable offerings and payment options. Now, look at telecom! 20 years ago (1991) I was paying about $25 a month for all of my telecom services and long-distance calls were an additional incremental charge. Today, my monthly telecom costs exceed $175 a month, but the innovations that I have the choice of using are astronomical and almost unbelievable to a 1991 mind. As for the future of electricity, to quote Frank Sinatra, “The best is yet to come … we ain’t seen nuthin’ yet.”

Lastly, the fate of the DR Companies

The DR companies that have sprung up all over North America are taking advantage of the ability to aggregate customers into blocks of negawatts (thank you, Jim Rogers, for such a descriptive term) that are bid into the capacity and imbalance energy markets of the ISOs.  I personally believe that these companies are “stop-gap” entities that are taking advantage of the limitations of the DR marketplace where, even with smart meters, customers cannot directly participate in the selling of their negawatts. 

With the advent of a fluid and unconstrained DR market where every entity is a participant, as described in Dr. Cazalet’s white paper, the need for aggregators of negawatts will disappear, energy suppliers or “lifestyle products” suppliers will develop their own methods of assisting/aggregating their customers in taking advantage of DR markets.  The best move I have seen in the DR Company environment is when Constellation purchased CPower in anticipation of the future needs of even their smallest customers, of which they just collected 650,000 more with the announcement of the purchase of MX Energy and StarTex Energy.

As kind of an afterthought, because I read something interesting in Restructuring Today recently …

Jim Rogers, CEO of Duke Energy, again introduced a new term into the industry’s vocabulary - DISINTERMEDIATION. It’s a term that has been used in financial circles for a while, and when I broke the word down, I discovered it means “no bilateral problem solving.” 

Jim pointed out that if DR market participation and conservation by the consumer is done without the suppliers cooperation or coordination, there may be issues as to long-term planning and real-time load following, as well.

At first blush, I think Jim has something here; but, my second thought is that conservation and DR market activity would follow the same patterns, based on economics, whether the supplier manages the customer or a 3^rd party manages the customer. I think those patterns could easily be deciphered and planned for.

My colleagues at Stream Energy asked me two great questions, based on the fact that the Smart Grid will allow all participants to transact, and that the credit issues will be extremely manageable, if not virtually eliminated.

Question #1: Is it feasible that the DR companies could actually evolve into a supply-side entity the size of an NRG or Calpine?

Answer: Again, in reference to what the Constellation/Excelon move of incorporating a DR company into their operation, I personally believe that my sector, the retail electricity providers, will incorporate DR services into our offerings and use our relationship with our customers to eliminate the need for the customer to use a separate entity for DR. I also believe that when the ability exists that a homeowner can place a bid into a market bid stack on his own, a certain percentage of consumers will bypass all service companies and do it for themselves, bypassing even their trusted electricity supplier. However, I perceive that the total customers that play the DR markets, in the future, will never exceed 10% of the market.

Question #2: Could the demand-side entities, like homeowner associations, municipal aggregators or even consumer protection groups, become the agent buyers of a huge magnitude?

Answer: NO! The credit issues that will be mitigated in the future are the supplier’s exposure to bad debt. A supplier still has the same credit issues on the wholesale side of the house at to hedging supply for customers on long-term contracts. Besides, as municipal aggregators have experienced, there is no loyalty to their “cause” and every state that has adopted municipal aggregation has legislated that the customer can opt-out at any time with no penalty. Municipal aggregators may still be around, but I believe that the homeowner’s association would be less knowledgeable and successful in operating this kind of aggregation and the consumer protection entity would not see this as a core competency.